Jess wrote to me recently:
I need advice, and hope. The price of IPAs are just too high. What is the best beer for the value, or is it possible to find a six-pack of quality beer for $6.99 anymore?
Boy, that’s a good question. Beer prices were already going up before this latest financial nightmare. The hop shortage made sure of that. Plus increased transportation costs. Believe me, I’ve had some sticker-shock myself lately.
Unfortunately there’s not a simple answer. What’s a bargain near me may not even be carried near you, and may be a wildly different price. The distributor’s got to get their cut in our three-tier distribution system, and of course federal, state, and local governments each got to get their pound of flesh.
One option is to go for the more flavorful offerings of the large, industrial brewers. They’re each trying to get a piece of craft beer’s impressive growth and offer some craft-y selections. I haven’t seen any of them offer up an IPA, but I did have the Budweiser American Ale, and it’s not too bad. (Damning with faint praise, I know.)
A better solution might be to think more local. I have found that six-packs from the brewery closest to me (Flying Dog in Frederick, Maryland) run a dollar to two dollars less than comparable beers from other craft brewers. (Well, the Wild Goose label does. An awful lot of Flying Dog’s portfolio is pretty extreme and priced accordingly.) If you can go to the brewery to buy your six-packs so much the better: no middle man.
A third option might be to visit your local brewery or brewpub and get yourself a growler. That’s a gallon of beer that you can have refilled and gives you some economy of scale.
So, how about it Hop Talk readers? Can you offer advice and/or hope to Jess? What does a basic IPA sell for in your neck of the woods?
A bottle of Goose Island IPA? Region of $4.50.
Downgrade to some Speakeasy Big Daddy, you can get a six-pack for under twenty bucks.
Pretty sweet, eh?
The Beer Nuts last blog post..Energiser
You know, I’ve heard good things about Goose Island’s IPA, but I’ve never seen it around here.
I agree with you Al. The Wild Goose is usually my go to value brew. Saranac is also usually in the $5.99-$6.99 range. My local liquor store, Wells has a sale fridge and I have been amazed by some of the bargains in there recently. Granted some of the beers are a little out of season, but they still taste fine. Others they are just passing on good deals. I’ve gotten some drinkable sixers recently for $2.99, $3.99, and $4.99. I’ve also on occasion seen some 12 packs in the $6.99 range.
I don’t always want what’s on sale, but some of the sales really make me think hard about whether I really want to spend the extra bucks.
These are tough times, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Captain Hopss last blog post..Liquid Love
Brew your own
Mooch off your friends?
Adam @ Beer Bits 2s last blog post..Tasting a brew and making more…
hop prices are up this year… some of the larger craft beer operations have futures and are able to buy in bulk and keep costs… In NorCal I see Red Hook Longhammer IPA for about $6.99 sometimes but most IPAs are climbing in price.
Maxwells last blog post..Hoppy Face Amber Ale by Hoppy Brewing Company
Brew your own IPA you can brew 5 gallons of the stuff for about $33 worth of ingredients this works out to be 50c for a 12oz bottle or $3 a 6 pack .
How about going for a different style? For example beers made with less hops and instead other adjuncts like chocolate or honey. Something else to give it flavor is basically what I am trying to get at here.