Just a quick question that’s been bugging me for a while now and suddenly reared its ugly head again this weekend.
Why is it perfectly acceptable to spend $30 on a fine bottle of wine, but completely preposterous and absurd to even think of spending half that on a large bottle of craft brewed beer? Is beer so much more inferior to wine that most folks think it unconscionable to spend “so much money” on a 750 ml bottle of beer? Or am I the one insane for doing so?
October 2nd, 2007
Because wine is hip while beer is for [insert your favorite localized term for the simpleton group of your choice here] :-)
A smarter person with more time on their hands than I, could probably relate it to the marketing done for wine vs. beer. At least here in the US, I would guess the bulk of $ on beer ads are spent on non-premium beers while for wine it would be reversed. Also with wine, many of the large companies have a large range of price points and perceived value to market where the big beer cos typically only have the non-premium low price point beers to push.
October 4th, 2007
My own take on this has more to do with the early introduction most folks have had with beer in this country - emphasize cheap and uniform taste. So, for the folks who have ventured out into the world of craft beers and exotic styles (I include the wide range of Belgian beers that are starting to appear in more restaurants around here) and have no qualms about spending quite a bit more for the beers that they drink at home it isn’t a big leap for them to spend a good bit more for a craft beer at a restaurant. For those who still think all beers taste like BudMillOors then the extra cost will always seem exorbitant.
The Barley Blog is quite simply a site dedicated to all things beer. We truly enjoy a quality brew, but realize that there is more to beer. You willll find commentary on advertising, culture, a little home brewing and just about anything else related to beer.
Have questions, suggestions, or just want to make fun of us?
Email Us
October 1st, 2007
Thiago Valenti said:
The problem on spending that much in a bottle of craft beer is that, unlike wine, beer is very consumable. That means, while you buy 2 bottles of wine for a family dinner, you’ll need a little more of beer for that.
And if you think craft beer is expansive in the US, come to Brasil, and you’ll be surprized as a 355ml bottle costs at least half of a 750ml imported wine bottle.