I've always enjoyed a frosty glass full of beer, but truth be told I rarely go to the package store to buy it. Unless I'm having beer guzzling friends over, I'll generally only drink it at a bar since it seems to go well with nachos and sports. However, if you're a regular beer drinker and you've been to the store lately you've probably felt sticker shock when buying your favorite six-pack.
Apparently there's a world-wide hops shortage which has jacked the price of beer up almost 50% in the last few months. That six-pack of Sam Adams that used to set me back about a buck a beer now costs about $9 at my local packie. In a down economy, beer sales always increase so this hop supply-and-demand issue is ill-timed to say the least.
Of course if you've walked through the aisles of Blanchards you've probably noticed that there are no lack of beer options available, with prices varying wildly depending on the type of beverage you prefer. Mainstream brands like Budweiser are still towing the line price-wise while specialty craft brands are taking a real beating. The world is certainly full of Darwinism and beer giants Anheuser-Busch, Coors, etc. are swallowing up the hops while leaving nothing for the craft or home brewer.
Of course in a free society you have a real choice when it comes to buying beer. One option is to switch to a less-expensive brand, especially if it's as enjoyable as your favorite premium brew (not likely). The second option is to buy in bulk by executing the pahkcah02 economic principle of "the more you drink the more you save". Instead of buying a six-pack of Sam Adams for $9, go to BJ's and get a case for $22. Maybe you don't need a whole case right away, but if you and your friends aren't capable of drinking 24 beers before they go bad (generally six months) then you've obviously learned nothing from reading this blog.
BTW, if you're not a beer drinker, the buying in bulk principle generally works for wine and hard liquor as well. Check out the price of a fifth versus buying a handle: generally you'll get twice the alcohol for only a couple of bucks more.
There you have it - a whole blog about beer. There's absolutely only one thing on my mind right now: GO UMASS! BEAT OHIO STATE!!!
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3 comments:
Ok, now I'm really craving beer. 95 days to go!
Great. That along with the price of coffee keeps on going up...
Have to admit, I've become a total beer snob. It's Golden Monkey and Young's Double Chocolate Stout these days. I'll have a Sam every now and then, but will never go back to Bud.
I paid $8.50 for a six pack of Sam Adams a few weeks ago. Since I don't actually like beer, I had no idea that the price has recently increased. Thank you for helping me become a better consumer :)
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