Has the economy affected your drinking habits?

[corkybstewart]

I was visiting a nearby brewpub, The Wellhead in Artesia NM, and they were offering beers from a brewpub in northern NM. So I asked the brewer why, she said that lately beer consumption had outpaced her ability to produce, so they're bringing in occasional guest beers to fill the gap. I'm wondering if the old correlation between falling economy and increasing beer consumption is back in place.
Has the economy or lack thereof changed any of your drinking habits?

[MeridianFC]

Not really. I find I do eyeball the price tag of some brews more closely but I still tend to drink the same things in the same quantity. Mind that when folks found out about the Gordon Biersch DC happy hour they were a lot more inclined to go there than some other places, so maybe it is having an effect in other quarters.

[wortchillergoal]

I'm wondering if the old correlation between falling economy and increasing beer consumption is back in place.


I remember reading and being taught that alcohol consumption goes down with the economy and that alcohol consumption is greater when the economy is good.

I have heard some people say that they have cut back a little. I have not made any big changes as of this time.

[corkybstewart]

I remember reading and being taught that alcohol consumption goes down with the economy and that alcohol consumption is greater when the economy is good.
You may be right, I know that down here our unemployment rate is under 3% and we can't find workers. But it's been like that for a couple of years now, she just hasn't figured out why all of a sudden consumption jumped. They may add another fermenter soon to keep up with the demand.

[hooky]

I can honestly say that with prices going up, I'm going to brew more and buy less finished beer. I don't think it will result in fewer trips to brewpub, but it has resulted in fewer trips to the paint store.

[darylM]

I am brewing and drinking more. Sixteen dollars for 5 gallons beats $6 for a six.

[corysdad]

I would say yes the economy has changed my beer buying habits. I now make fewer trips to the paint store, but I buy more beer per trip.

[dparsons]

Saves on gas at least.

My habits have not changed because of the economy, but then I'm still gainfully employed. I have been aware of people switching to a cheaper beer when their budget was low and to a finer beer when their wallet was full.

[wild]

Has the economy or lack thereof changed any of your drinking habits?
Not as much as my waistline :D

[chazwicke]

I have had to change most of my habits and scale back. However Beer consumption or choices is an area that I will not sacrifice. I still attend several beer dinners and tastings every month as well. My company is related to the housing market which as you all know is in the 3rd year of a slump. I've done many things to reduce my monthly outlay but cutting back on beer has not been one of them. I have reduced my monthly expenditures from over 10K a month down to about 7K.

[brrman]

I still drink the same amount, and the same "good" beers. I will quit drinking beer before I switch to any BMC... The lowest I'll go is a Labatt Blue and it has to be damned cold.

[corkybstewart]

I have had to change most of my habits and scale back. However Beer consumption or choices is an area that I will not sacrifice. I still attend several beer dinners and tastings every month as well. My company is related to the housing market which as you all know is in the 3rd year of a slump. I've done many things to reduce my monthly outlay but cutting back on beer has not been one of them. I have reduced my monthly expenditures from over 10K a month down to about 7K.
Chaz,is this why you sold your beach house? That really has to suck. My sisters didn't forgive my parents for 3 years after they sold their house on Mobile Bay.
I hired a couple from Ohio but our housing market here is so tight that they haven't been able to move here yet because there are no places to live. The best they could find was a crappy 1 bedroom apartment, about 400 sq ft for $1600/month. There aren't even any listings in the paper for aprtments or houses to rent, and just a few to buy.
Our oilfield is booming, the mines outside of town are busy again, we have a lot going on at the nuclear waste site outside of town, and there a huge Federal Law enforcement training center for the Border Patrol and other types of Feds.

[chazwicke]

Yeah that was part of why I did it. We had never intended to keep it to live in full time. I also have a third house on the Eastern Shore with three acres on the Chesapeake that is also for sale. That one does not cost me though as it was bought with cash. We'll miss the beach place but I still made money on it and had the enjoyment of it for those years. I'm already looking at potential retirement homes in that area though. But for the short term I'll move my RV to a park down there. It won't be the same but at least we'll have the beach. My company situation has actually improved some. Our numbers for April were the best since August 2006. (The bad thing is some of those numbers are attributed to doing more foreclosure searches.) I own a real estate title search firm so we are connected to the housing market. We are keeping our head above water but I've seen most of the other companies fail. Only us old timers still doing it successfully. But I have scaled back for sure. We are down from 16 people to 6. But that was mostly through attrition. Anyway, it may mean working a few more years than I had origionally intended. Bottom line is I could have kept the beach place but now I'll save in excess of 3K a month that can go into savings or my next place.

[M.K. Jeeves]

It has not affected me. I work a 28 day on 14 day off schedule. When I'm on my off time I usually don't think about prices. I justify it by saying to myself, you work hard, and dammit you deserve it. :D

[darylM]

I am brewing and drinking more. Sixteen dollars for 5 gallons beats $6 for a six.


I have to update my entry. I am doing neither more. I really would like to make another batch.

[TeufelBrew]

Daryl, I want your prices for ingredients!!! Only capable of extract with partial grain right now, but I'm in the range of $35-$45 per batch. Working in social services, the effects from the economy don't really hit us until the larger political changes come into play. Change in President will impact mental health funding for sure, but it will be a while down the road. Meanwhile, I continue delving into my new addiction. Brew on average every two weeks to keep the fermenter from getting cruddy or lonely.

[darylM]

Daryl, I want your prices for ingredients!!! Only capable of extract with partial grain right now, but I'm in the range of $35-$45 per batch. Working in social services, the effects from the economy don't really hit us until the larger political changes come into play. Change in President will impact mental health funding for sure, but it will be a while down the road. Meanwhile, I continue delving into my new addiction. Brew on average every two weeks to keep the fermenter from getting cruddy or lonely.

That was for a mild, I have a stockpile of hops and I am ag. All things being equal I am paying the same. I am just venting from not being able to do it with gas prices sucking up all available money and a helping my sister-in-law with a wedding taking the rest. Did I mention I was helping my mother-in-law pay for some bills too?

Grrr, just want to be able to brew

[corkybstewart]

Grrr, just want to be able to brew
That's my problem. I've got 3 hundred pounds of grain, probably 15 pounds of hops but no time to brew. This is my weekend off, the wife is going out of town so I figured I'd do a double batch Saturday. Once again we're shorthanded so I'm going back to work all weekend.

[chazwicke]

It had to happen:

[Fouled Anchor]

The economy has not changed my drinking of beer. However, more DUI awarness is affecting my trips to brew pubs. It calls form more planning to ensure a safe trip home is in place. Watching the price of Hops is getting to be a concern. I have not really noticed a large impact yet but I do expect one.

[dparsons]

The economy has not changed my drinking of beer. However, more DUI awarness is affecting my trips to brew pubs. It calls form more planning to ensure a safe trip home is in place. Watching the price of Hops is getting to be a concern. I have not really noticed a large impact yet but I do expect one.

I think the best way to get hops is to buy a decent stock shortly after harvest in the fall. I'm still sitting on 4-5 lbs bought before price went up much. Hopefully next year won't start off high.

[beerking]

There are still some bargains to be had, but you have to look around. (bargains is a relative term. Good prices for 2008, not so good for the same time last year). Additionally, there are some varieties available now that I could not find in late 2007.

Check this out:
http://www.highgravitybrew.com/productcart/pc/viewCategories.asp?idCategory=80

[MeridianFC]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/15/news/companies/miller_beer.ap/index.htm

I guess in our world that means some folks will be trading down from Double Bastard to the plain Arrogant Bastard.