Cost of growler fills

[grizzly2378]

I just saw something today that made me wonder. I was perusing the website of a new local brewery that I was thinking of hitting up for a growler fill this evening. They've got a new Citra pale ale on tap that sounds pretty decent. Or it did sound pretty decent until I saw that they're charging $30 for a full growler fill. I have a 40 oz hydroflask I was going to fill, which I'm assuming would be cheaper, but that would still be more than I'm willing to spend.



That's the most I've ever seen for a fill. Another brewery closer to me usually charges $12-16, depending on the beer, maybe $20 if it's a big imperial stout or something similar. But $30?? I understand that Citra hops are high demand/high price right now and this place is a new nanobrewery that's just trying to get going, but that just seems like a lot. I mean, in a 64 oz growler you're getting basically five 12 oz beers, plus a few ounces. How many of us have paid $30 for a 6-pack? Am I crazy, or is this normal? What do growler fills usually cost you?

 

[Mexibilly]

I wonder how much they charge for a pint...
I filled 2 growlers last nite for $5 each. An IPA and a smoked bacon porter.
At $30 a fill they won't be filling many. I'd wait until they realize that they need a reasonable price

 

[photobru]

That's pretty crazy, I don't like paying more than $15 for a 64oz, but $20 unfortunately seems more and more common for nice beers. Just found a Belgian from Founders that I certainly won't be getting for $37.

In answer to your question though, no, you are not crazy, beer prices are crazy. I've paid $15 for a 4-pack several times now and don't even get me started on corked beers.

 

[ColoHox]

You sure that wasn't the price for a growler purchase + fill?

Around here I see growlers for $15-20 + a $6-12 fill.

 

[njpatg]

10 bucks around here

 

[aprichman]

Growler prices are almost always overpriced in my opinion. It seems like most places that fill up growlers base their pricing on breweries / bars. Basically the idea that a pint costs $4 so a growler is a "discount" at $12-15. Like you said however, a growler is less beer than a 6-pack (64oz vs 72oz) and I can get really good beers for $8-10 6/pack.

There are two situations where I'll get a growler. #1 Great beers that aren't available in the bottle. #2 Alameda Brewing would do $5 growler fills every Saturday - used to hit this up when I lived in Portland.

 

[grizzly2378]

You sure that wasn't the price for a growler purchase + fill?

Around here I see growlers for $15-20 + a $6-12 fill.

Pretty sure it was just the fill...the price was listed right next to the pint price ($7 a pint for the Citra pale ale). Their "regular" beers are $4-$5 a pint and $15 for a growler.

 

[photobru]

How big is the beer? Better be 9% for that much

 

[bbohanon]

That's pretty crazy, I don't like paying more than $15 for a 64oz, but $20 unfortunately seems more and more common for nice beers. Just found a Belgian from Founders that I certainly won't be getting for $37.

In answer to your question though, no, you are not crazy, beer prices are crazy. I've paid $15 for a 4-pack several times now and don't even get me started on corked beers.

This +100. Not sure what is going on with beer prices as Sam Adams here is now selling for $19 a 12'er which is nuts($16 a 12'er on sale). These same 12'ers were $13 on sale and $16 reg not even a month ago and again, thats for Sam Adams. Dont get me started on the $13+ bombers of brooklyn ace saison.

Its forcing me to plan on ramping up more batches as with these increases, homebrewing savings is getting much more visible to my bank account and has me trying less new brands. Just too damn cost-prohibitive.

 

[grizzly2378]

How big is the beer? Better be 9% for that much

Nowhere near 9%. It's a 5.8% pale ale. My only thought is that it's a very small batch beer and by pricing it so high they're intentionally discouraging you from getting a growler fill and instead hoping you'll just get a pint that you'll drink on the premises and will then potentially buy another pint or two of some of their other beers while you're there. Which I would love to do, but I'll be there with my son after his basketball game tonight and at the ripe old age of 11, he's not quite old enough to be my DD.

 

[photobru]

Nowhere near 9%. It's a 5.8% pale ale. My only thought is that it's a very small batch beer and by pricing it so high they're intentionally discouraging you from getting a growler fill and instead hoping you'll just get a pint that you'll drink on the premises and will then potentially buy another pint or two of some of their other beers while you're there. Which I would love to do, but I'll be there with my son after his basketball game tonight and at the ripe old age of 11, he's not quite old enough to be my DD.

Hmm, good call there. Guess you could always go another time and just nurse one pint of it. No way in hell I'd pay that much for a single hop pale ale, especially if I've never tasted it.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Yeah that price is outrageous. Growler fills are pricey in general, but that is over the top.

 

[MrHopScotch]

Um... A 64oz growler is 4 pints and if they're $7 per pint that would work out to $28 per growler. Maybe they are trying to discourage growler fills, but that seems crazy. If you talk to them about it, I'd be interested to hear their rationale

 

[grizzly2378]

Um... A 64oz growler is 4 pints and if they're $7 per pint that would work out to $28 per growler. Maybe they are trying to discourage growler fills, but that seems crazy. If you talk to them about it, I'd be interested to hear their rationale

Turns out I was mistaken on the $7/pint. It's actually $7 for a 12 oz pour. Five of those would be $35, so you'd "save" $5 for a growler. Can't beat that deal!

 

[aprichman]

A brewery charging $7/12oz pour for a pale ale is doing something wrong. At home even my most expensive IIPAs that I buy special yeast for (and use citra hops) are made for $1.50/pint. If I'm just using bulk hops and washed yeast IIPAs can be made for under $0.60/pint.

 

[ArizonaGoalie]

I believe I am quite blessed to live in San Diego...not only do we have 90+ craft breweries, but I think we have the world's best growler deal. Every Friday Karl Strauss has $8 growler fills, any beer, any location.

Red Trolley, Amber Lager, Tower 10, Off The Rails, Pintail Pale Ale.......

Just one more reason to love Fridays.

 

[fimpster]

Its $7.25+tax for the 64 oz. growler fills I usually get. Some places charge up to $12 for typical beer.

 

[Sailingeric]

Ouch.. I have seen a few $7 a 12 oz glass stuff but that has usually been sours. Maybe give them a call to see if it is a typo.

 

[photobru]

Ouch.. I have seen a few $7 a 12 oz glass stuff but that has usually been sours. Maybe give them a call to see if it is a typo.

I would be ecstatic if I could order a sour for only $7. That's pretty the minimum for a decent beer. $10+ pours aren't uncommon in craft beer bars here. Sounds like I need to get to the west coast...

 

[1977Brewer]

I would be ecstatic if I could order a sour for only $7. That's pretty the minimum for a decent beer. $10+ pours aren't uncommon in craft beer bars here. Sounds like I need to get to the west coast...

Whoa. The MOST I've paid for any pint here is $7.

 

[comet]

I wish that I could find a decent beer for $4 / pint (not a 12oz "pint"). Most beers are over $5 / pint, often more than 6, normally 8 for a stout... Although Brewsters sells their 64oz growler fills for around $15..

Seems to me that beer prices in Canada are truly outrageous.

Cheers!

 

[BrewSavage]

$16 at my local brewpub.

$6 pints (non happy hour)

 

[madscientist451]

Growler fills are $10 at a local nano brewery here. Which isn't too bad.
Pints are $5 and sometimes $6 and higher. The prices for beer in general and craft beer in particular have been edging up will keep going up as long customers keep paying. At some point, all the breweries opening will cause prices to stabilize and maybe decline. No sigh of that happening any time soon.

 

[blackbeer]

i'd be go to hell before i'd pay $7/pint or $30/growler of ANY beer. those prices, unless it is NYC or somewhere like that, are gouging and taking advantage of the current craft mania. they probably have 22RF ammo for $100/brick too. fellow gun guys will know what i mean.

 

[grrickar]

My pet peeve with growlers is that most places only want to fill their own, and of course they have their name on them so you end up pigeonholed with a growler that only they will fill.

Why not get a generic no-name growler that everyone would be forced to fill? Why do I want a growing growler collection just because I like getting beers different places?

 

[pdxal]

$30 growler works out to $33.75 for a six pack of 12 ounce bottles. Big rip.

http://www.its-pub-night.com/2009/06/six-pack-equivalent-calculator.html