Expensive Rogue Beer

This thread just reminds me to be grateful for living in Portland. My sympathies to those who have to pay over $10 for craft beer...

I didn't read this whole thread, so I apologize if I missed a similar vein earlier on.

When I first had Dead Guy (10?? years ago?) I remember it was one of the lesser expensive craft six packs (I remember paying $6.something). Yesterday, at the beer store, I saw a sixer of Dead Guy, was about to grab it, and noticed it was $10.50! Deschutes, New Belgium, Odell's, etc., all go for about $8-$9. When did Dead Guy become the "pricey" brew? I ended up buying a bomber of Double Dead Guy for the same price which, by the way, was stellar and a new experience for me.

I recently decided I will pay any amount for beer... whatever a brewery decides their beer is worth, I will buy it at least once. Some beers will not make it back on the "to buy" list.

All of this stems from the fact that I'm willing to pay $5 for a pint at a restaurant, or $10 for a glass of wine. In fact, I compare a lot of purchases in my life to buying alcohol at a restaurant... and it usually makes me cave in and buy stuff

HItransplant said:

after reading more of this thread, Ive come up with a better answer...
The real reason why ROGUE beer costs what it does.. plain and simple:

because enough people are willing to pay that much for their beer.

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Bingo!

I don't fault them at all for the price, and pay it occasionally. And they are my favorite out-of-town eatery/brewery: great view of the bay, great beer, and more than adequate food (good but not quite great).

Kudos, too, to marketing...if you can get folks to pay it......

Yooper_Brew said:

It depends on where you live, too...

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yep. it's hard to find any craft brews in central louisiana. I picked up a dusty 6er of Rogue's mocha porter for my b-day a month ago and dropped around $12.

The store didn't have much else. I still regret the purchase. I didn't like the beer and can't say if it was because the 6 was ancient or because I just don't like that beer.

Anyway, consider yourself lucky if you have a ready supply of fresh craft beers nearby. Some of us don't.

a lot of you complaining about the price fail to realize that profits need to be made not only by Rouge but the distributor and the store that sells it to you (plus tax).When i went to the dogfish head brewery i got a ton of 750ml bottles of limited edition beers for $7 a piece because i know when i go to the store the same beer cost $10-$12 a bottle. Cases of shelter pale ale where only $23.

for only a few dollars more you can have world class beer. something that you can't do with wine or much else for that matter.

I've always wanted to try the double dead guy also, but I've never even seen it in a store. That's why I'm brewing my own right now!

King MF Midas said:

a lot of you complaining about the price fail to realize that profits need to be made not only by Rouge but the distributor and the store that sells it to you (plus tax).When i went to the dogfish head brewery i got a ton of 750ml bottles of limited edition beers for $7 a piece because i know when i go to the store the same beer cost $10-$12 a bottle. Cases of shelter pale ale where only $23.

for only a few dollars more you can have world class beer. something that you can't do with wine or much else for that matter.

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i think everyone is making relative comparisons.

nobody is saying "rouge is $12 but so is sierra nevada and bmc"...

Rogue beer is overpriced. It's that simple. It is undeniably good beer, and 10 a 6 isn't that bad. That is what I (living in Illinois) pay for most craft 6's, between 10-12. the problem is rogue is probably 14 a 6 and it isn't any better than bell's, founder's, or a lot of the other craft brews that don't charge ridiculous prices for all their beers.

I've never repeat bought it. I have bought it, off the single's rack, and it was good. It was not good enough to buy again(comparitively). I think that is the common thread here. People will buy the more expensive beer once. When they realize they can get just as good cheaper, they do. Maybe Dead Guy's image/marketing is soo good it gets all of us(as noobies) at least once, on alot of their brews. Not how I would want to run my business, we'll see if it works out for em, it has been.

BTW anyone notice Great Lakes has turned to 4 packs....noooo....i hope this isn't a common thread.

JNye said:

I've never repeat bought it. I have bought it, off the single's rack, and it was good. It was not good enough to buy again(comparitively). I think that is the common thread here. People will buy the more expensive beer once. When they realize they can get just as good cheaper, they do. Maybe Dead Guy's image/marketing is soo good it gets all of us(as noobies) at least once, on alot of their brews. Not how I would want to run my business, we'll see if it works out for em, it has been.

BTW anyone notice Great Lakes has turned to 4 packs....noooo....i hope this isn't a common thread.

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Great Lakes has always had the 4 packs. They sell their "bigger" beers in 4 packs. Blackout Stout (RIS) and Nosferatu (Imperial Amber Ale) are 2 of my favs.

kanzimonson said:

I recently decided I will pay any amount for beer... whatever a brewery decides their beer is worth, I will buy it at least once. Some beers will not make it back on the "to buy" list.

All of this stems from the fact that I'm willing to pay $5 for a pint at a restaurant, or $10 for a glass of wine. In fact, I compare a lot of purchases in my life to buying alcohol at a restaurant... and it usually makes me cave in and buy stuff

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so true.. its crazy what a big "night out" tab can run up to.. hard to complain about the $3/gal after dropping 2 bills on drinks.

I go out to bowl 1 night a week. The bowling alley charges $3.25 for a 12oz BMC and people buy them..... I go to a restaurant and they charge... whatever... $5.00 for a 16 -20 oz BMC that is not even filled to the rim so it's more like 14 or 18oz or less with a sickly looking pale yellow swill.... and people buy them. (Shudder here).... nothing looks worse in a glass than a BMC... drink it out of a can or brown bottle. Anyway I won't do it. Give me a water and when I get home I will drink a homebrew or on occasion a Rouge or whatever else I have around. If you don't want to pay the price don't buy it. The same with the crap in restaurant's.

Off topic sort of:

A new liquor store just opened near me that has 7 taps for growler fills. There are a couple other places in town that do growler fills that I know of but this liquor store is by far the cheapest and I am wondering if they just don't know what they are doing because it is so cheap. For example, they had stone IPA and kostrizer black lager for $5.99 for a half gallons growler fill. The other place in town (a restaurant/bar) sells the same size growler of those beers for $14.99! What is the typical growler cost you all?

This is from the owner of Pelican brewing in OR talking about distributing and their price. Good article.

"...Jack Joyce has done with Rogue. He’s always had this philosophy that ‘We’ve got really good beer and it’s worth paying for. We’re going to charge a price that we feel is fair."

http://brewpublic.com/brewpubs/darronwelch/

Am I the only person who regularly drops $12-$18 on a six (sometimes even a four) pack?

I got into homebrewing so I could make quality beers for less.

OK, Good points from all. I pay anywhere from 6 to 8 bucks for a six pack of the good stuff here in Oregon, and 3 to 5 bucks for 22 oz bottles, and it's well worth it. I paid 7 for the 22 oz. Rogue Shakespere Stout yesterday and I was not disappointed at all. Real good stuff.
So when I have the extra money I'll get the Rogue, otherwise I'll go with the Deschutes, Full Sail, Bridgeport and the others. And I'll drink my own as well.

One last thing - There is a brewery here called Ninkasi and they are becoming my favorite. Reasonably priced, big, bold hoppy beers. They are only available in 22 oz, but I read that they are going to start doing 6'ers. Anyways, they are awesome. If you can find it, try it. Their Winter seasonal just came out, Sleigher, and it is great. And 3.99 for a 22 oz bottle.
It is great having so many great beers right here in our own backyard. I live in the heart of wine country, but the beer gets distributed out my way. Thank God.

King MF Midas said:

for only a few dollars more you can have world class beer. something that you can't do with wine or much else for that matter.

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+1

I'll add that nothing in this world is overpriced for very long. Eventually it's the right price or it's no longer on the market.

I haven't bought a rogue beer in probably 2 years. Everything is too expensive in MA, and Rogue is doubly so.

fenderbass said:

One last thing - There is a brewery here called Ninkasi and they are becoming my favorite. Reasonably priced, big, bold hoppy beers. They are only available in 22 oz, but I read that they are going to start doing 6'ers. Anyways, they are awesome. If you can find it, try it. Their Winter seasonal just came out, Sleigher, and it is great. And 3.99 for a 22 oz bottle.
It is great having so many great beers right here in our own backyard. I live in the heart of wine country, but the beer gets distributed out my way. Thank God.

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+1 for Ninkasi! We still prefer our local brewpub that doesn't bottle - Calapooia Brewing Co - but when buying in the bottle we go Ninkasi.

Plus, their labels come off real good and I use 22 ouncers for my beer. Double benefit!

Really? You're complaining about $10 for a six pack? I pay $13 for a six pack of non-premium beer in Canada.

crlova2 said:

Off topic sort of:

What is the typical growler cost you all?

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sierra 30th's $16 at whole foods (aka whole paycheck)

one time i went up and they had *****'s brew from dfh. the lady wasn't supposed to fill growlers due to the low supply but by the time she realized this she already poured. $45 well spent imo.

fenderbass said:

One last thing - There is a brewery here called Ninkasi and they are becoming my favorite. Reasonably priced, big, bold hoppy beers. They are only available in 22 oz, but I read that they are going to start doing 6'ers. Anyways, they are awesome. If you can find it, try it. Their Winter seasonal just came out, Sleigher, and it is great. And 3.99 for a 22 oz bottle.
It is great having so many great beers right here in our own backyard. I live in the heart of wine country, but the beer gets distributed out my way. Thank God.

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Yeah, Ninkasi is good stuff at a nice price. I tried their Sleigher last week, and it was great. I really like Total Domination IPA and their Tricerahops as well. Good stuff.

jfr1111 said:

??? A 12 pack of Bud Light Lime here is 24 $ I can usually drink craft or micro for cheaper than BMC if I hunt for specials/reductions. Count your blessings: 9 bucks for a six pack is usually the cheapest beer in the store.

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What in the world?!

corwin6654 said:

Yeah, Ninkasi is good stuff at a nice price. I tried their Sleigher last week, and it was great. I really like Total Domination IPA and their Tricerahops as well. Good stuff.

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Just had the Oatis Oatmeal Stout yesterday - it's a keeper, too.

Now if I could just figger out how to make a good oatmeal stout...

What the heck is going on there that a 12 pack of Bud is 24 bucks??? Are you guys being taxed into oblivion over there?

Short answer: Yes.

BMC costs pretty much the same thing as the biggest micros around here. Anything that is "imported" will be priced ridiculously high. The only beer that are still cheap are high gravity beers by the huge can or bottles (1.18L of 10% for 3$, yes, it exists). Plus we have to pay duty on every bottle and who really brings back bottles these days ? Makes even less sense to drink Bud Light since you can get another beer that won't give you that nasty "mwaaahh..." reaction after every corn-laden sip.

You just have to shop around. My local grocery store, atlough it has a horrible layout (almost no beer is in the fridge) runs a specias every week on different non-BMC beer. You just have to stock up when you can (ie. 8.99$ for a sixer of Maudite).

Odd, I can get a large pitcher of Dead Guy for $8 at my local bar. What irritates me is $14 for a 4 pack of dogfish head 90 minute IPA. I love their beer but dang. Anyway, my 2c is that pricing is an art and science, having more to do with perceived value than cost of production. Someone with a more formal economics background could probably address this better, but essentially - they charge a lot because enough people are willing to pay and it preserves brand value.

Have built up a large disdain for Stone and Rogue due to their pricing. You are paying for a lot of marketing and not beer.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo - 7.99
Stone Whatever IPA - 12.99+
Rogue Bend over while I F' you out of $ - 12.99.

NO BRAINER. Their beers are good. But not that good, period.

I saw Stone levitation at %4.4 for around 12 a six. Thats comedy right there..

ToddO said:

Have built up a large disdain for Stone and Rogue due to their pricing. You are paying for a lot of marketing and not beer.

Sierra Nevada Torpedo - 7.99
Stone Whatever IPA - 12.99+
Rogue Bend over while I F' you out of $ - 12.99.

NO BRAINER. Their beers are good. But not that good, period.

I saw Stone levitation at %4.4 for around 12 a six. Thats comedy right there..

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Dude you're not far from me, you're getting reamed. Stone's 6 packs aren't too cheap, but 6 packs aren't really their forte. Also SN Torpedo IPA is awful if you've had any of the San Diego IPAs!

Stone's 6ers are a bit pricey, but their bombers are pretty solidly priced, especially compared to quality. PS: Go to Total Wine in Tustin! I hear it's even more awesome than the one by me.

Just spent $17 on a 4 pack of Ten Fidy. Expensive, but I wanted to try it.
One time I spent near $100 to have a 6'er of Westy and some other Belgians shipped here from Belgium. I'll never do that again, but I wanted to try the best.
Some people will pay, no matter how high the price.

For all the Oregonians talking about Ninkasi, yeah, they're awesome. If you get the chance, make a trip to Sisters in late September of next year. The Ninkasi guys were out for this year's Fresh Hop Festival along with 10-11 other breweries. They also came out on Labor Day weekend for the Little Woody Festival in Bend.

As for Rogue, I don't regret making the trip out to the coast to visit their ale house in Newport at all. Fantastic beer, and the wild boar chili is delicious. Worth every penny.

rpatton said:

Odd, I can get a large pitcher of Dead Guy for $8 at my local bar. What irritates me is $14 for a 4 pack of dogfish head 90 minute IPA. I love their beer but dang. Anyway, my 2c is that pricing is an art and science, having more to do with perceived value than cost of production. Someone with a more formal economics background could probably address this better, but essentially - they charge a lot because enough people are willing to pay and it preserves brand value.

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lol looks like it has to do with shipping. 90 min is $8.50 at my grocery store, i heard CA pays $10 a bottle for palo santo ($13 a four pack here). i live 4 hours away from the brewery. deadguy is $14 a pitcher at the bar.

ToddO, you are absolutely right.
Boy, I sure started a controversy here, huh.
Now, I feel bad for all of the folks that have to pay so dang much. I'm lucky that I live in beer heaven. Most of our local brewers don't put a lot of money into marketing and charge a fair price for great beer, but I'll pay what I have to just to avoid the yellow pissy stuff.
But hey, that's why we brew our own right??? Today at around 12:05 PM I'll try my Knuckle Head Red. I have a feeling it's going to be pretty darn good, and it cost about 25bucks for 5 gallons.
Cheers to all of you.

Local thriftway has had Yellow Snow IPA 22's for $2.99 for a few weeks now. Needless to say my bottle collection has been growing nicely.

Left San Diego Wednesday, the last beer I drank was a six pack of Rogue for $10.99 on base.

Arrived in Okinawa, Japan Thursday, the first beer I bought was a six pack of Rogue for $6.99 on base. LOL WTF?

Yeah....walked into the package store on Yokota AFB (western Tokyo) Thursday and a six of Rogue Amber is $6.85. Any Rogue beer back home (IL) is over $10. The future not only has 200 mph trains to get you there, but reasonably priced beer when you arrive.....

I think the short answer to "Why do they charge so much?" is that they can. Same reason Starbucks coffee costs $3 for a large, non refillable cup o' joe....

ashort33 said:

I think the short answer to "Why do they charge so much?" is that they can. Same reason Starbucks coffee costs $3 for a large, non refillable cup o' joe....

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I think that hits the nail on the head. It's a pretty popular brewery in a pop culture kind of way so people will pay what they charge.