northernlad
Well-Known Member
Man, A significant portion of you are getting straight up HOSED for beer. $20 for a 4 pack of Rasputin? Must be an Atlantic North East thing.
4 pack rant
- Thread starter LarryC
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CompassBrewing
Well-Known Member
I too have noticed that green flash has been trending more towards the 4 pack. At first i liked the idea as i figured i could get a bit more variety by purchasing 3 different 4 packs instead of 2 6ers but like mentioned above the 4 packs tend to be over priced and thus not worth it.
BrewN00b
Well-Known Member
Ultimately, he is totally right. It's going to get worse too. On a side note, I noticed the same thing when I went to my local large scale liquor store (Spec's here in Austin; California folks, think BevMo). I understand inflation, but to see that scale of price change made me reevaluate my love of Green Flash. Paying 3-4 dollars a 12oz bottle is madness unless it is a ridiculously high gravity monster beer. I will pay good money for good beer, and I am willing to drop dollars on things like Avery's Samael's Ale; but Green Flash I know Avery quality beer, and Green Flash you are not it.
Sometimes I miss living in San Diego. Not because I love San Diego, or even like the idiocy of California, but because I miss the beer.
bgrayson726
Well-Known Member
I see higher alc beers and non-session seasonal beers in four packs. However, I don't buy them normally. I'll buy a mix-6 pack of 6 different beers. It allows me to get a wide variety of (usually) the same style from all over the country (or other countries).
The one GREAT time I picked up a 4 pack was when I bought a 2008 Ommegang Three Philosophers for ~10 dollars. Amazing deal for a 3 year aged quadrupel.
The one GREAT time I picked up a 4 pack was when I bought a 2008 Ommegang Three Philosophers for ~10 dollars. Amazing deal for a 3 year aged quadrupel.
HHP
Well-Known Member
You could live in central texas, TABC doesn't let much through, but those that get through are anywhere from $11-$18 for a six pack. Dogfish is $16-$18 for a four pack.
The Abyss is epic.
The Abyss is epic.
Skarekrough
Well-Known Member
I remember back in the mid-to-late 90's when Sam Adams had Double Bock and Scotch Ale, my two favorite offerings from them, in six packs. They weren't all that more expensive than the Boston Lager or Ale's. Now the Double Bock is in 4 packs and I haven't seen the Scotch Ale in anything but a mixer pack with a bunch of other beers.
To the point I think it's a good thing for me as it drives me to not waste money on it and instead to turn my efforts towards brewing beers like that which I can tailor to suit my own tastes.
To the point I think it's a good thing for me as it drives me to not waste money on it and instead to turn my efforts towards brewing beers like that which I can tailor to suit my own tastes.
Surly's Bitter Brewer, 3.8% or something, $10 for 4 pints. And it's mediocre at best. More like bitter buyer! Their Furious, like $15. I can drink it cheaper on tap at a pub.
I'm to the point now that I prefer to go to shops that break up the packs. I'd rather pay $16 for a mix-a-sixer and be able to try 6 different beers than pay between $8 and $14 (depending on the beer) for a 4pack or 6 pack.
Part of why I do like the bombers. I can buy 1 beer and most bombers are around the $5 range.
My drinking as much as possible days ended a long time ago... I want to taste something new every time I drink something and then take those ideas and make my own beer that might have a combination of a few beers of the same style had that I liked. Sometimes it's great, other times not so great... but I look at commercial beers for inspiration to make own!
Part of why I do like the bombers. I can buy 1 beer and most bombers are around the $5 range.
My drinking as much as possible days ended a long time ago... I want to taste something new every time I drink something and then take those ideas and make my own beer that might have a combination of a few beers of the same style had that I liked. Sometimes it's great, other times not so great... but I look at commercial beers for inspiration to make own!
the Green Flash thing stuck me too, and given that their WCIPA was my favorite beer of all time, I used my wallet to express my disappointment. I started buying Smuttynose Finest Kind and more Racer 5. I then started homebrewing.... probably would have been cheaper to just keep buying green flash.... but homebrewing is too much fun. 
yep, I feel ya here, I love Green Flash WC IPA when it was ~9-10 / 6pack, now it is the same for a 4 pack. WTF
So basically I don't buy it anymore. How is this suppose to get them more revenue if you raise the price and you get less sales?
So basically I don't buy it anymore. How is this suppose to get them more revenue if you raise the price and you get less sales?
I will echo those that have stated I see the 4 packs of seasonal/stronger abv beers. I do not recall ever seeing something change. What I hate is buying a $12 12oz beer to find out that I hate it; or those mini Rouge 7 oz. bottles that are stupidly over priced.
More recently I have become a bottle whore. I have been buying up brown glass, 1 pint 9 oz. bottles of German imported Swartz beers. I have almost 2 cases worth! I even have had some excellent larger, single flip tops that were stupid expensive but I get to reuse the bottles...
My biggest complaint is with bacon...when the #$@%^* did bacon get to be as expensive as black angus tenderloin ???
I love me some bacon but I now have to wait and buy it in bulk and on sale...
More recently I have become a bottle whore. I have been buying up brown glass, 1 pint 9 oz. bottles of German imported Swartz beers. I have almost 2 cases worth! I even have had some excellent larger, single flip tops that were stupid expensive but I get to reuse the bottles...
My biggest complaint is with bacon...when the #$@%^* did bacon get to be as expensive as black angus tenderloin ???
I love me some bacon but I now have to wait and buy it in bulk and on sale...
I don't know if anyone's mentioned it in this thread, but I haven't seen it:
Six point has started distributing 4-pack cans of their brews for about the $10 point. That's 4x16 oz beers, so that's still less than you pay for them on tap at a bar.
Six point has started distributing 4-pack cans of their brews for about the $10 point. That's 4x16 oz beers, so that's still less than you pay for them on tap at a bar.
pauljmccain
Well-Known Member
Free market baby! If you don't like it, don't buy it.
douglasbarbin
Well-Known Member
Saw a 4-pack of Grolsch today. Seems they are pinching pennies any way they can.
Beezy
Well-Known Member
No one mentioned the 12 ounce packs of bacon. That burned me up when I brought one of those home on accident. Yeah this is everything now. We get burned on 6 pack prices to begin with in PA. We have the ******* law where you can only buy cases at a distro and 6-pack shops jack their prices WAY up. The singles shops are the worst. I have spent 50 bucks on a 6-pack before but not often because I cry when I get home lol. But yeah if the prices are over the threshold then don't buy it. Vote with your wallet. One of the reasons I find myself here is saving money on beer by making it myself. Also I like to drink local beer more than anything. I might have a hard time getting RR but the Cali boys probably have an even harder time getting a craft brew from western PA.
Yup, nothing new to consumer goods. It's a way of raising the price without actually raising the price. You can look at it as the companies being deceptive, or you can look at it as a necessity to remain competitive. Having served my time in retail and with a general understanding of consumer goods business strategies, I just accept it as part of life.
Special Hops
Well-Known Member
simtel20 said:
It's always less then at the bar. That is a given.
Agreed.
I love Abyss. You should enjoy that one thoroughly. Rogue beers are good, but the only one that really stood out to me as awesome, amazing or better than good was the Double Dead Guy Ale. That beer was phenomenal.
Eh, Widmer is 40% owned by Anheuser Busch anyway.
Some people are lucky enough to be able to get Founder's brews. The closest place to me that sells Founders is over 1,500 miles away.
You get the same amount of $ by selling less product therefore you save money.
Are you sure they're getting less sales? I'm sure their accounting and marketing departments are watching those numbers.
nefarious_1_
Well-Known Member
I have to agree. They would lower the prices, or not produce the beer at all, if they weren't selling. Otherwise, why bother?
bingo.
On the 4 packs, I definitely have a problem paying so much for only 4 beers. Even taking the alcohol percentage into account, it doesn't seem worth it to me. When I drink a beer, I drink a beer; regardless of the alcohol percentage. If I feel a little extra buzz in the process, that's nice, but I'm not guaging what I buy based on the amount of alcohol if it's only a few percentage points higher. It seems pointless to spend so much on a 4pack when cheaper options are just as good.
From a marketing standpoint, I do see why these companies do it though. It's one of the first things you learn in marketing class: a higher price makes a product seem better.
That said, I'll stick to six packs and maybe that occassional (couple times/yr.) seasonal 4 pack. Heck, I don't even buy much beer anymore: I like mine just fine.
I'd be inclined to believe that more people are willing to spend X dollars for 4 beers than are willing to spend 1.5X dollars for 6 beers. Hell, I'd be thrilled if all beer dropped to the four packs with a commensurate decrease in price. I'm rapidly getting tired of dropping 10-14 bucks on 6 packs of beer that may or may not be good.
NervousDad
BFM
Sorry to kick up an old thread, but I just got back from Wegman's there is an increasing selection of 4 packs. The prices are out of control. The worst offender was Founders Breakfast Stout for 12.99! That's 78 dollars a case, not including tax. The cheapest was 9.99. That's just an insult.
Interesting to see this thread and that it's two years old. This has been pissing me off too. And yes, I've actually cut down dramatically on my purchases of beers that come in four packs, but not really to spite the companies, just because I don't feel like wasting the cash honestly. Let's take pumpkin beer, and I LOVE pumpkin beer, in years past I used to buy cases of Weyerbacher, Dogfish, etc. This year so far I've only bought one Weyerbacher 4 pack and one Riverhorse 4 pack. In my area (NY/NJ) I get charged $12 when buying ONE 4-pack. That's $3 for a 12oz. Sorry but that's just too much, and yes I know pumpkin beer costs more money to make and has a bit more time involvement. So, I instead just keep ordering my cases of Franziskaner at about $2 a 16.9oz bottle and am brewing up my Pumpkin ale this Saturday.
Another trend I've been seeing is the switch to 33cl (11.2oz) bottles from 12oz. I'm not talking European beers which is to be expected, but American companies switching from 12oz to 11.2oz and keeping the same price. Thank God I homebrew.
Rev.
Another trend I've been seeing is the switch to 33cl (11.2oz) bottles from 12oz. I'm not talking European beers which is to be expected, but American companies switching from 12oz to 11.2oz and keeping the same price. Thank God I homebrew.
Rev.
Some businesses think the recession is over (it's not) and feel it's time for some price creep and/or product shrinkage. Like we all have more $$ to spend. I used to buy orange juice in 64oz. cartons, now it comes in 59oz (1.75L) cartons. Same price. I see other products in the stores that are a little smaller than they used to be.
Same thing with beer. More micros are selling beer in 4-packs. I still do the calcs in my head and decide if I want to pay X dollars per bottle. If it is outstanding beer, I will.
OTOH, I always look for some good bargains. There are decent beers to be had for <$10/sixpack and bombers for 3 or 4 bucks. I find bombers of Deschutes beers in my local stores for around $3, sometimes on sale for a little less. A 22oz. Black Butte makes a nice, low-dough pour for me, and I always have a few on hand for guests who don't want homebrew.
Same thing with beer. More micros are selling beer in 4-packs. I still do the calcs in my head and decide if I want to pay X dollars per bottle. If it is outstanding beer, I will.
OTOH, I always look for some good bargains. There are decent beers to be had for <$10/sixpack and bombers for 3 or 4 bucks. I find bombers of Deschutes beers in my local stores for around $3, sometimes on sale for a little less. A 22oz. Black Butte makes a nice, low-dough pour for me, and I always have a few on hand for guests who don't want homebrew.
Stone recently changed from 6-packs to 4-packs for their 12oz packaging on Ruination, Oaked AB, and Sublimely Self-Righteous, but they did so to knock down the overall price. It went from $16 6-packs to $10 4-packs, which I find a lot more palatable. I would be irritated if they had dropped two bottles and kept the price the same.
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