Q&A with Jim Koch, prices included

Don Russell has an excellent little interview with Boston Beer founder Jim Koch today.

As well as everything you could want to know about Samuel Adams Light he addresses the matter of rising beer prices. As always, Koch offers some great sound bites:

– “But you can’t reduce costs by taking ingredients out. People will forgive us for raising the prices 5 percent. They won’t forgive us for taking 5 percent of the malt or hops out of the beer.”

– “For 6 cents on a bottle, are you going to switch to Natty Bo?”

Also some legitimate perspective:

“In 1950, when people were drinking cheap beer, bad wine and nasty spirits, the average American spent 3.5 percent of their disposable income on alcoholic beverages. Fast-forward to today, when we’re drinking craft and imported beers, fine wines and good liquors, the average American is spending 1.5 percent of their disposable income on alcoholic beverages, and per capita consumption is relatively level.”

Read the whole interview.

1 thought on “Q&A with Jim Koch, prices included”

  1. The second quote is one I think about regularly. With rising gas prices, the belt has gotten much tighter at home, so I looked at my beer consumption and though maybe I should do a little sacrificing. After crunching the number, I realized I really don’t spend all that much money on beer. Granted, I do most of my drinking at home and tend to grab singles as opposed to full six-packs, but the rising cost of beer isn’t putting me in the poor house, that’s for sure.

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