Late last year, the management team at Three Roads Brewing, which operates taprooms in Farmville and Lynchburg, Va., considered the McDonald’s McValue Menu. It delivered dependable daily deals, such as crispy chicken sandwiches and double cheeseburgers for around $3 each. Why not create a similar value-driven beer menu for Three Roads?
During December’s holiday season, Three Roads introduced the “Mile Marker 5” value menu offering pints of four different beers, including a kölsch and light lager, for $5 every day. “It was almost like a Christmas present,” says Jullian Corbett, the taproom manager in Farmville, about 70 miles southwest of Richmond. “We know times are tough, and we wanted people to be able to go out and buy gifts and still be able to relax with a cold beer.”
The Mile Marker 5 menu has become a taproom staple, drawing customers who are now sticking around for several hours to sip three or four beers, instead of just one or two that might cost $6 to $7. “We’re seeing the benefits of having an everyday value for people,” Corbett says. “You can still enjoy a night out in this economy.”
A dark cloak of financial unease covers all nooks and crannies of our economy and society. Costs are high for health care, steaks, and rent, compounded by widespread job layoffs and Arctic-like hiring freezes. And for some cash-strapped beer drinkers, a pint’s cold comfort can be too pricey.
To meet consumers’ crunched budgets, breweries are taking economic cues from fast-food and fast-casual restaurants and creating beer-driven value menus and meal deals. The goal is to deliver quality without cutting corners, enticing customers off their couches on traditionally quiet nights.
At Selvedge Brewing in Charlottesville, Va., the Wednesday special is a smash burger, fries, and pint of beer for $15. “We always say that you can’t get that deal at McDonald’s,” says Casey Robinson, the taproom manager.
Delivering Quality at a Low Cost
Historically, craft beer has rarely been a bar’s cheapest pour. Paying several bucks extra for a citrusy IPA or fruited sour ale bought bigger, bolder flavors than inexpensive mass-market lagers.
The price-to-pint ratio boomed during the 2010s when drinkers stacked up credit card receipts for hazy IPAs and barrel-aged stouts, but that liquid gold rush has largely ended. Attracting customers to taprooms now requires different tactics than remixing Citra and Mosaic hops.
In part, that means borrowing from the big-brewer playbook and brewing affordable lagers, albeit ones that are better tasting. Last spring, Von Ebert Brewing in Portland, Ore., introduced 20-ounce pours of Clubhaus Lager, its American light lager, for $3 at its flagship location. That’s a screaming bargain when you consider the beer’s accolades: Clubhaus grabbed gold at last year’s World Beer Cup awards.
“I want people to say, ‘Oh, my God, that’s only $3 and this brewery really put a lot of effort into making this an awesome American light lager,’” says Sam Pecoraro, the brewmaster. Von Ebert keeps costs low by building a simple recipe with quality malt, a light hand with hops, and long lagering time. “For the money you spend, you’re getting an intentional and purposeful beer,” Pecoraro says.
Bargain-hunting beer drinkers have so embraced the deal that Von Ebert expanded it to its two other Portland-area locations. “People actively seek it out and come into our brewery just for it,” Pecoraro says.
Once inside a taproom, deal-seekers are often enticed to try beers that aren’t on the value menu. It’s the scrimp-splurge mentality. “Because they’ve saved a couple of dollars, they’re like, ‘Oh, let me try something else,’” Corbett says.
To appeal to cost-conscious parents, some brewpubs are delivering deals to the under-10 crowd. Grand Army South, located inside Threes Brewing in Brooklyn, offers a $12 kid’s meal that pairs burgers or grilled cheese with fries, banana pudding, and temporary tattoos. In a neighborhood filled with a climbing gym, gymnastics center, and School of Rock, “kids funnel into Threes in the early afternoons on weekends,” says Julian Brizzi, the managing partner.
“We’re seeing the benefits of having an everyday value for people. You can still enjoy a night out in this economy.”
Last year, the Brew Kettle, which operates five locations across northern Ohio, began giving kids free meals on Tuesday nights, provided that adults purchase an entrée. Pair that with buck-off happy hour beers and discounted appetizers, and families can “not break the bank and feed everyone,” says Mark Peddle, the chief operating officer, adding that the brewery is considering pulling different levers on discounts for its own beer. “No competitor is able to do that.”
Attracting families through the door with deals can spur additional business, as the Brew Kettle is beginning to host more kid’s birthday parties. “Because we have this promotion, more families are giving us an opportunity,” Peddle says.
Hot Dogs Are the Ultimate Value Food
The humble hot dog is one of America’s favorite affordable proteins, bought for $1.50 at Costco food courts, or bundled with a tropical drink as a “recession special” at New York City’s legendary Gray’s Papaya.
How about a hot dog to go with that cold beer? In November, Hi-Wire Brewing in Asheville, N.C., introduced an $8 Monday night recession special that pairs a hot dog with a bag of chips and a pint of beer. “We’re trying to drive business on weekdays,” says Brian Laggis, the chief commercial officer. “Hopefully it helps people generate habits where they see us as a great casual after-work spot.”
Tasty Beverage Co., a beer and wine store and tasting room in Raleigh, N.C., installed a hot dog roller in 2023. Also on Mondays, the shop sells $2 hot dogs and eliminates corkage fees on packaged beer and wine. “Realistically, you could get a hot dog and a beer for less than $5,” says Johnny Belflower, the owner. “You can’t buy a sandwich and a drink for less than $5 at most fast-food places.”
“I want people to say, ‘Oh, my God, that’s only $3 and this brewery really put a lot of effort into making this an awesome American light lager. For the money you spend, you’re getting an intentional and purposeful beer.”
A $5 bill buys customers two corndogs on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Austin Street Brewery in Portland, Maine, in addition to $2 off draft pours and an adult Happy Meal. It combines a corndog, 12-ounce lager, and shot of bartender-beloved Fernet for $12. The deal, introduced in January, is as much for tourists as hospitality workers. “It’s important to cater to those people in the industry, too,” says Britt McCaughin, the general manager.
Every day, Austin Street also offers a rotating beer, such as the Rally session IPA or house light lager, that costs $5 per 20-ounce pour. “People are catching on that price isn’t making it inaccessible to come here,” McCaughin says. “I don’t want price to drive people away.”
Breweries must walk a careful line when it comes to pricing. Discount a beer too much, and a brewery runs the risk of devaluing brand equity. Craft beer is viewed as a premium product, and “we still need to maintain the image of craft beer,” says Laggis of Hi-Wire.
During January, Hi-Wire sold $3 pints of Leisure Time and Leisure Time Light lagers across its taprooms, in part to incentivize drinkers to come in during the year’s slowest sales month. Going forward, Hi-Wire is considering selling the lagers for $4 a pint. That’s not quite a cut rate, but it’s a nice price to draw folks to taprooms.
“Many people are having a tough time, but they still need to go out and see their friends in a public space,” Laggis says. “That’s what we’re trying to offer.”
