While $2 Tuesdays are sticking around at the Grape, it seems that students may soon be bypassing the Corona Light for Natty Ice at liquor stores. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, beer prices have gone up 3 percent since May, and there is no end in sight.
With the increased prices in barley, hops and malt – the three main ingredients in many beers – beer manufacturers have been paying higher costs to make beer, which then affects consumers.
The rising prices have been linked to harsh weather conditions in the places where these ingredients are grown, along with crop failures and the government pushing farmers to invest in growing corn to use for ethanol production, according to an article in USA Today.
Although beer prices are spiking, the rise has yet to alter consumers’ decisions to buy beer. Mark Abrahamson, owner of Mo’s Wine and Spirits in Fairfield, said that there has been no change in the amount of people who buy beer at his store.
“People are still going to buy beer,” said Abrahamson. “For college students you may have noticed a $1 increase in beer prices, but that’s all.”
Even with this $1 increase, many Fairfield students said they have not even recognized a change.
“I can’t say I have noticed any increase in the price, and unless there is a significant, noticeable increase, I will continue to purchase it,” said Mark Rienzi ’08.
Taylor Murphy ’08 agreed and said it will not affect her personal beer consumption.
“Beer is like gas to college kids. Regardless of the price going up, kids are not going to stop buying it,” she said.
However, malt and hops are not the only reasons behind the higher cost of beer. Resources used in producing beer, such as glass, aluminum, cardboard and labor have also become more costly for beer manufacturers, according to the USA Today article.
Abrahamson also mentioned that liquor imported from overseas has seen a steady increase in price over the past year. Liquor, wine and beer from Europe have become more expensive due to the weak buying power of the U.S. dollar.
Abrahamson said that people have started to notice a slight change but nothing too significant that could actively affect business.
Other Fairfield students said have no intention of changing drinking habits because of rising alcohol prices.
“Well, I already buy cheap beer because, as a college student, I can’t afford to buy expensive beer all the time,” said Caitlin Moroney ’08. “But no, I don’t think the prices will change my drinking habits, because if I want classy beer, I want classy beer and a $2 increase isn’t going to faze me,” she said.
Murphy agreed, saying that students in college are already buying the cheapest beer anyway.
“I would pay more for a 30-rack any day of the week than buying anything with hard alcohol,” she said.
Students said they hope that this change in price won’t affect how much they pay for a drink at the bar, which can sometimes be as much as $8 each.
Either way, it does not seem like the price change will hinder the party scene at Fairfield.
“Let’s face it, if you’re going to have a party of 100 of your closest friends, the best choice is a keg of cheap beer and jungle juice,” said Moroney.
Rienzi agreed, saying that locking the basements in the townhouses – hot spots for loud parties – probably impacted Fairfield’s drinking scene more than increasing beer prices have thus far.
While the increased prices in beer will continue into the New Year, it appears the beer will continue to flow like water here at Fairfield.
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