Is It Last Call for Craft Beer?

Patrick

Overthinking the draft from the basement already
Staff member
The dot-com bubble was built on lies promulgated by MCI/worldcom. The beer is real!

economics will take care of this - if there is a shortage of hops, the market will respond.

for companies like ballast point, at some point, the value was locked up in the brand, rather than the owners' pockets.
the only way to extract that value was to sell. if you can make is so your family never has to work again......

I suspect our local brewers are making a good living at the price point - they could always raise the price, because of the demand.
if we are willing to pay $18/4pk why not $20?
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
I think we are hitting the price limit now (for me at least). I'm not going to pay $20/4 pack when I can get good (but maybe not great) beer for $10/4 or 6 pack. I think $16/4 pack is my upper limit.

I've seen some evidence of the prices coming down too, Elysian Space Dust was regularly going for $14.99/6 pack now $10.99 everywhere. I think AB owns Elysian so maybe it's the bigger guys that are feeling the pressure.
 

The Kalmyk

Well-Known Member
I've seen some evidence of the prices coming down too, Elysian Space Dust was regularly going for $14.99/6 pack now $10.99 everywhere.


Tim- did you buy the Space Dust? Is it any different than it was when it was $14.99? If bigger companies mimic , standardized, automate and deliver consistency then the little guy could be in for a huge battle. I'm on the team that bigger guys won't continue to take licks at bars or at the liquor store.

Fred and I shared a drink with the manager of the local canning company this past winter. It was a 4 can release from Blue Point which has an Angel investor in AB. Delicious!
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
Tim- did you buy the Space Dust? Is it any different than it was when it was $14.99? If bigger companies mimic , standardized, automate and deliver consistency then the little guy could be in for a huge battle. I'm on the team that bigger guys won't continue to take licks at bars or at the liquor store.

Fred and I shared a drink with the manager of the local canning company this past winter. It was a 4 can release from Blue Point which has an Angel investor in AB. Delicious!
Truthfully not as good as I remembered, but I'm not sure if that was the beer or that my tastes have changed slightly. One thing I need to check is the date on the bottles. I think one thing that AB and distributers may not fully appreciate is the freshness factor with these highly hopped beers. One reason for the discount may be that these are starting to get old and degrade. I see this discounting happen with wine also.
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
Had another Space Dust tonight, confirmed the staleness factor. :mad:

Bottle date was Jan. 02, 2017. So there is the problem with semi mass produced brews and more competition... a very good beer when fresh turns to just barely OK.
 

GSTim

Formerly M3Tim
Brings the wine analogy of vintage to the party, although the window is much smaller. Have to check the dates. :D
 
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