RateBeer Best 2009 -- AWARD RESULTS

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An Affordable Luxury:
The world's best beer

In today's economy, consumers are considering many ways to trim their budgets. Buying a more fuel efficient car, eating out less, reducing clothing purchases, changing vacation plans are some ideas many families are considering to hang on to more of their hard earned cash. Many non-essentials are simply being cut from budget.

But what about beer?

For a few people, beer might be something to do without until we see better times. The doctor-recommended daily beer can easily add $40/month or more to a household budget. For these folks the money in their pocket and drinking tap water could be a helpful change. But let's face it: many if not most people truly believe the small cost of craft beer is an acceptable one. Our small pleasure at the table is important to our well being and the taste and enjoyment of great beer is a good thing. The satisfaction that we're eating and drinking well adds a little sunshine at a time when gloom is seemingly around every corner.

And what would one do instead? The alternative of “downsizing” to soft drinks or bottled water might only save a single Jackson a month. The craft beer indulgence seems not only reasonable and effective but sensible.

Beer makes even more sense now to wine and spirits drinkers. Great beer is simply less expensive than these options, and a switch can help the budgets of those ready to try something new. For instance, just three bottles of moderately priced ($12) wines per week, who switch to the highest rated artisan beers can reduce their beverage cost significantly -- over $100 a month. And most often, consumers will be able to improve the quality of their beverage experience and still save money.

And there's also RateBeer! With the cost of a pint ever increasing, the savings of buying in bottles and drinking at home with your local and non local friends online can be very substantial. A $4 pint with a $1 tip five times a week versus a top shelf six pack is $100/month versus $40/month, a $60 difference. That's a big win. And besides saving money and improving beverage quality, spouses will be thankful that RateBeer can be enjoyed from the home, without a block of driving.

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