4 pack rant

[Mongrel]

Have one Abyss now, how else will you know how well it ages. Love the XX, but the Abyss is my all time favorite.

I'm amazed you're getting Black Butte XX for $14 in Hawaii, it's $13 20 miles from the brewery.

 

[ChuckO]

I haven't seen the six to four pack for beer change here either. But I have seen other consumer goods make changes. Usually, companies try to keep unit prices the same while reducing the quantity per unit. That's difficult with beer since the six pack of 12 oz bottles is well known by consumers. Other products are more susceptible to manipulation.

It's not so difficult to change the bottles. I haven't bought Grolsch in quite a while, but I noticed that their bottles are now 15.2 oz. instead of 16 oz. It's only 5% less, but locally the price has increased also.

 

[corwin6654]

I hear ya. Last year Widmer had their pitch black IPA at the same price as their other 6 packs. This year, it is in 4 packs and the same price as their 6 packs. No thanks Widmer, I'll just buy Deschutes Hop in the Dark, it's way better anyhow (even though it's only available in bombers)

 

[chemman14]

Also. russian river reduced package size as well. Damnation used to come in the 750 now its only 375 for the same price :/

 

[unionrdr]

It's happening around here too. The giant eagle at the mall started carrying more & better craft beers from around the country that weren't available in this state,just the ones around us.? So,last Friday I finally spotted DFH 90min Imperial IPA. Pulled it out,4 pack for $10.99. Duvel Belgian in four pack of what looked like 8 or 10 ounce bottles,$13-$14 dollars. I think it's a little more than inflation...If AG brewing is cheaper than extract by so much,how come it seems like I'm paying extract beer prices? I mean,besides overhead. Just the price of the beer making,then add overhead divided by volume produced per batch. I'd like to see that.

 

[Spartan1979]

It's like ice cream. You used to be able to buy 1/2 gallons. Now they're down to a quart and a half. But it's not any cheaper. And you run out faster (with two teenage boys in the house).

 

[thughes]

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout shrank to a 4 pack this past year.

 

[LarryC]

I guess it's just me but I'd rather see that 6er of Green Flash selling for $11 than the new 4 pack selling for $9. I guess some people probably draw the line at 10 bucks for beer so they do the 4 pack thing to keep it under the $10 price point. Oh well, I used to pay 35¢ for a gallon of gas and could buy 50¢ pitchers of beer on the Water Street strip - aaaahhhhh, those were the days (of course you could only get PBR or Strohs for that price!)

 

[popecrisco]

I try to stay away from bombers and 4 packs unless its something i really want to try, but it has to be from a brewery that i have the utmost respect for, and a style that they do well, or be modestly priced and getting stellar reviews from people i personally respect.

 

[pm5k00]

I rarley by bombers as most are $5+ only exception is and occasional sam adams boston lager or Shiner bock as thos are less than 2.50 around here.... and I almost never buy 4 packs, sorry DFH, your beer ain't all its hyped up to be, put it in a 6er under $10 and you'll earn back my buisness.

Side note, anyone here seen he 20packs of coke products in their grocery store that still sell for the 24pack price?

 

[northernlad]

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.

 

[CompassBrewing]

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]

I haven't seen the six to four pack for beer change here either. But I have seen other consumer goods make changes. Usually, companies try to keep unit prices the same while reducing the quantity per unit. That's difficult with beer since the six pack of 12 oz bottles is well known by consumers. Other products are more susceptible to manipulation.

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]

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.

 

[HHP]

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.

True enough. I've spent too much money on $14 bottles of Deschutes Black Butte XX (which I down as soon as I get home) and Abyss (which are aging in the fermentation freezer, never tried one yet). I really need to try brewing that XX. At the moment I am thinking it's the best beer I ever had. Of course that opinion changes all the time.

On the other hand I'm done paying $16 a bottle for Rogue beers. They just aren't that good.

But I definitely am not done spending $10-$20 a bottle for beer but I only do it 2x a month on paydays.

The Abyss is epic.

 

[Skarekrough]

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.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

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.

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.

 

[mmurray]

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!

 

[duckmanco]

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.

 

[humann_brewing]

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?

 

[Zamial]

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...

 

[simtel20]

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.

 

[pauljmccain]

Free market baby! If you don't like it, don't buy it.

 

[douglasbarbin]

It's not so difficult to change the bottles. I haven't bought Grolsch in quite a while, but I noticed that their bottles are now 15.2 oz. instead of 16 oz. It's only 5% less, but locally the price has increased also.

Saw a 4-pack of Grolsch today. Seems they are pinching pennies any way they can.

 

[Beezy]

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.

 

[MBasile]

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]

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.

It's always less then at the bar. That is a given.

 

[dfc]

You sir, are missing out on some fantastic beer by boycotting the 'expensive' bombers.

Agreed.

 

[dfc]

True enough. I've spent too much money on $14 bottles of Deschutes Black Butte XX (which I down as soon as I get home) and Abyss (which are aging in the fermentation freezer, never tried one yet). I really need to try brewing that XX. At the moment I am thinking it's the best beer I ever had. Of course that opinion changes all the time.

On the other hand I'm done paying $16 a bottle for Rogue beers. They just aren't that good.

But I definitely am not done spending $10-$20 a bottle for beer but I only do it 2x a month on paydays.

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.

 

[dfc]

I hear ya. Last year Widmer had their pitch black IPA at the same price as their other 6 packs. This year, it is in 4 packs and the same price as their 6 packs. No thanks Widmer, I'll just buy Deschutes Hop in the Dark, it's way better anyhow (even though it's only available in bombers)

Eh, Widmer is 40% owned by Anheuser Busch anyway.