"new" price of beer

Since the closing, opening, closing, re-opening of bars and breweries, has the price of beer gone up in your local Craft Brewery tasting rooms? Seems like they are charging extra for cleanup after you leave your table.

I haven’t noticed any price increase. I have noticed old, pre-covid kegs being on at most spots. Most places have really drained the fun out of the experience too. Between having to wear or buy masks, cell phone menus, old beer, trying to decipher what the bartender says through their mask, crappy hours ect. I really wonder how most places will survive. While I generally like an uncrowded bar, places being completely empty the whole time I am there is a little awkward and not that enjoyable. And plastic cups. I really, really don’t want my beer in a plastic cup ever, and especially not at a premium price. Most bartenders I’ve worked with have always been overeager to use plastic cups if they can get away with it.

1 Like

I have not noticed any price hike in our area, but I will second the brewery selling old kegs and still charging normal prices. This is not cool in my book. It will be interesting to see how many places close up.

1 Like

I have not been out other than to my local grocery store since February. We are visiting family in Ohio next week and I was hoping to visit a few breweries while in Dayton and Columbus, but I have reached out to a few and between having to make reservations, adjusted temporary hours, not offering flights and only doing full pours, QR scanned menus, having to mask yourself just to stand up from your table, etc and all these little guidelines that are unique to every single brewery makes it really unexciting to want to visit anywhere. I will be pleased if I make it to 2-3 brewery during my entire 10 day stay. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry at the breweries themselves, but I really do believe this is beginning to make me want to drink and try new stuff a lot less. I’m just as happy drinking scotch at home and the occasional beer that I like. I rate for my personal enjoyment and a lot of that has faded. That’s a big digression, but I don’t think the price of beer will change a lot, what I do see is the expectation that I tip a lot higher. The local restaurants that I have visited in the last month are now expecting upwards of 30% for a tip. I just think the entire environment is going to be changed and not for the better. Truthfully, I don’t know how some breweries have held on this long.

1 Like

NYC breweries did not seem to raise prices. Flights and small pours are much more rare but the outdoor searing in front of breweries has been fun. It is definitely different from before but it is not much worse, other than the plastic glassware. That said beer might be cheaper now because the plastic cups are actually 12-16 ounces, not those fake glasses they used to give. I was always skeptical of 4 ounce pours at Other Half for example.

1 Like

Depends on the bar, but some outside seating has been just nasty. On the curb or literally right in the street on a stanky, narrow block, sometimes near subway entrances, with people constantly walking past.

Prices are the same though. The tap beers are sometimes old. I want to support my locals, but I agree that it just isn’t comfortable or as fun. Enjoying more of my beer at home.

1 Like

I really want to support local but it seems most have 10 variations of the same haze boi overly sweet IPA, pastry stouts, and kettle sours (some with funky colors to look cool). The last few months I’ve been drinking a lot of St. B, Duvel, La Chouffe, Dupont, Flemish reds, and lambics. OMT for life. Now get off my lawn!

4 Likes