Below is a poll about whether or how your beer drinking habits are changing. Based on anecdotal reports and imprecise media reports, my impression is that the recession hasn't affected the habits of good-beer drinkers too much as of yet. However, every morning brings reports of large corporations dumping hundreds or thousands of jobs, and economists believe the recession won't start to improve until 2010. I'll run a version of this poll every few months and see if patterns are changing.
(The poll isn't scientific. There are a number of reasons why we shouldn't make the mistake of thinking the results reflect larger trends. Still, it might plausibly register some change over time--or at least provide us an opportunity to revisit the question in a few months.)
I bought a CO2 set up and a bunch of corny's. I either brew at home or get the corny's filled for cheap at local pubs. I also stockpiled a bunch of Snowcap and Celebration when it went on sale after the holidays. I am saving tons of $$ with the corny set up. Downside is I find myself drinking a lot more. :-(
ReplyDelete1-3,5 fit me pretty well in such circumstances, though I'm just now beginning that transition (having reached the end of my contract 2½ weeks ago).
ReplyDeleteI did manage to make it to Green Dragon for a $10 6oz pour of De Struise's Black Albert… wouldn't have even been worth it for a pint; it had an interesting flavor - spiced bakers chocolate definitely fits, but very few of the other descriptors in the flyers they had at the bar were present - but no body… it was very thin for an imperial stout, and it didn't improve in any regard as it warmed. Chalk this one up as yet another disappointing Belgian stout.
I won't be spending anywhere near that amount any time soon, and I'll be sure to get a sample next time (not that they would've given me one, but that's the end of my blind buying, regardless).
-anónimo
i've taken to boiling corn, letting it sit out all night, then drinking the juice.
ReplyDeleteThe price of a pint was sneaking up pretty damn high even for good economic times, in my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteIt's strange to watch food and drink service of all types going up in price lately. Seems like the opposite of what you'd want to do in this economic climate.
I still buy good beer, but less often. Brew my own.
If anything, I'm more likely to drink beer now than some expensive wine that I also love so much... Also, more likely to go to a brewpub if going out than someplace fancy. That being said, I'm more likely to buy the beer that's on sale than the one that isn't. But that's no different than from before.
ReplyDeleteInteresting question brought up by sterles:
ReplyDeleteAre brewpubs less expensive alternatives to higher priced bars and restaurants - or are they more expensive alternatives to drinking beer at home? I suspect both, but which is dominant in a recession?
Hmmm...my limited experience is that pubs are packed in Portland these days, so I would imagine that the former effect is at least as large as the latter.
Shoot, I'm going out to bars MORE often now. Viva la smoking ban!
ReplyDelete