In the FH thread in the NW forum, we were talking about pricing. At Structures recently, my friend Dan paid, including tax and a $1 tip, $11.38 for a pint of fresh hop beer. Pints of regular Pales/IPAs/etc are routinely in the 8 buck range. 6 packs of very good shelf beers, in the Mirror Pond/Cedar Dust/ Bodhizafa range, are from $12-16.

The question is: how much value and enjoyment are you getting with your $8 (before tax and tip) pint?

Personally, I'm getting less and less as we advance. swinging by the bar near work after work, have two pints, and it's a double sawbuck. Almost what I make an hour. I love beer, and I love bars and breweries. But, it's increasingly not worth my time and money.

I think we all know that prices never go down; not for ingredients, rent, insurance, labor, transportation, anything. So I understand that the businesses have to charge what they're charging to stay open and keep folks employed. But, except for 'Special' beers (for me, mostly FH season), I'm willing to spend a bit more, but I think my day-to-day beering is going to be shelfie grocery store beers at home more than going out very much.

Thoughts and comments on the level of value you think you're receiving for your buck these days?

There is also a psychology of economics factor. Setting aside all of the analytical and objective approaches of looking at inflation across the board over time, there are certain thresholds that the mind tends to notice. These things are usually unique to each individual but many are widely felt. Some numbers just jump out. Like $9.99 doesn't register with some folks like $10 does.

For me, a pint that doesn't excite me at $8 causes me to pause. If it is something intriguing I don't hesitate.

But I agree with your scenario. I used to enjoy the random pop by for 2 pints when they were 6 bucks. Could have 2, tip, and still walk away with a bit of change. I do this less now.

Yes, the price of consumer goods has significantly increased in the past few years and craft beer is among them.

I suppose I have a unique solution here in that I homebrew my own beers and this helps me assuage some costs. Earlier today I bottled a batch of Fresh/Wet hopped beer using hops I grew in my backyard. After I finished bottling I ‘rewarded’ myself with a 16 ounce can of Utica Club beer. That sixpack costed me less than 8 bucks.

I still occasionally go out to drink beers (e.g., $7-8 for a draft pint) but the number of times I have gone out has decreased over the past few years.

From my readings of folks posting on various BA threads there seems to be a number of BAs who have the financial wherewithal to purchase lots of varying craft beer brands. For example in the Oktoberfest Tastings thread there are some BAs who can purchase what seems like dozen(s) of differing Oktoberfest brands.

Cheers to those BAs who have ‘deep pockets’ and can buy lots of differing craft (and imported) beers!

Price is always a factor/concern for me, & I account for it in my ratings.

This seems to be aimed at drinking while free-ranging. I drink 99%+ of my beer at home from cans and bottles, and lean towards strong and/or BA dark beers. Some of these are as cheap as $4 ea, but range much higher, probably $10 ea on average, about the same as the $8 beer plus tax and tip. To limit costs, increase health, and decrease side-eye, I've been gradually decreasing how many I have per week, now 4-5 a week on average. I'm spending and drinking less than the guy I see buying his daily twelve at the gas station. Cost isn't much of an issue for me.

I’m approaching a dozen years on my craft beer journey, and feel I’m still getting great value and enjoyment overall. I drink less, and my tolerance subsequently lowered. One a day at home, about a beer an hour on an outing (1-3) more for health reasons than saving money.

I still like exploring new places, breweries and beers, but mostly rely on single draft or can/bottle purchases to limit disappointment; bringing home a four or six pack if I really enjoy something new, plus sticking with my tried and true breweries and beers. My Revolution Season Ticket (Prepaid four pack for each release, and one stovepipe of special variants) is the exception, but comfortable with their consistently great product.

A valuable lesson I learned as a teen regarding price and value from a wise and kind man. From Veeck: A Man For Any Season.

I retired a few years ago, and costs are truly a factor, when it comes to "beer" and other "disposable income" purchases....
I recently found some great 3 Floyds BrooDoo wet hop harvest ale for $10.99 a six pk, a great price! I do not go to bars and breweries all that much, for the reasons given above - it's too damn expensive! I stop at local Thirsty Dog's Taphouse on occasion - usually to pick up something to go, more often than drinking there - they also sometimes have $10 / case specials on their beers - which I have taken advantage of several times.

On the other hand, I do "splurge" once in a while - for example - I ordred 2 - 12 pk of SN Northern Hemisphere wet hop directly from Chico last week - kind of expensive (esp, compared to the 3F BrooDoo) at $32 at 12 pk....but that will last me until the holiday season most likely......cheers

The cost of beer at a bar/brewery isn't something to which I pay much attention. I know there's a huge up-charge when going to a bar/restaurant and the social/communal experience of being out and about as opposed to at home, in my opinion, is worth it.

But, for beer I purchase at the store with the intent of drinking at home? I definitely pay attention to cost vs. value. In my experience, there is no need to drop big money at the liquor store. There are established breweries, that do certain styles really well, and are affordable. I stick to those. Gone are the days of wanting to try new stuff. In my experience, the cost simply isn't worth it.

From what I've gleaned from being decently active on these forums, I seem to drink a bit more than the average bear here on BA. Because of that I tend to be pretty price conscious with the beer that I buy for home consumption, because that can get out of control quickly.

As far as drinking at the pub, I'm conscious of it, but, in all reality, don't mind THAT much. If it garners my interest, I'm drinking it (I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it). Fun costs money.

I think the value is fine. I just tend to drink more of what I know to be great instead of experimenting, as I neither have the time or the money for beer that isn't at that level.

I should have mentioned in my post above that over the past few years, more and more of my at home beers have been purchased at nearby supermarkets (e.g., Wegmans supermarkets). They have a great selection of craft beer brands. And due to brisk turnover those beers are typically fresh(er) than other beer retailers (e.g., Retail Beer Distributors). And back to the value proposition they are priced more economically. Perhaps thinner margins with the goal of getting people into the store to also do their grocery shopping there (which I do). A win-win.

Cheers!

I barely look at prices anymore. At the places I frequent, they'll usually warn people if something has a particularly high price or comes in a small format. I do look at the ABV's, so that almost never comes as a surprise. Beyond that, it's a buck here and a buck there. I'd probably notice or care a lot more if the price of everything else wasn't increasing and decreasing by like 500% every week.

I have always viewed beer as a luxury item—something I can buy only after all necessities have been covered and I’ve managed to save a little for a rainy day. Maybe the fact that we have a kid in college now, and we are shelling out a pretty crazy amount of money for tuition (even though that’s coming from a dedicated college fund that we were fortunately able to build up during her lifetime), plus definitely the fact that my hours at work have been cut by 25% (hopefully temporarily), has me spending less on beer these days—but I’d probably be doing that anyway. I almost never go out to drink, and consume most of my beer from cans/bottles at home. But I definitely have started shifting my purchases to tried and true beers that I know I’ll enjoy and that don’t cost a lot—the days of chasing $20+ wax-capped barrel-aged beers are largely behind me, though I still occasionally splurge on a favorite annual release in that genre. Prices for a lot of things seem to have reached almost unsustainable levels, simply putting them out of reach. Traveling anywhere sets me back substantially. I’m thankful I’m not in my 20s or younger right now, it’s a hard time to enjoy nice things in this country.

I am much more attentive to the price point of beers I pick up at the store for home consumption than I am when I am out at Restaurants/Bars/Breweries. I think that is a throwback to my homebrewing days, when I could make beers of nearly any style for home consumption and tailor it to my tastes, whereas when I am out I know some of what I am paying for is the experience/ambiance and for the most part I enjoy beer better on tap than in a can/bottle...

It's not price alone that I'm asking about, rather do you think you're getting enough bang for your buck? Do you finish a pint and think 'that wasn't worth $8'? Then you didn't get value out of it.

But, are you satisfied with what you're getting? After you finish that $10 beer, do you think 'yeah, that was worth it'?

This is the question I'm asking in my OP.

This is simple math. If the beer in your glass tastes the same as it always did, but the price of that beer keeps going up, then it will increasingly feel like the beer is not worth the money you paid for it.

Priorities . . .

...unless the cost of other things in your life goes up more than the beer. I don't mind my formerly $8 beer going up to $9 when I'm having with it a $20 burger that was $15 last year.

Sure, everything is relative. But at the same time, when the cost of everything is (or seems to be) going up faster than your purchasing power—and I don’t think most of us are getting 15% raises every year—then the aggregate effect is that you feel like you are getting screwed left right and center.