When did craft beer prices “jump the shark”

[WesBrew]

$6 pints at the brewery is pretty much it for me. That usually means the house/core WC IPA which I typically enjoy and with less calories. One brewery here has a $4 a pint core beer menu! $3 on Sundays And BOGO specials. Its nuts but its not a nano.

 

[deeve007]

Yeah, so beer isn't wine. Beer is a simple first-quenching beverage relatively low in alcohol, takes weeks to make and is relatively easy and cheap to produce. There's no money in beer. Fact. Like so much, the money is actually in high sales volumes. If someone aims to reinvent beer by putting 'a cherry on top' then charging $9 a can they lack more than business acumen. No viable business risks pricing itself out of a highly competitive, overpopulated market. Who on earth routinely pays $9 for a can of beer? During a cost-of-living crisis set to quicken it's blatantly obvious who's going out of business first. Those squandering valuable resources producing clown juice.

And yet some of the most successful breweries around - and over an extended period, some for over 100 years - are selling loads of beers for far more than $9/can. Go figure.

You enjoy your narrow minded outlook on beers, I'll enjoy the amazingly diverse one that actually exists, and that I keep discovering more about every day!

 

[deeve007]

$6 pints at the brewery is pretty much it for me. That usually means the house/core WC IPA which I typically enjoy and with less calories. One brewery here has a $4 a pint core beer menu! $3 on Sundays And BOGO specials. Its nuts but its not a nano.

Even those who like the occassional splurge, gotta have those great core range cheapies to fall back on!

 

[McMullan]

And yet some of the most successful breweries around - and over an extended period, some for over 100 years - are selling loads of beers for far more than $9/can.

Who?

You enjoy your narrow minded outlook on beer

Enjoy your $9 cans of clown juice

 

[deeve007]

Who?

Seems you really do know very little... start in Belgium with some of the Trappist breweries and their aged stuff, and work out from there.

Enjoy your $9 cans of clown juice

Actually it's usually the barrel aged beers I prefer to spend money on when splurging, both dark beers and sours. Some of them are made to sip like a good whiskey, and are as satisfying (but much cheaper!!).

But each to their own if someone wants to spend their hard earned cash on "clown juice", who am I to tell someone else what they should or shouldn't drink? Worrying so much about what anyone else is drinking just seems a little weird to me, do you care as much about what underwear they buy too??

 

[deeve007]

Why do you think I thought that? You typed it, not me. People who blatantly assume what others are thinking are telepaths, apparently. AKA, full of sh*t.

Every single one of your comments has shown you believe beer should only cost a certain amount and no more. Have a misread all that?

And seems your only response to anyone with a differing view than your own is to start throwing out the personal insults, hence time to exit this now pointless discussion.

 

[McMullan]

Seems you really do know very little... start in Belgium with some of the Trappist breweries and their aged stuff, and work out from there.

The fact of the matter is, in the world of beer, $9/can beers are very very rare. The assumption it's somehow normal is complete nonsense. Please fact-check it. And stop cherry picking to prop-up rediculous claims. Note too if you pay more than $9 for a pint it's actually the venue you're paying for

 

[McMullan]

Every single one of your comments has shown you believe beer should only cost a certain amount and no more. Have a misread all that?

And seems your only response to anyone with a differing view than your own is to start throwing out the personal insults, hence time to exit this now pointless discussion.

I know how much it costs to make beer

 

[deeve007]

Prices are a little lower at the brewery's website and I guess they are doing pretty well because everything is sold out.

I'm gonna be watching for those cans now in the What are you drinking now? thread.

Same situation in Australia, drinkers are loving the experimental beers, even if they don't always work out, the market loves them!

 

[deeve007]

I know how much it costs to make beer

Apparently not all beers or styles. All the best.

 

[Erroneous]

Why do you think beer should be exempt from the huge varieties in quality, styles and variations every other alcohol in existence has?

It's actually always been there, it just wasn't called "craft beer" back then, and not drunk by the masses.

I think it's been pretty common to have beer in a wide variety of prices, though you usually get something tangible when the price is high. Normally it's high when it's more expensive to produce, like barrel aged, long term aging, super hopped, very high gravity, etc. It's hard to speculate why Clown Cup is so expensive, but on their website it says they specialize in Hazy IPA's and Fruited Berliners. I couldn't find the beers posted in OP on their beer release website and it seems like they have a constantly rotating lineup of beers.

In this case I'd guess that their beer is so expensive because the company's model intentionally inflates demand with limited releases and cute names/flavors (maybe trademark issues like with Dexter's Daboratory Concentrate Mastermind Slushy XXL?). I don't think it'd work for long if it wasn't decent tasting. It looks trendy and about like the craft beer version of trading cards. Would I buy it? No. I'm not going to fault someone for being into it though. Find some more local stuff by a brewery that's been around a few years and it'll probably be closer to that $10-12 per 4/6 pack.

 

[McMullan]

Remind me how much the Australian $ is worth? About a fiver? Nice venue, that's not so expensive for a pint. Not as expensive as 9USD/can of clown juice.

 

[deeve007]

I think it's been pretty common to have beer in a wide variety of prices, though you usually get something tangible when the price is high. Normally it's high when it's more expensive to produce, like barrel aged, long term aging, super hopped, very high gravity, etc.

Hey someone who knows what they're talking about!
And spot on!

It's hard to speculate why Clown Cup is so expensive, but on their website it says they specialize in Hazy IPA's and Fruited Berliners. I couldn't find the beers posted in OP on their beer release website and it seems like they have a constantly rotating lineup of beers.

Having done some very high level initial costings on different styles for a brewery startup I'm part of, adjuncts whether they be hops or other more "creative" ones can add substantially to the cost of production depending what it is, so a beer of that style is always going to cost substantially more than a style with less hops and minimal or no other adjuncts. It's why, even while the market demand for these types of "experimental" styles is growing, there is a movement by many breweries to look at seasonal and local adjuncts that can be used, that will keep costs down while still creating flavoursome beers that appeal to the market. It's a constantly evolving landscape, but one that creative brewers love being a part of even as they tear their hair out at times!

But of course you're also correct, there is an aspect of PR and marketing as well, which isn't dissimilar from any product on the planet, alcohol or otherwise. How much will differ brewery to brewery, region to region, with the better quality brewers rising to the top over time.

I'm not going to fault someone for being into it though.

It beggers belief that anyone would.

 

[McMullan]

And seems your only response to anyone with a differing view than your own is to start throwing out the personal insults

What are you on about? More of your random assumptions? I haven't called you anything yet. Not 'out loud' anyway

 

[deeve007]

I think it's been pretty common to have beer in a wide variety of prices, though you usually get something tangible when the price is high. Normally it's high when it's more expensive to produce, like barrel aged, long term aging, super hopped, very high gravity, etc.

Another little insight that might interest you around costs...

A brewery I know very well from Argentina (I lived there for over 5 years) is expanding into Spain and likely Australia (they have history with the latter), in large part as the owners worked out that the costs of production across the 3 regions were not much different, hence the price they could sell for determined how much profit they can make. Hence once they found great success in Argentina and began to make a name for themselves internationally, it was a no brainer for them.

(Yes, labour and rent/property costs are much lower in Argentina, but the equipment and maintenance of that isn't, nor quality ingredients (most imported).)

 

[AlexKay]

To state the obvious, the price will be what the market will bear, or the brewery won't stay in business.

The argument here seems to be "what price should the market bear" which is necessarily pretty subjective (which is probably why the argument is not going places.)

But just to join in, I'll give an example. I'd pay at least $9 a can/bottle for Pliny the Elder. This is probably only slightly more than the retail price if I lived somewhere that actually carried it, and rather less than it would cost to have someone ship me a bottle. I'd consider the price totally worth it ... then again, this is a fantastic beer.

But is this even a comparison? Well, I wouldn't pay $9 a can for some hazy monstrosity from a brewery I've never heard of, but (1) hazy NEIPA is not my thing, but may very much be someone else's, and (2) it's possible that a brewery I've never heard of could be very good indeed. (Bare Hands, a brewery near me that nobody in this thread has likely heard of, sells a fantastic (bitter) IPA, the Westy, that I pay $4-5/can for, and would still buy if they raised the price considerably.)

 

[bwible]

We have one here I noticed recently - Dogfish Head 120 min IPA. There were a limited number of single bottles - not even in cases or holders or anything - sitting on the counter at the supermarket beer checkout for $11.99 a bottle. Regular 12 oz bottle.

But at least that is a double IPA listed at 15-20%, 120 IBU, and is a limited run beer. I’d always seen it but never saw that price before.

 

[deeve007]

But just to join in, I'll give an example. I'd pay at least $9 a can/bottle for Pliny the Elder. This is probably only slightly more than the retail price if I lived somewhere that actually carried it, and rather less than it would cost to have someone ship me a bottle. I'd consider the price totally worth it ... then again, this is a fantastic beer.

I'd pay more if I could get my hands on one!! Had the one someone brought for me once, and it lived up to the hype!

 

[Erroneous]

I found a video review. He says it's a one time release thing (very common to get higher prices with those) and they add a lot of fruit to it, seemingly as a puree. I might not really even consider it beer based on what I'm seeing, but it's fruity, alcoholic, and started as beer.

The highest priced beer I have seen is Sam Adams Utopias. It's a special 28% ABV beer in a fancy bottle, and is perpetually out of stock for $240 for a 750ml at Total Wine. That's about $9.50 per oz. In this case I'd say I'd pay $30 for a 3 oz sample once, but I wouldn't do a full bottle.

 

[McMullan]

 

[davidabcd]

I'm still getting what I like, craft beer-wise, for $4/bottle. I'll go up to $5/bottle. It's a lot but if you were to even look at as regards ABV, not that you should, you'd have cut the price from $4/bottle to $2/bottle. This is referring only to Belgians and Quads pretty much.

 

[Bassman2003]

Breweries have different beer offerings at different price points. I do not see a correlation between offering a $9 beer and their overall business plan. What if the volume of their lower priced beers support the making of the higher priced beers?

If you do not like the style of beer or paying $9 then it is probably best to just say that rather than painting a huge diverse industry with a broad brush. Just sayin'

 

[bwible]

Most of the things I buy would be $10-$11 for a six pack. About $1.70 a bottle.

If you compare that to the 30 pack of Miller High Life for $22.99, the 30 pack works out to about 77 cents each.

 

[deeve007]

It's really not much different from food, some people only want (or can only afford) to buy a McDonalds or equivalent priced meal, while others are happy to pay a little more to experience differing flavours, styles of food, types of food, chef creativity ...etc. And many others in between. Not sure why anyone would think that's a bad thing, even if not your thing?

 

[bwible]

Breweries have different beer offerings at different price points. I do not see a correlation between offering a $9 beer and their overall business plan. What if the volume of their lower priced beers support the making of the higher priced beers?

If you do not like the style of beer or paying $9 then it is probably best to just say that rather than painting a huge diverse industry with a broad brush. Just sayin'

You have different players. The big boys who are putting out beer you can buy for 77 cents a bottle or can vs. the little guy who thinks he’s a player because he bought a $1200 canning machine.

 

[Steveruch]

The last beer I bought was several Sam Adams 12 packs to get the bottles to reuse: $15-16.

 

[Mr. Vern]

$9 for a can of clown juice

Well they did name it clown shoes.

I don't want a spoon sticking straight up in my beer, personally, but some of that stuff taste good even if I have a hard time calling it BEER. I think when you have +50% puree and adjuncts you have left the realm of beer.

It has been found that high priced food and beverage makes the consumer feel or believe that it is a superior product, even if it is not. Blind taste tests have provided insight to this phenomena. We have been aptly trained as consumers.

IMHO: Craft prices jumped the shark when people started following the Bells delivery truck around town for 2 Hopslams like a parade of craft junkies (my Michigan example). It jumped the shark when folks started camping out at breweries for the next "limited release"... then it REALLY jumped the shark with an obnoxious level of "Special Release" or "limited" everything. Very Much like the Oreo flavors with over 100 "specials", marketing knows what drives people.

 

[Clyde McCoy]

The fact of the matter is, in the world of beer, $9/can beers are very very rare. The assumption it's somehow normal is complete nonsense. Please fact-check it. And stop cherry picking to prop-up rediculous claims. Note too if you pay more than $9 for a pint it's actually the venue you're paying for

Have you ever lived in a city? Many places where $9/pint (both at a grocery store and at a bar) for heavily-hopped stuff isn't uncommon.

 

[balrog]

$8/pint not uncommon at restaurants
4pk pints at 3 local breweries are $14-$18
Just one western mass data point.

 

[McMullan]

Breweries have different beer offerings at different price points. I do not see a correlation between offering a $9 beer and their overall business plan. What if the volume of their lower priced beers support the making of the higher priced beers?

If you do not like the style of beer or paying $9 then it is probably best to just say that rather than painting a huge diverse industry with a broad brush. Just sayin'

I didn't pay much attention to the style of the beer, tbh. I don't care what it's claimed to be. It was the cost that cracked me up. And I'm used to buying beer in Norway, one of the most expensive rip-off places in the world. It doesn't matter how people choose to view it, the marketing, hook, line and sinker, $9/can of beer is very far from normal and blatantly an unsustainable business strategy. However slick the marketing. What's becoming quite clear is how much the craft industry are just as devious as the big players. The fact they enjoy claiming otherwise - more slick marketing - kind of makes them a little bit worse, in my mind. In the struggle to survive in an overpopulated market they have to lie more and more to sell small volumes of reinvented beer.