The cost of craft beer, holy cow that's pricey.

[Dcpcooks]

Since we started packing and getting the house ready to sell a few months back I had to shut down the brewery. I had a decent pipeline of homebrew but it's running out. I've got a few more weeks of waiting while I get the new house set up to brew so I'm buying more craft beer than usual. I'm kinda floored by the costs of good craft beer. It's kinda like what happened in the wine market ten years ago. It's super trendy and people are paying up to get the "hot" craft beers. I'm North of Chicago and we have some great breweries in the area from pipeworks, off color and revolution up to the big boys like goose island and lagunitas.

Does anyone else think prices and demand are a little out of hand?

On one hand I'm happy to see the rise of craft beer but on the other hand it's a bit over the top. I'm wondering if this is sustainable?


Cheers

 

[HopHeavy]

I regularly see $10.99 to $14.99 per six at a NY supermarket that offers a limited selection of craft beers. Those are mostly offerings from Goose Island, Ballast Point, Blue Point, etc. There are a few true craft beers there, as well. Of course, the few bottle shops around here reach deeper into our pockets for rarer or limited distribution stuff. The reality there is the additional profit is realized by the shop, not the brewery.

Along these lines, I recently noted how Sculpin's price is right at the top of the price range again, having dropped suspiciously shortly after Constellation acquired Ballast Point.

Anyway, now you know the first thing you have do when you roll up to the new place is... unpack the brew kit!

 

[thunderwagn]

While not really the same, I have been noticing a local trend of 'special releases'. Which always seem to have a pretty steep $ and more times than not really aren't all that special.

 

[Nick1257]

I pay 22.50 for 4 packs of DDH trillium regularly ... yes it's super expensive especially in the "upper tier" hops world... looking at 3.75-6.00 per 16 oz can... nevermind these places that have crowlers ... Weldwerks in CO I paid 16 for a 32 oz crowler that's .50 per ounce

 

[madscientist451]

As long as people are willing to pay, prices will stay high or go higher. You would think that will all the competition in the marketplace, prices would be coming down, but its not happening. I brew when I can, and buy some commercial
beers when I need to. I'm usually happy when I can get something I like despite the high price, ....instead of having to settle for a brew that I don't really want.

 

[blueline_king]

I agree, craft beer is pretty crazy. I live in Northern California and am surrounded by many breweries. Lagunitas, heretic, right eye, knee deep etc. A 6 pack of IPA runs around $8 but have seen some charge around $15 for a 4 pack, like revisions Dr. Lupulin or dog fish head 120min. Pyramid has a decent 22oz DIPA 8.5% for $2.30

I just got my first brewery kit and am gonna start a chinook IPA this weekend.

 

[teal]

For the stuff I buy - 8 to 12 a 4 pack is about the norm. People freak out over that but will drink a shaker pint of Bud Light at 4 bucks each like that's cheap and a good buy in the bar.

Doing the math - 4 shaker pints of Bud at 16 bucks or 4 good beers, little less volume for 12 - no brainer for me. REALLY not that expensive compared to drinking in the bar and my local bar's nachos are much better than mine...

 

[TBC]

They’re raping us!!! I just wish I was in IL. At least it wouldn’t be as bad!

 

[beernutz]

Bomber prices are crazy expensive imo. My local has some barrell aged stuff for close to $30 each!

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

My Costco carries some local craft, and other craft including bombers not low cost, but much better than the market and most distributors/bottle shops.

 

[storm72]

When I started brewing, I found myself becoming much more about supporting my local breweries when they produce a good product at a reasonable price. Even they are making it hard for me to do that now.

Because of the differences in packaging formats, I tend to compare beer prices by the ounce. I'm seeing even the regular mainstays of my locals' lineups push $0.20/oz. That's the equivalent of a $14+ six pack. I find that crazy for beer that's always readily available and while good, is nothing absolutely world rocking.

I certainly understand supply and demand and pricing in accordance with what the market will apparently bear. For me personally, pricing trends even more so harden my sentiment that my own brewing takes priority over commercial beer.

 

[cubalz]

I really stopped buying craft beer a while back when I figured out that I can brew 5 gallons of excellent beer for the price of two 6 packs of mediocre beer. It was a no brainer.

 

[MaxStout]

Although my pipeline of homebrew is always full, I like to buy a few favorite micros, and try some new ones. But I agree that the market has driven prices way up. Even the mediocre craft beers are going for $10-12 a sixer. I often buy at Total Wine, especially if I'm stocking up. Better prices, and their stock rotates fairly fast, so fresh beer.

 

[mj1angier]

Closest brewery to me is a lager only place. They are $5 a pint for most beers, $6 for special releases. Sixtil run $50-65 plus deposit Large grocery store has the bigger craft breweries at $9.99 for 6-pack. Bottle shop has singles from $1.75-9 per bottle. Growler refills are $15-18.

 

[teal]

Just paid 27 OTD for a bottle of CBS. I didn't feel too bad about that. Been my Moby Dick for a long time and finally managed to snag it.

Now I don't really want to drink it because who knows if I'll ever see it again. Going to hit some smaller stores today and see if they have more. I'd like to cellar one, drink one, share one etc.

 

[stz]

Some of it is quite good value. I know why beers with 20g/L in the copper and 20g/L dry hopped at 9% abv are £6/500ml can. The thing has almost £1 in ingredients at cost price before labour, energy, equipment, transport and tax. I know why a barrel aged blended fruit sour at 8% abv is £6/330ml bottle. Part of it is the limited release, cost of fruit and fixed cost like before, but also the cost of storing and potentially ditching substandard beer to produce such an excellent blend. Everybody wants a 50% mark up from the brewery and then there is the the wholesaler and retailer. I sometimes feel a little weird paying decent wine prices for beer, but if the flavour is great, the beer or brewery is interesting to me and the abv is up there I'm ok with it. Alcohol is quite heavily taxed here.

I don't think you'll find me willing to part with £6 for a can of dry hopped pilsner at 4% abv though.

 

[jlinz]

Since we started packing and getting the house ready to sell a few months back I had to shut down the brewery. I had a decent pipeline of homebrew but it's running out. I've got a few more weeks of waiting while I get the new house set up to brew so I'm buying more craft beer than usual. I'm kinda floored by the costs of good craft beer. It's kinda like what happened in the wine market ten years ago. It's super trendy and people are paying up to get the "hot" craft beers. I'm North of Chicago and we have some great breweries in the area from pipeworks, off color and revolution up to the big boys like goose island and lagunitas.

Does anyone else think prices and demand are a little out of hand?

On one hand I'm happy to see the rise of craft beer but on the other hand it's a bit over the top. I'm wondering if this is sustainable?


Cheers

Of course, that hefty liquor tax here in Illinois is not helping things!

 

[Roland_deschain]

It’s like anything, supply and demand. So long as people will pay $28 for a bottle of beer they will continue to ask it.

 

[r4dyce]

Something that's always bothered me is when you go to a brewery/taproom how expensive the beer is. Like you make the beer 50 yards away from here but you're going to charge me $7.50 a glass when the bar 50 miles away charges $6?

 

[MaxStout]

Something that's always bothered me is when you go to a brewery/taproom how expensive the beer is. Like you make the beer 50 yards away from here but you're going to charge me $7.50 a glass when the bar 50 miles away charges $6?

For many of those small breweries, pints (and growler fills) are their only revenue stream. I don't mind paying for it, and if the beer is good, I'll come back.

 

[r4dyce]

For many of those small breweries, pints (and growler fills) are their only revenue stream. I don't mind paying for it, and if the beer is good, I'll come back.

Oh I totally don't mind paying for good beer. I just think the economics are funny when I can get the same beer cheaper at a bar across the state than I can get it at the brewery where they make it.

 

[Singletrack]

Something that's always bothered me is when you go to a brewery/taproom how expensive the beer is. Like you make the beer 50 yards away from here but you're going to charge me $7.50 a glass when the bar 50 miles away charges $6?

I assume you're talking about different pricing for the exact same beer. Then yes, that makes little sense. Or no, that makes no sense.

But they have to charge more because homebrewers come in and start asking them a lot of questions about the hops they use, what yeast they use, what temperature they ferment, mash schedules, etc., and they have to pay someone who is friendly -- but who knows nothing about their brewing processes -- to field all these questions, provide nonsensical answers, and preserve their trade secrets while keeping us engaged, entertained, interested, inebriated, and happy. These people don't come cheap! (And they earn every penny.) So let's agree to just pay what they want. But we get to ask anything we want! And, we want to leave there feeling great about ourselves. Now who can put a price on that?