This has sat in the back of my mind for a little while, but the other day, I was simply shocked at beer prices. It seems like the price of a six-pack of beer has gone up about a dollar or two (depending on the beer) in just a matter of 6-8 months. Has anyone else noticed this? I tried to find news articles addressing this, but the only thing I could find is something about German farmers switching from malting barley to crops better suited for biofuels. I've somewhat suspected that gas prices might have something to do with it, but I don't think gas prices could cause this much of an increase. Anyone have a good idea as to what the cause of the price increase could be?
I've long made a point to use the mom and pop local liquor stores to buy my beer/spirits, but at this point I think the owners of these places are making just enough money to be comfortable -- there's always money in booze -- and don't mind jacking the price up on anything. There's no reason the crap Chardonnay my girlfriend buys to drink and for me to use in cooking should be, no joke, nearly twice the price at a liquor store than it is two blocks away at the grocer. And their 17-buck 12'er of Newcastle can suck it compared to the 12-buck, not on sale, version at the grocer. Same with spirits.
It boils down to supply and demand issues. Due to the American craze for corn based ethanol for fuel, farmers have been planting corn crops like crazy. There is more profit in planting corn than in other crops currently. This leaves less land for other crops like wheat/barley. Thus same demand from consumers, with less supply from producers= higher cost. Furthermore adding to the cost, is the soaring energy prices needed to transport all these commodities.
I thought about fuel as well, but it seems like the price hike for beer has far outpaced the price of most other goods out there. The more I'm trying to research the subject, I'm betting that it has to have something to do with farmers moving away from barley. I really wonder if we're going to see the price of bread and other wheat based goods go up if farmers move away from wheat to grow more corn. Me thinks the government needs to step in and encourage sugar cane based ethanol production, much like what they have in Brazil.
This thread reminds me of my plan. In College Station they sell kegs for about 40% off right at X-Mas break. I once thought about stocking up. Kind of like the Seinfeld episode when Kramer and Newman used a mail truck to sell used bottles in Michigan for extra money...
Far as I know the cost of a 6-pack of Miller Lite is still $4.99 at HEB. It's $5.79 in Portland at Fred Meyer + bottle deposit. So I don't know what increases you're referring to.
The cost of a lot of farm-based products are going or have gone up thanks to corn-aplenty in the ethanol craze. lol. I don't drink beer, but the thought of soymilk and beef going up in price pisses me off.
A crazy father of a friend of mine is a conspiracy nut. He thinks truest measure of the economy is the price of beer by the 18 pack and cigarettes by the carton. When prices go up on bulk beer and cigs, the addicts notice big time. He might have a point. The Repubs better track the price of beer, or the entire NASCAR nation could descend on Washington and start a revolution.
Once good example are the St. Arnold's beers going from around $5.99 to $7.49 per six pack in a matter of 6 months or so. I thought it might just be the brewery raising prices or something isolated to them, but I noticed a similar percentile increase in Mickey's grenades and Lone Star tall boys. I may just e-mail the St. Arnold's brewery and ask them - they're usually pretty good about answering those sorts of questions.
I don't drink St. Arnold's but I can respect anyone who throws down the green grenades and Lone Star tall boys.
Ok, here is an answer from an authority in the area - Saint Arnold Brewing Company founder Brock Wagner: So there you have it -- it's all about those greedy b*stard supermarkets. Better stock up on your favorite brew when it goes on sale; it looks like things are only going to get worse.
we did that several times with almost expired cases of those 16oz. plastic bottles of coors light and miller lite. $9.99 a case, which equaled 32 f*cking beers we bought them out one night.... something like 15 cases. life was drunk.
well damn... that was an informative letter. i'll be going to central market soon to load up on some goodies. just in case.
