Alcohol Industry

Alcohol prices seem to be increasing faster than other things.  That’s probably a good thing for price-sensitive people like me.  I’ve already reduced consumption multiple times for other reasons.  Price increases have helped me reduce even more.

I prefer wine over beer, but my acid reflux disagrees with my preference.  Accordingly, I don’t drink much wine in one evening, and I only drink wine at home as a precaution.  When I’m at home, I drink wine with dinner.  When I go out to dinner, I drink beer.  I used to drink beer at home, but prices went up too much.  I think it helped me reduce the size of my belly!  I’ve heard of a beer gut, not a wine gut.  Of course, I’ve made several lifestyle changes (partially because of this blog), so it’s hard to pinpoint which ones have had more positive effects.

The craft beer industry seems to have exploded, and I don’t really understand why.  I’ve always had draft beer when available because it’s cheaper than bottled.  That isn’t always the case anymore!  If a place only serves craft beers on draft, it’s cheaper to buy a bottle of regular beer.  I recently noticed something ridiculous.  A craft draft is more expensive than an imported draft!  How is that possible?  Something is wrong when a beer made down the street is more expensive than one made in another country.  I’m not just talking about countries that have a lower cost of living.  I’m talking about countries where the cost of living is higher, and their currency is worth more than ours.

I’ve also started to notice how much markup there is on alcohol when going to a restaurant or bar.  I’ve always known wine is expensive which is the main reason I haven’t ordered it in restaurants.  I can buy two bottles of wine at the grocery store for the price of one glass of wine in a restaurant.  I recently started to notice how expensive most restaurant beer is.  I’m starting to wonder if I should only drink alcohol at home.  Of course, I don’t go out very much, and I’m not paying when I do, but still.  My body will thank me for drinking even less.

Do you drink?  If so, what do you prefer to drink?  Is there a cheaper alternative that is just as good?

Linda 🙂