Craft Beer Prices

[studio1]

Finally...I found a craft beer that I like availabe in a dozen box for less than $30! (admittedly on special at Farro Fresh in AKL).

So it seems to me that we are sorely lacking in realistically priced craft beer. I wanted to open this up for discussion - obviously there is a supply / demand issue going on which has historically kept the prices high (ie...not enough demand to warrant economies of scale).

But I have many friends now who are slowly waking up to all things beery....but the only affordable/available option to them seems to be something like Coopers. A dozen beers seems a mininimum for a typical party I go to - who can afford a $45-$60 dozen? At the moment it seems people will supplement a mega-swill doz with a few bottles of craft - from what I have noticed.

I'm looking forward to being able to buy a 6 pack of something I really enjoy for around $15 (thats widely available). On my recent trips ot Melbourne/USA craft beer is avaiable at a reasonable price at many suburban (and even rural) bottle shops. Then again...craft beer is available on tap a lot more too.

I guess thats why I brew....

Anyways - will be interesting to hear some thoughts around this.

[Stu McKinlay]

price is not an issue for me - only quality. If I couldn't afford the beer I want to drink I'd not drop down to something i'm only half happy with.

If i had a choice of an ok beer for $5/pint and Armageddon or Smokin' Bishop for $12/pint I would go the latter any day.

I am lucky in the fact that I (1) brew my own, so don't need to buy as much as the average craft beer drinker; and (2) can get a 2L rigger of excellent fresh beer from Regional Wines and Spirits for $15-20.

[Patrick]

I guess if you look at how much it costs to drink out at bars etc, I would rather spend $50 to drink a dozen good beers with friends, and have control over the music and not have to deal with dickheads who can't handle the jandel and get too pissed and start fights etc. Than spend ~$84 to drink domestic crap in a bar. Sure - decent beer is more expensive but still cheaper than drinking crap beer at the pub.

[Sam Possenniskie (TGM)]

The question for me is not why craft beer is expensive, but how other beer is so cheap...

And less I know about that - or taste it - the better!

[Bambule]

I feel your pain on this, and its probably a fact that has driven many of us to homebrewing. Not that I question the price, there are a number of factors at play here in NZ, its more I have expensive taste. I agree with Stu, If I had a $3 handle of Tui or a $9 pint of Bookbinder to choose from then I;d crawl over broken glass to get to the bookbinder. And probably drink less as a result. In all though, sure I'd love it to be cheaper but $15 a 6 pack of Tuatara, $5-6 a bottle of Emersons etc. I can live with that.

My too bob on Coopers.
I'm quite happy with the price of Coopers. Although I don't think it really qualifies as craft beer, its made in fairly large quantities and there isn't too much in the way of expensive malts and hops (pride of Ringwood anyone?) and Australian subsidised cane sugar. What is precious about it is that funky yeast and perhaps that they haven't been subverted by large company pressures, similar to say Macs or Monteiths, to bland it out.

[Greig McGill]

I know a few of you guys have done the numbers on this. I have too. As Sam said, it's not why craft beer is expensive, it's why mainstream beer is so cheap. If you want cheaper beer, time to start getting shirty with your MPs over the sin tax called excise. What right do the government have to take money from a producer by force because they consider the product to be bad for society? Let "society" not buy it then, or pay for the consequences themselves if they misuse the product. Get rid of excise, and you'll get a cheaper pint. There is no other way. Nobody is "creaming it" when it comes to craft beer. If you can find me one craft brewer with a 2009 model car, I'd be very surprised.

Sorry to rant studio1, it's just that this topic keeps coming up, always with the implication that we drinkers are somehow being ripped off. I *know* that's not the case. There are only two ways to make something cheaper (assuming we can't get the government's sticky thieving fingers out of the equation) - do it more efficiently, or do it in bulk. Hard to do for most craft brewers in NZ, especially when that path leads to beer that most of us wouldn't consider craft beer anymore.

[Alelover]

My two bob on this subject..
Yes craft beer is more expensive than mainstream trash. Mianstream cheap trash is the underlying reason that we have social issues with drunken behaviour, which then makes the politicians take knee jerk reactions to increase taxes and will force craft brewing deeper into the mire. If all beer was 6-9 bucks a bottle we may not have so much trouble with drunken youths on the rampage, and the craft breweries could compete on an even playing field. The likes of lion, db and spieghts may then lift the quality of their products to compete with the craft beers....haa feel better now.

[Steve Nally]

careful now you're taking about personal responsibilty. The government isn't taking excise from the producer as such as we producers collect it from the customer, we when give it to the government... this is how they see it.

Yes you are right, we aren't creaming it... most of us craft brewers want to make a living out of what i love doing, beer... and lets not forget cider.

[Stu McKinlay]

hey Steve - wash your fingers - this isn't realcider.co.nz!

[Steve Nally]

might start a website

[Greig McGill]

I quite *like* personal responsibility! :)

[Nick T]

OTOH, if craft beer wasn't so expensive then it would be much harder justifying to your SO money spent on brewing gear. Five 500ml crafts a week x $7 = $1820 per annum on average for 130 litres. Brew it yourself at say $3 a litre = $390 per annum for the same volume. Save $1430 per annum, or $7k over 5 years. If you do the same calc with Heinlager Artois at say $2.50 a 330ml = $984 per annum for 130l, or a saving of only $3k over 5 years. So by drinking only craft quality beer, you save en extra $4k every 5 years. And if craft beer prices go up, its even better! If you drink more that 5 half litre bottles a week on average, you save even more. The more you drink, the better quality you drink, and the higher craft beer prices, the richer you get - the perfect retirement plan, and plenty of money left over for that bit of stainless steel you always wanted to buy....

Warning - your mileage may vary with your SO - worked for me though, just ask Joseph at Liberty brewing!

[James P]

That argument does lead to the question, does home brewing affect the craft brewers more than the mega swill brewers?