Price of a keg of craft beer

[Paul Jennings]

Does anyone know approx how much a craft bar will pay for a keg of beer?

Say a 7% IPA?

I found this blog from Dominic Kelly - http://theliquorladder.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/the-price-of-beer.html

Are the figures still accurate?

[Pierre Malan]

http://www.hallertau.co.nz/shop-for-beer/party-keg-50l/

$380 for 50L to the general public if that helps...

[Dominic Kelly]

Prices for imports have risen a lot lately thanks to the plummeting NZD. That would be the main change since that was written.

[Paul Jennings]

Thanks Dominic - So you would say that an average NZ keg would be in the range of ~$350 to a bar?

[Dominic Kelly]

I'd be wary of saying that. There are a number of good breweries who never make anything that expensive and a few whose prices are usually over that. And it depends a lot on style.

Probably the single fastest selling style even amongst "craft" brewers is pilsner. The average for that would be under $300. For IPAs, depending how hop-forward and alcoholic it is, you'd often pay over $350. (Talking GST exclusive of course.)

[mattd2]

Are you assumptions you made on you blog post still valid, i.e. 15% for distubtors mark-up and 200% for bars? I guess the big question to compare between your analysis and a keg from the local bottle shop is what is the mark-up the liquor store is applying?

[Dominic Kelly]

Distributor markups are probably heading up. 200% for bars is probably still true. Bottle stores are usually 25-35%.

[Scott H]

Isn't panhead a bit cheaper than the rest. I know it's the case with there bottles.

[Mark Goodin]

For a 50lt keg prices vary greatly even just for NZ breweries... You could be paying wholesale anywhere from $250 to $450 exGST. To answer your question, a 7% IPA would probably sit in the vicinity of $300-$400.
But then again you are paying close to $200 wholesale for a keg of NZ 'brown' beer (tui, Waikato, Speights etc)...so craft beer can be easily seen as good/great value imo!