beer Archives - SC Beverage

New Markups

Pricing beer for your bar is a lot different than pricing out beer for retail customers. Currently, average markups on beer are between 200% and 300%. Interestingly enough, restaurants are seeing a similar markup with wines, but profits are measured differently for wine than for beer.

The cheaper the beer, the easier it will be to mark up. Macro brew bottles and cans can be marked up by almost 500% in some bars. Some bars are still choosing not to mark them up as high since wholesale prices are still expensive. It’s important to make sure that your markups earn you a profit and don’t lose your earnings during happy hour prices.

How to Price Your Draft Beer

Kegs are currently being priced 40% – 45% less per ounce than they used to be. Draft beer pricing for kegs should be different than for specialty beers. The best advice is to try and hit a liquor cost of 20% – 30%. Setting drink prices can be tricky depending on your equipment and system needs. Not to mention, with beer comes CO2 and nitrogen costs, which come with their own rates of inflation.

Running a bar business will give you a lot of margins for error. Spillage, messes, unexpected cleanups, and over-pouring could make your previous calculations moot. Other factors like keg and glassware size can determine how you’ll price your kegs.

Bottled Vs. Craft Beer

Pricing craft beer is always going to be more difficult because there are so many great varieties of beer to choose from. Because there are a lot of similarities and differences between craft beers, there are a couple of pricing guidelines that you should follow:

Always understand your liquor costs and calculate what it would take to achieve them based on your craft beer pricing.

Add more variety to your pricing. It’s okay to sell mainstream beers at a different price than your specialty local crafts.

But keep your canned, bottled, and draft beers at the same price.

A good way to achieve these goals is to calculate your menu prices for draft beer and then follow suit with your bottled and canned selections to meet your profit goals.

Think About the Products You Offer

Do you offer wine by the glass? Do you offer beer flights for interested parties? There may be different strategies involved depending on the different types of products that you are selling at your bar. Margins are constantly changing, but adjusting your pricing to reflect these goals can help you remain afloat.

Learn More with SC Beverage

Whether you are starting a new bar or investing in new systems, you can benefit from the wide range of top-notch Los Angeles beer dispensing equipment that we have to offer. By keeping up with the latest pricing trends, you will be able to stay on track to meet your profit goals without having to constantly juggle new price points. Call us today and consult with our specialists to figure out the perfect beer pricing points for your own bar venue.

There are many things in life that are deemed an “acquired taste”: coffee, oysters, anchovies, and most importantly, beer. Most Americans classify beer into two groups — light colored bubbly stuff and dark colored bubbly stuff — but there is so much more to beer. If you haven’t found a beer that you enjoy yet, don’t worry, we have you covered and will guide you to a beer that will give you the proper introduction. For any questions you have about a beer dispenser system, be sure to contact the experts at SC Beverage today.

What Is Beer?

Before we get started on a style of beer that you may like, lets dive into a quick history lesson of where beer originated and what it’s become today. Beer is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks, dating back to the times of ancient Egypt, and is considered the third most popular beverage. In America, the big breweries such as Budweiser, Miller, and Coors, dominated the market for most of the 20th century; however, in the 1970’s, America saw the emergence of smaller breweries called craft breweries. Since then, they have become huge components to the beer industry in the 21st century. With all these craft breweries coming into existence, there is an environment that has fostered experimentation, innovation, and variety. It is now easier than ever to find a beer that you will enjoy since there are so many different styles. For more information on a beer dispenser system, contact SC Beverage.

If You Are A Fan of Wine

Many people may believe that wine is the antithesis of beer: it is not carbonated, it’s aged, and it’s more highbrow. It may surprise all the wine drinkers that there is a beer style that would compliment their palate. Lambics are a style of beer that incorporates fruit, and has almost nonexistent malt or hop flavor. These beers are very similar to wine, and can be sweet or tart depending on what fruit is used. This is a good transitional beer for wine lovers. Once you get comfortable with lambics, you could venture a little further into the fruit beer realm, where the malt and hop elements of beer are incorporated a bit stronger. Many breweries are known to take lighter styles of beer, and add fruit to give a sweeter undertone that’s perfect for beer lovers. Finally, if you want to tread into the most unique style of beer that falls within the fruit subgenre, you can try sour beers. This style tastes nothing like traditional beer, and can be quite intense. Sours are similar to wine because the taste can change with age, but it is definitely tarter than most wine drinkers are used to.

If You Are a Fan of Coffee

A stout or porter may seem intimidating, but that big glass of dark liquid is actually pretty delicious. Stouts and porters use oats, coffee, chocolate, or a combination of these ingredients to get their signature taste. If you are a fan of the bitter taste of coffee, then these two styles may be your beer of choice. Many porters and stouts are usually on nitro, which means that nitrogen is used to create the carbonation rather than carbon dioxide. Essentially, this means that you are getting a less carbonated beverage with a smoother texture that mimics coffee. There are even variations called milk stouts that utilize lactose to make it sweeter. In one glass, you can be getting dessert and coffee.

If You Are A Fan of Herbs And Spices

Saisons, or more commonly referred to as farmhouse ales, have a very unique flavor that is more earthy and herbal in flavor than orthodox beer. Because each style of saison utilizes different herbs, spices, zests, and other rustic ingredients, each one is uniquely different. It may take a few tries to find the exact one you enjoy most, but the journey is half of the fun.

Ultimately, there is no wrong answer when it comes to beer; what you like is what you like, and you don’t need to conform to what anyone else says. There are many styles of beer on the market, so be adventurous and you might find your next favorite drink. SC Beverage can help you with any beer dispenser needs you may have once you find your perfect beer.

Tag: beer

Bar Beer Pricing Guide