Reasonable Craft Brews, <$2

[John Sand]

I love Stone Ruination, and West Coast IPA. But they cost $12 a four pack, over $3 a bottle before tax and deposit. Too rich for me. BMC costs $6-8 a six, around a buck a bottle, making my homebrewing a value. But of course I still try many other commercial brews. I just bought an autumn variety 12 pack from Saranac, $15.99 at the supermarket, $1.33 a bottle, rather good beer. What do you find strikes a good compromise between taste and value?

[Gymrat]

Off the top of my head
Boulivard
Sam Adams
New Belgium Brewing
Almost any other craft brew.

Not very many beers sell for $1.50 each or more. Around here if you are paying more than that you are buying some type of specialty beer.
I rarely buy beer to bring home anymore. When I do I buy from the build your own 6 pack section. So I can sample several beers for one price.

Most of the time I try new beers at Old Chicago or a place here in town called The Burger Stand. Then I end up paying $4.00 a pint but I get to flirt with cute bartenderettes while enjoying my beer. So that makes it worth it.

[philm00x]

The best deal I've found have been the New Belgium bomber bottles. I've found them for 2.50 per 22 oz bottle, makes them about 1.36 per 12 oz so that's a good deal.

[Beer-lord]

Yep, New Belgium seems to be much more reasonable. Bombers are usually under $4 here compared to $7 or $8 for Stone and others.

[joechianti]

I go for the mix and match wall, mostly. They run from $1.50 to $1.75 mostly. I pretty much ignore the ones above that. Sometimes I see a 6-pack of something I really like for $6 or $7so I'll grab one. But homebrew is the best value to me. Averages $3 to $4 a 6-pack, not counting equipment and labor. But I mostly use equipment that does double duty in the kitchen for food, and the 4 or 5 hours per week I spend on brewing would never be spent working. It's either watch TV or listen to music and brew. So I like homebrew best of all. I probably drink 3 or 4 cases a month, and about 2 6-packs at most come from the store.

[John Sand]

Off the top of my head
Boulivard
Sam Adams
New Belgium Brewing
Almost any other craft brew.

Not very many beers sell for $1.50 each or more. Around here if you are paying more than that you are buying some type of specialty beer.
I rarely buy beer to bring home anymore. When I do I buy from the build your own 6 pack section. So I can sample several beers for one price.

Most of the time I try new beers at Old Chicago or a place here in town called The Burger Stand. Then I end up paying $4.00 a pint but I get to flirt with cute bartenderettes while enjoying my beer. So that makes it worth it.

$4 a pint and cute bartenders! I'll take two of each please.
I did consider when I posted that prices a higher on Long Island than most places. I'm happy if I can get craft beer in a bar for $6-7, and that's probably only 12oz. I do like Sam Adams. And I also look for sales at the beer distributor. Often they have craft sixes that are about to expire for $6-8 a sixpack. Plenty of sampling and 5c bottles!

[Kealia]

To be honest, I don't pay too much attention. I buy so little beer from the store that I don't mind splurging once in a while to buy something. At the same time, I won't support something that I think is outrageous either. When Stone's Enjoy By comes out it's typically $6.99 for a bomber but it's a special treat and it only comes around every couple of months so I don't mind.

For a six-pack, I typically do think harder if it's over $9.99 which some of the 'bigger name' crafts like Stone are. I do like to pick up the occasional sampler pack from SA or Widmer and those are $15.99 - $11.99 for a 12-pack depending on whether it is on sale or not.

[RickBeer]

I've never paid more than $6.99 (or $7.99?) for a six pack, and that was for Sam Adams Cherry Wheat for SWMBO. Before I started brewing, I bought Killian's for $10.00 a 12 pack or sometimes Sam Adams for $12.99 a 12 pack. I've never bought beer by the bottle.

When we're out maybe a few times a year, I order a new beer to try. The first time I did that after taking up brewing was last December when I tasted Moosedrool and have since made a clone of it. I can't imagine buying a bottle of beer for $2 or more. I don't mind spending $4 - $6 on a brew in a restaurant or bar a few times a year to try something though.

Whatever floats your boat.

3 or 4 cases a month? Yikes! Beat me by 600%!

[Rebel_B]

Left coast: Pyramid, Sierra Nevada, Stone, Deschutes, Bridgeport, 10 Barrel, Two Beers, Hale's.... All in inexpensive 6 packs. Most of my local breweries only do 22oz bombers, growler fills, kegs, etc.

[Brewbirds]

I was thinking the same as Rebel that unless you are also buying to reuse the bottles if growlers would end up being cheaper.

Our tiny little store suprised me when they added a build your own six pack selection but for nine dollars and change per sixer and a so so selection I can't afford to support them.

When we were searching out the Saisons Mashani recommended in the beer isle at the grand opening of a grocery store we paid around $9 each for the big bottles, OUCH. But for a one time tasting splurge it was worth it as they were all very good.

Now I just need to figure out where to get a few more of those big ole Belgian bottles empty, cheap, or free for reusing.

[Brian N-]

Trader Joe's market has some interesting brews that are reasonable. I like the "Black Toad" ale, and usually buy a couple of six-packs when it is available.

[Rebel_B]

I was thinking the same as Rebel that unless you are also buying to reuse the bottles if growlers would end up being cheaper.

Usually a 64oz growler refill will cost from $9-$22.00 (in my neck of the woods); putting most of those prices at >$2.00 each. At the cheaper end of the range would be at a gas station convienance store, 1/2 price growler special price,or BevMo.

[swenocha]

I try to not focus too much on price/value, but I am a numbers guy, so...

Others have listed some nice choices. Trader Joe beers are generally a good bargain. Also, Whole Foods regularly runs growler sales, as does Yazoo on Wednesdays ($7). Best deal in craft beer bottles in relation to quality/price? To me it's Helios Saison from Victory. A very nice hi-grav saison that I can usually buy for $3-4.

[John Sand]

Certainly beers to look for. I also drink about a case a week, though I guess I would have been surprised by that six months ago. But since I'm brewing and studying beer, I drink more. Not to excess. One beer at lunch and two at dinner equals 21 a week. Throw in a couple of more on the weekend, and voila, a case.

[joechianti]

3 or 4 cases a month? Yikes! Beat me by 600%!

That's not really so much when you break it down. 24 bottle a week divided by 7 days is 3.5 bottles per day. If you're awake for 16 hours a day, that's a mere .2 bottles per hour, or approximately 2.5 ounces per hour. To tell you the truth, I don't think anyone could survive on such small rations. I know I have to supplement that beer with at least 8 ounces of whiskey each day just to remain sane.