There are innumerable ways to interpret the question that I posed for this month’s Session regarding where one finds value in beer, but one of the simplest ways is to pick on some specific beers, and do the math. However, the subjective nature of what any given beer is ‘worth’ to any given person, muddies the water significantly.
Let’s start with some math surrounding Tavour. Why Tavour? Because I think that they are offering consumers some of the most ridiculously poor value in retail beer in 2025.
Many of the beers that they offer are from relatively new breweries, some with no track record to speak of, and even the most run-of-the-mill beers are routinely priced at $6.99 per 16 oz ($0.437 per oz). It should be noted that’s before you pay for shipping! For example, today (4/24/25) they are offering me a chance to buy Barebottle’s, 5.3%, canned Hefeweizen for precisely that price. Barebottle* has been open since 2016.
Compare that to Schneider Weisse Hefeweizen, at 5.4%, in a bottle, that I can get locally for $4.49 for 16.9 oz ($0.266 per oz). This is a beer from a GERMAN brewery that’s been around since 1872, that doesn’t incur a shipping charge, and I’m left wondering why anyone who knows anything about beer would choose the former over the latter, when the latter is a higher ABV, from the country of origin of the style, from a brewery with approx. 150 years more experience, that costs around only 64% of the $, and doesn’t incur a shipping charge?! I.just.don’t.get.it.
*I should add that this isn’t a pop at Barebottle per se, I guess that their Hefeweizen is just fine, but this comparison makes the likelihood of me ever buying it close to zero.
Now let’s move on to a couple of my own candidates for great value. One I think is objectively great value no matter your taste, one is a little more subjective.
Firstly on the dirt cheap, objective end of things.
A 9%, Belgian Strong Dark, brewed by a highly reputable brewer with a tremendous track record of producing high quality, Belgian style beers, in corked & caged 750s for $5.99? Yep, that’s Unibroue’s Trader Joe’s Vintage Ale, and it’s a no brainer. Every year I get at least one case, sometimes two, and ($0.236 per oz) I’ve previously described this beer as the “best value in North America”.
Secondly my subjective choice, a much more expensive beer, but one that is world class IMO, and as such I believe it to be worth every penny.
Chimay Green normally costs me around $33 for 4, 11.2 oz bottles (0.737 per oz). Obviously this beer is significantly more expensive than many, but the quality for me is beyond reproach, and every penny is worth it. See, I told you this was subjective!
I fully appreciate the subjective nature of ‘value’, but at the same time I still feel there undeniably poor value beers and equally undeniably great value beers. We just might not agree on which they are.
