Given that all but 2 of the taps were pouring Ballast Point beers it was evident that the pub in question had very recently had a 'tap takeover', or 'illusion of choice' as I now call them. Snide comments aside, my couple of pints were the Longfin Helles and a very delicious beer it was too. I heartily approve of the growing number of helles lagers that seem to be popping up on brewery products lists of late.
There was another reason I plumped for the helles...can you guess what it was from this picture?
Yep, $2.50 for an imperial pint. Call me cheap if you wish, but it was simply too good a price to overlook, 40oz of beer for less than 16oz of some of the other beers on the list, and even a few 10oz options. Sure it helped that the beer was just the kind of thing I like drink, even in the morning.
Looking over the rest of the price list, I couldn't get away from the idea though that the price of a pint of craft beer is getting ridiculous, especially when you compare the price of the Longfin with that of the California Kölsch right above it, $7.50 for 20oz. Given the similarities between the two styles of beer, why would a retailer charge three times as much for an additional 0.7% and 5 IBUs worth of beer?
The kind of beer that normally fills that budget slot in this particular pub is something like PBR or National Bohemian, so perhaps there is a pervasive bias against pale lagers, and by extension pale lager drinkers.
What it really means most likely is that the price of craft beer is too damned high and retailers are gouging their customers left, right, and centre whilst prancing about in artisanal fig leaves.
In my opinion, this is a problem in the mayority of the countries, in Spain (where I live) we have the same problem, the price of craft beer is too high in a lot of cities. But I think that a lot of "craft beer lovers" are guilty because pay a lot of money without sense, and if you have to sell beer and you can earn more money...
ReplyDeleteIn my case, I'd have choosen the $2.50 lager, too :-)
Cheers!
Where was the drinking hole that I can get a $2.50 Helles?
ReplyDeleteHelles and lagers are my go to beers most of the time. Especially in the warmer months. I'd have hone gor that too because I like the style snd not necessarily the price but that certainly is a bonus. I have not tried the BP helles. Is it something to look for?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth looking out for, I enjoyed it greatly.
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