330ml vs 500ml bottles

[Dai]

Just wondering what the advantage of buying 500ml bottles of craft beers are, when 330ml versions are available? When you do the math, it is usually better to buy the 330ml bottles as the price per litre is lower. This always puzzled me as Emerson's 500ml'ers were more expensive than say Epic or Crouchers 330ml'ers by volume; however, I was comparing apples with oranges here as these are obviously different brands, and made no difference to me because sometimes I would just feel like a Emerson's, so the added price was not a barrier.

Now, conveniently, Epic comes in the larger 500ml size, so a direct comparison can be made. Excuse my nerdiness, but the local New World has 500ml Epics for $6.50 ($13/litre), while a six pack of Epic 330ml is $18 (a shade over $9/litre). This is a big difference, and I can hear you saying that you have to buy 6x 330ml to make the saving. True, however, my local beer shop sells 330ml Epics for $3.50ea (same as Crouchers), which, unless my powers of arithmetic have failed me, comes out to $10.60/litre, and still a significant saving.

So, apart from looking cool having these oversized bottles of beer in your grocery trolley, where is the advantage? Is it more expensive to use larger bottles, or is there a marketing strategy at play here? Possibly, craft beer buyers only buy one or two bottles at a time, so they will prefer a 500ml bottle, as it will give them slightly more of the good stuff, and they will not notice the price difference?

Anyway, something I will ponder over further over a few bottles tonight! I'd be interested in hearing the reason for this discrepancy.

Also, was gutted to hear that 1.125ml Bookbinders are going to be no longer. Moving to pasteurised, 500ml bottles (I am dreading the subsequent calculations to see how much more I am going to have to pay for this!!). :(

[Ian]

Sorry to hear about the 1.25L Bookbinder. The best of all was having it on tap in Dunedin, but those riggers were the next best thing and I quite often had them send a five pack box of 1.5's from the brewery. Oddly enough it wasn't a hugely expensive exercise all things considered, but now, from what you have said, we shan't be able to get those any longer. Bugger! One of my favourites too.
Cheers,
Ian

[Doublehoppy]

I can't figure it out either. Those large bottles of mainstream beers (Heineken, Steinlager etc) which I think are 750ml also seem to be far more expensive than the 330ml. Why would you do it?

[denimglen]

I reckon with steinekin it's more expensive because they'd sell less of them. And the people who are buying them are probably just getting them for the 'balla' status.

No idea about the craft beers though. I would have thought buying 'bulk' would have been cheaper. Unless the retailers are marking them up more expecting to sell less?

[Kempicus]

If you think that's bad work out how much Moa beers are a litre....that'll screw with ya....almost like being in deliverance....$17.80 per litre ouch! Call me crazy but no moa beer i've ever drunk is worth that....i wouldn't pay $5 a litre.
I guess some of the reason for the beers being more expensive is the cost of the bottle...i know at least a $1.50 of every renaissance beer you drink goes to the bottle!

[Kempicus]

Absolutely, i have no problem spend my hard earned $$$ on renaissance beer, love stonecutter!

[nzbrewer]

Brain keeps telling me that he gets his bottles for $0.23 cents from China, but as much as he promises me that he will hook me up with the name of the supplier it has never happened. I'd love to only be paying $0.23 cents for my 500ml bottles, actually $0.23 is a great price for the 330mls

[denimglen]

On the glass bottle price topic - is there anywhere homebrewers can purchase reusable glass bottles? I don't mind buying them with beer in them but it is a costly way to rack up enough for a batch. The swappa crates are ok but bottles are always in shitty condition. Recycling bin adventures only ever turn up green bottles and brown screw tops.

I'm just jealous of the Americans that can buy a case of bottles for a tenner.

[Reviled]

Would Luke sell us Epic bottles? Or do we need to buy a palett?

[Ian]

Hi Denimglen,
Brian at Renaissance Brewery told me a month or so back that he had a whole heap of bottles to sell very reasonably. I don't know whether the transport logistic would blow it out of the water for you, but maybe give him a ring?
Cheers,
Ian

[studio1]

i bought 9 dozen renaissance bottles for $75 delievered to my door in Ak. Its $25 per 36 bottles.

[denimglen]

Shit, that's alright, so $1.40ish a bottle. Might hit him up sometime soon.

[studio1]

very nice bottles but the labels are a biarch to get off.