tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post7008247009135667663..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: Craft Beer Bottle Sizes (Rant)The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-18148805515744686402012-04-28T00:25:52.878-04:002012-04-28T00:25:52.878-04:00I know I'm late BUT great rant, how does Stone...I know I'm late BUT great rant, how does Stone get away with selling a bomber IPA for $4.50 and the six pack at $9.99. I thought I was the only one who this bothered (although I bought a bomber of Stone IPA today). One thing, Greenflash West Coast IPA taste better in a bomber than a 12 oz, i wonder if they force carb the 12s...archienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-23151144872920757422011-11-08T11:50:30.657-05:002011-11-08T11:50:30.657-05:00I think that part of the issue in pricing is that ...I think that part of the issue in pricing is that 22's are a lot more expensive to buy than 12's. My buddy is looking into opening a commercial brewing operation and 22's are way more expensive to buy than 12's.andrewtheshawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09727633067827445172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-66926495102320192092011-10-22T12:33:12.239-04:002011-10-22T12:33:12.239-04:00like an earlier commenter, I prefer bombers. Mostl...like an earlier commenter, I prefer bombers. Mostly because its an enjoyable way to replenish bottles for my own homebrew. Also - I'll argue that putting the higher ABV in the larger bottles is a way to attract wine buyers to high-end beer.Garrick van burenhttp://garrickvanburen.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-32917568317205209612011-10-17T18:17:58.596-04:002011-10-17T18:17:58.596-04:00Great rant. I totally agree with you. I don't ...Great rant. I totally agree with you. I don't understand the idea of putting higher alcohol beers in larger volume containers. I also feel that the size of the container should be relative to the alcohol percentage.Nate - BreweryReviewery.comhttp://breweryreviewery.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-7608395632085816392011-10-16T09:05:18.357-04:002011-10-16T09:05:18.357-04:00They're having trouble shifting $7.99 six pack...They're having trouble shifting $7.99 six packs? Come to Australia where craft beer starts at ~$20/6 and goes up. We're also seeing the invasion of the 4 pack for similar prices. To be fair, our alcohol excise tax is higher and skewed towards favouring the macro-brewers since you pay the tax before you even sell a drop, and it heavily favours the economy of scale of larger operations.<br /><br />I don't see a lot of larger bottles on the shelves here, but when I do they certainly don't tend to pass on any scale-derived savings.<br /><br />All in all, just more reasons to keep drinking my own :)Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-61773436627148213062011-10-13T23:16:13.863-04:002011-10-13T23:16:13.863-04:00Although, I hate the disparate pricing, I buy and ...Although, I hate the disparate pricing, I buy and bottle exclusively in bombers when available. My wife and I share beer with meals, and bombers--like bottles of wine--are ideal for this purpose. It's also less glass to recycle. Here in Japan (and it's likely the same in much of Europe), I have to clean out, dry, and walk all the bottles to the neighborhood collection point. Bombers also take up less space in the cellar and refrigerator, and I can just throw a few into the bike basket. I can't fit a six pack in there, and damn was it difficult when I live in Philadelphia, and I had to manage carrying cases on the bike!<br /><br />I'm not a beer ticker. I find that my perception of a given beer evolves over the course of drinking it. Buying single 12 oz bottles are of little use, and I don't need six at a time--especially if I'm not confident I'll enjoy the beer. I guess I could buy two of everything, but why?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-13471463437444054402011-10-13T18:13:20.006-04:002011-10-13T18:13:20.006-04:00You could do an entire post alongside this on bars...You could do an entire post alongside this on bars that don't offer tasting sized glasses. I went to a bar last week that was hosting a tap takeover (certain style, not brewery) with 15 beers on tap. I asked if they offered tastings or flights and was shocked and disappointed to hear they didn't. I'm not going to be able to try more than two or three beers when they're $6, $7, or $8 a piece. And when you're talking about 15 different brewers' interpretations of a style, what happens when you're stuck with 15.5 ounces of a beer you don't like? This isn't 2005. I haven't tried everything on the menu before. DC bars take pride in that fact, as they should. But they should also embrace the chance to educate their customer base by encouraging the opportunity to try lots of difference beers.E Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06857859314046161568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-50979359188735779012011-10-13T14:03:22.866-04:002011-10-13T14:03:22.866-04:00I actually kind of don't mind premium pricing ...I actually kind of don't mind premium pricing for beer, for the odd reason that I think it's good for the industry overall.<br /><br />Wine has snob appeal over beer, partly because of its elevated prices - and there are plenty of examples of $6 wine being 'discovered' and rocketing to $25. Both in the area of recipe experimentation and in pricing, I think we are seeing beer grow up and be accepted as a premium beverage that is worth spending money on.<br /><br />Clearly, there is demand, or the bottles would be sitting on the shelf; yet Utopias sells out every year, there are parking lot lines on Dark Lord day, and bottle shops have "One Per Customer" labels on Theobroma.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-78244921551007714752011-10-13T09:23:10.875-04:002011-10-13T09:23:10.875-04:00Here are to opposites that drive me crazy. Two Br...Here are to opposites that drive me crazy. Two Brothers Heavier Handed IIPA only sold in 3L bottles. Why? <br /><br />Rogue Old Crustation is sold in 7 oz. nips but still at the $6 price point. <br /><br />I am with you on this rant but I don't see the trend changing. It is sad when it becomes cheaper to get a beer at a bar than from the liquor store.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62902365393338264312011-10-12T23:02:22.683-04:002011-10-12T23:02:22.683-04:00I've always felt like a cheapskate at the liqu...I've always felt like a cheapskate at the liquor store when I see these interesting but overpriced bombers. Glad to know I'm not alone!Kylehttp://beergeography.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-16097958442678809462011-10-12T22:48:57.656-04:002011-10-12T22:48:57.656-04:00I was so ready to argue your rant...then, I read t...I was so ready to argue your rant...then, I read the price-based reasoning and I can't argue with the facts. Overall, the entire conversation has been really fascinating.<br /><br />That said, there are still good reasons for choosing the bomber over the 12 oz. bottle. For one, it is definitely a luxury to spend that extra nickle-per-oz. in order to buy a smaller amount of beer (compared to a six-pack) for an evening.<br /><br />Second, beer is always looking for a place at the table alongside or in-place of wine. You and probably everyone in this thread recognize the ridiculousness in this dichotomy, but most consumers don't consider beer a suitable beverage to have with dinner. The bomber, particularly those containing higher ABV beers, convince the consumer he's purchasing beer's equivalent to wine.<br /><br />Also, I brew and use a combination of bombers and 12 oz. bottles. I find the smaller bottles are great when I just want one beer. The bombers are more for sharing and gifting my beers. I can show up at a party with one of my bombers and several people can get a taste of my HB. Those I give the bombers to can have two beers without carrying two separate bottles in the non-existent two-pack.Zachttp://pavementandbeerforpeace.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-44051165337735102302011-10-12T20:02:53.184-04:002011-10-12T20:02:53.184-04:00I'm on your side with this. The price is high...I'm on your side with this. The price is higher but I do know a little something about the work involved. Many breweries are not very well set up to bottle 22oz bottles. I do yeast counting at a local brewery and when they do 22oz bottles they have to hand label every bottle. Then they have to change out star wheels on the bottling line so they feed properly. The bottles won't go through certain points of the bottling line very well so they have to be hand fed. Additionally they rarely do the 22oz bottles. So the price discount they get on an entire truck load of glass is considerable compared to a handful of pallets of bombers. So the cost is realistically higher on the 22oz bottle just for glass. Then the cost of different packaging and the time wasted doing lots of crap by hand. I agree it makes no sense but it is that way.<br /><br />With that said I wish they made 7-10oz bottles of the higher abv stuff. I like my barleywines every now and then but don't want 22oz of it unless I have friends to share with. <br /><br />You think it's bad in the beer world? You should see the cigar world with the marketing gimmicks!Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05009643497393565455noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-61906837562159368202011-10-12T19:11:32.055-04:002011-10-12T19:11:32.055-04:00When I buy single bottles, it's because I want...When I buy single bottles, it's because I want to try something I've never had to see if I like it (or to culture the yeast). I don't want to drink 750mL of something I don't like, especially a high alcohol brew, so I don't buy them. <br /><br />I would rather pay $6 for a 330mL or 12oz than $10 for the bigger bottle. Not many beers are really all that interesting 20 ounces in anyway.kingwood kidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-84578599566420445932011-10-12T15:12:40.142-04:002011-10-12T15:12:40.142-04:00Good points, but I would change the subtitles from...Good points, but I would change the subtitles from (rant) to something more constructive. Ranting = mindless bitching in my book, but that is not what I see in these posts.THE MERKIN MANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00598179494381668056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-68851505041776882672011-10-12T14:05:55.038-04:002011-10-12T14:05:55.038-04:00"the breweries that create this market can be..."the breweries that create this market can be heard to lament that they "just can't sell a session-strength ale.""<br /><br />If I may be cynical, how much of that is because said breweries can't actually make a decent session beer to begin with?Alistair Reecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15929927359428659775noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-28302152770544813302011-10-12T13:32:34.403-04:002011-10-12T13:32:34.403-04:00To answer a question, I was using the price of a s...To answer a question, I was using the price of a single bottle purchase (not just the six-pack divided by six). In this case the markup is about ~20%, so if you were comparing a six-pack to a bomber the premium per ounce is even worse.<br /><br />Stone fill their 3L bottles (technically growlers) by hand, but they certainly aren’t doing that for their bombers. Here is a shot of their line from five years ago: http://www.flickr.com/photos/autonomatic/203495796/The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-54397500221784846022011-10-12T12:27:14.159-04:002011-10-12T12:27:14.159-04:00Gotta agree with Karl. Small breweries already hav...Gotta agree with Karl. Small breweries already have enough trouble selling their $7.99 six-packs. They have to step out of the box a tad to create a new product. For the beer geek, a new bottle and label isn't that exciting, but to the uninitiated, it most definitely is. <br /><br />If that's what it takes to get more craft beer enthusiasts in the door, so be it. I'll continue along enjoying the cheaper, 12oz bottles of the same thing for now. Except of course on those special occasions when I want to share!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-43327022390461452872011-10-12T12:16:42.666-04:002011-10-12T12:16:42.666-04:00I think you hit an important point towards the end...I think you hit an important point towards the end of your post: There may be larger problems at work even when the price is justified as a specialty item.<br /><br />Plenty of breweries can't make a decent pale ale but expect us to go nuts looking for their 30-dollar-super-double-breakfast-stout-anniversary ale. And all too many buyers seem willing to oblige. At the same time, the breweries that create this market can be heard to lament that they "just can't sell a session-strength ale." It's a feedback loop that marginalizes one of beer's best qualities: accessibility.<br /><br />What would you rather have: Unlimited access to a beautifully crafted mild ale, or one-bottle-per-month access to a cork & cage saison from some mystery Belgian farmstead. Ideally the answer would be "both," but sometimes it seems like we are moving towards just the latter.Robbynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-38933881955079435642011-10-12T12:13:26.204-04:002011-10-12T12:13:26.204-04:00Ok, I'm going to put on my flame-retardant und...Ok, I'm going to put on my flame-retardant underwear and be the odd man out, here: I <i>like</i> bombers. They're just the right size for the wife and I to split. (Roughly 2/3 - 1/3). <br /><br />Flame away.<br /><br />Of course, most of the time, I drink my own swill, anyway..... ;-)Middle Class Middle Aged White Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13781991895469133830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-7551625116385232802011-10-12T12:01:18.623-04:002011-10-12T12:01:18.623-04:00AMEN!
I hate having to buy bombers or other overpr...AMEN!<br />I hate having to buy bombers or other overpriced large bottles (bombers, 750 wine bottles, etc)<br />Also hate the 4pack cans that Tallgrass, Surly and others are doing when I can buy a six pack of bottled comparable beer for cheaper and more beer. I do not mind the cans, wish more craft beer came in cans. But I do mind the steep price on them and getting jipped out of a beer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-31907472655549899562011-10-12T11:57:54.954-04:002011-10-12T11:57:54.954-04:00One thing you are overlooking when examining the p...One thing you are overlooking when examining the pricing is quantity or volume. It is somewhat unfair to compare the pricing of a 22oz bottle directly to the price of a 12 oz bottle. When you buy a 6 pack you are buying in "bulk" compared to buying one bomber. You are buying 3 times the volume and thus it is cheaper. Just like the cost per ounce goes down when you buy a keg of beer. Bulk discount. I know you can often buy singles from liquor stores but the pricing is set up based on buying a 6 pack.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-22186231591237046132011-10-12T11:48:03.574-04:002011-10-12T11:48:03.574-04:00The problem is with the size of the bottles not be...The problem is with the size of the bottles not being able to fit on the line. Even large places (say Stone) has to have each of those larger bottles filled by hand, so it does come down to labor costs. Unless there was a market out there for large bottles (a huge demand) there is no point in buying another bottling line (or keep retooling the old line) that will accompany the monsters and use the economies of scale that the 12oz ers do. Stupid college.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-80160338595823902972011-10-12T11:16:14.646-04:002011-10-12T11:16:14.646-04:00I'm not sure if Flying Dog still makes their C...I'm not sure if Flying Dog still makes their Canis Major mixed pack which has 8 x 8 oz bottles of their high octane beers. I thought that it was a great way to give people the opportunity to sample a few high strength beers on a weeknight without fear of a debilitating hangover.<br /><br />I know that Roque also offers smaller 8 oz bottles of their high strength beers but I think they're typically singles and probably come with the same price gouge.Dannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04954529400874698725noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-64730995082480294802011-10-12T11:00:02.921-04:002011-10-12T11:00:02.921-04:00I prefer a barleywine in a 22 ounce bomber. That w...I prefer a barleywine in a 22 ounce bomber. That way I can say I only had one bottle. It's a subtle psychological ploy I use.<br /><br />But your point is well taken. There should be more beer packaged in bombers, not just the strong ones, and there should be a price savings.hiikeebahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04546094181276790786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-3599917303811566382011-10-12T10:27:17.699-04:002011-10-12T10:27:17.699-04:00My post was in relation to Karl's linkMy post was in relation to Karl's linkSamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09594942287809274221noreply@blogger.com