Why do all "Make your own six pack" Selections Suck?

It's just whatever breaks in the back or from 6 packs that other people have already taken one beer out of. It's just a way for the grocery store to not lose as much $$ on breakage/theft.

 

plus the sales people throwing the last 2 6pks of 'xyz summer' in so they have somewhere to put 'xyz oktoberfest/pumpkin'

 

It's a crap shoot, pure and simple. Buy your tried and true favorites. Still, I have seen some great discount bins, but stick to age-worthy beers, with full fills.

 

You could just go to the Grand Rapids Craft Beer Cellar, where everything in the store is sold as singles

 

A few stores have started doing that out here as well, at the same price it would've been as part of a 4/6-pack. Easier to manage than a limited BYO 6-pack, and they can fit twice as many different beers on the shelves single-file.

 

Yeah generally its because of breakage or theft that beers will end up in a singles section. Actually managing a real make your own 6pk section can be a nightmare logistically depending on your inventory system and based on my experience is where good beers go to sit on the shelve and go out of code.

 

In my experience "make your own six packs" out of even regular ol' Kroger's or Food Lions have been pretty nice (might have just been lucky and have stores who happen to put up a lot of decent beers for those, rather than just the really crusty old ones they're trying to get rid of). In my college town there was a larger Kroger's which had plenty of good choices (at least 20 good ones at any given time) to pick from at $6 per 6 pack. Needless to say, that was where all my beers for parties came from.

It might have everything to do with your area. I think part of the reason mixed 6 packs here are so good is it's Virginia--major craft beer zone with a few affluent patches scattered in there.

The fancier option of trying a purveyor with mixed six packs is probably worth it if all you're finding is junk. It's more expensive but I've been able to find several where I could get a four-pack of my choice for under $10, and a six pack of my choice for under $15. Plus most purveyors will sell singly, if you really want a good beer but only have $1.50-$3.50 or so to spare.

 

Eh, mix six racks get a bad rep. If the selection is bad, then the store is more or less attempting to stifle any money lose on broken packages, or old beer.

Around here, there are a few stores where you can walk in with $10 and walk out with 6 decent or above beers. Depending on what night you go, you could even request they load the mix six shelf with x, y, and z - as long as the 6 packs that contain them are $10 or $11 or under.

So patronize the shops with good mix six shelves, and avoid those that scramble to sell old beer. That's exactly what I do. Even if I can get five good beers and one okay beer, that's still a fine mix in the summer. It just means I have five beers to drink, and one to boil the brats in.

 

This is the closest to the truth that I've read yet. To manage a real mix your own six pack option would be very labor intensive. Perhaps making the margins extra special could make it worth it at retail.

 

There's a store in my town that does everything in a make your own 6

You can do Backwoods Bastard, Ten Fidy, etc...

 

Same - they list the pack price and individual on all of them. Course they don't leave one single bottle in a carrier on the shelf - those get moved to a section to the cooler and the carriers thrown on a pile.

 

Here at my store I'm in charge of the make a six. I am constantly rotating and keeping everything fresh. You can buy basically anything we have as a single, and my customers love it. If your ever in Sartell MN, drop into the West Side Liquor, you will not be disappointed.

 

I wouldn't say "all" mix-a-six'ers suck...one time I scored 6 fresh lagunitas sumpin' extras for $8.99, well below the typical sticker price.

That being said though, the selection usually does kinda suck. It's more for people who just want to try a few different craft beers without getting a mixed 12 pack. I very rate venture to that corner of the beer aisle

 

That's not been my experience. In Fort Collins or even Casper. No returned "crap for sure. Tis a shame that's true for anyone...

 

That has been my experience at the stores I shop that do mix-a-six: that is where the old beers go.

Cheers!

 

Actually I know of a few stores that have a killer selection of singles that you can mix n match. Some are better than others. Some let you actually break apart a 4/6 pack to get a single. Some are more expensive than others but it is what it is.
Great way to try new beers without committing to a full 4/6er of the same beer.
Also many of the shops around here have pretty fresh bottles available, minus Meijer and little ma n pop stores.

CHEERS

 

Most of the time the selection and freshness do suck, but I have one local that'll break up anything into singles. I just go there if I'm looking to try a bunch of new stuff.

 

This is kinda why I always thought bombers served a good purpose- a bit more expensive ounce-wise, and often the only option for the offering. It's still just about two beers, and then you know.