Tag Archives: bargains

Call to Action: Help find Bargain Craft Beer

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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?

Barley and Hops: The Best Bargain in Town

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Our dear friends Jacqueline and Kirk have five children. Since they’re not made of money, dining out is not something they do very often. However, after we gushed about our Sundays at Barely and Hops in Frederick, Maryland, they agreed to meet us there this past Sunday for a late lunch.

As I’ve mentioned before, not only do kids eat free on Sundays, but their core beers are available in $2.00 pints.

Corralling seven kids, even the best-behaved, is always going to be a challenge. However, a combination of paper covering the tables, crayons, and build-your-own pizzas kept much of their attention.

But the biggest appeal was to us budget-conscious parents. Where else could a family of seven gotten an decent meal at a real restaurant for $20 plus tip? (Okay, granted, the youngest is still a baby, but still.)

The staff was friendly (and patient), the food delivered in a timely manner, and the beer was good.  The kids even ate most of their food (another challenge, as you parents already know).

If you go, I recommend the middle of Sunday afternoon. The lunch crowd has dispersed and the dinner crowd has not yet arrived.

All in all, I heartily recommend it.