15 Simple Tips to Enjoy Craft Beer on a Budget

1 Join a Mug Club

Becoming a member of a mug club offers great rewards.  While the specifics of each mug club are different from bar to bar, the general perks are the same.  Usually the main perk is that for a yearly fee (usually $30-$60, maybe slightly more) you get a personal mug that stays at the bar (very cool in and of itself).  The mug is usually slightly larger than the bar's standard beer glass.  As a mug club member, you then get to buy drafts at the same price as non mug club members, but you get the beer served in your larger mug (hence more brew for your buck).  There are a few variations on this, including, not having a personalized mug and simply receiving discounted drafts in the standard bar glassware.

Most mug clubs offer various other perks, like giveaways, merchandise discounts and even invites to mug club member only events!

Presently I am aware of mug clubs at City Steam Brewery, Coalhouse Pizza, Mikro Beer Bar, and some SBC locations.

***General Rule:  Join a mug club near you.  Mug Clubs are usually priced so that it becomes a good deal as long as you go at least a couple times a month.  If you join a mug club at a bar that you will only get to a few times a year, it likely won't make sense financially***

2 Beer Bar Samples

This one is pretty simple and straightforward.  If you see a beer that you haven't tried (or even one you have tried...shhhhh don't tell anyone haha) on tap at a bar, ask for a sample before you make a decision to purchase a full pint.  Most times, you will find that this works.  This has the effect of allowing you to enjoy some extra suds for free and perhaps more importantly allows you the chance to sample a beer before you go and spend 5-10 bucks on 16-22 ounces of some beer you might not like.

***Extra tip:  This has a higher rate of success when asking a bartender of the opposite sex.  I'm sure I don't need to explain why***

3 Be Flexible

Pretty general but can save you some dough nonetheless.  Have flexibility.  When you go to a beer bar or a package store, be open to different things.  Try that 6-pack you haven't heard of for 10 bucks instead of that glamorous $18 4-pack or the $15 big bottle.  Always, always, always ask if there are any beer deals when you arrive at a beer bar.  Usually, since they are focused on craft beer, their deals are focused on craft beer and not some awful light beer deal  Again, the savings can be bigger than just what you save on that one trip to the store or bar.  You might just find that a cheaper beer hits just the right spot for you and could lead to tons of money saved over the long run.

4. Hold a tasting at you home amongst friends

Another way to sample a wide variety of awesome craft beer at minimal cost is to hold your own tasting event.  Invite over like-minded craft beer aficionados and setup some guidelines.  For examples, have everyone bring a six pack or a big bottle.  This way you can sample small quantities of many different beers, amongst friends and from the comfort of your own home (no $ spent on gas or sometimes shoddy bar food).  When your friends clear out for the night, you might just find that they left their beer behind too!

5. Attend a Tap Takeover

Attending a Tap Takeover is a great way to save some moolah and also taste a large portion of what a particular brewery has to offer.  They are held monthly at almost all beer beers (check other posts on my blog, there are two this week alone!!!).  Often the beers being featured will be sold at a special set price across the board.  Another perk of attending these events is that usually there are brewery representatives on hand, doling out smaller/free samples as well as brewery schwag (keychains, glasses, hats, etc.)


6  Drink at home as opposed to at bars

Any way you slice it or dice it is cheaper (and safer) to drink at home. First of all, beer bought at package stores is almost always cheaper than beer bought at bars. Also, you don't have to pay for gas and in most circumstances food at home (your groceries) are cheaper than bar food.



7  Buy in larger quantities

Buy cases or even kegs as opposed to 4pks and 6pks (More Beer!!! what could be bad about that?) Beer like most other products is cheaper when bought in bulk. Check out the prices sometime. A 12-pack is almost always a better deal (beer by beer or ounce by ounce) than a 6-pack and a case (24-pack) a better deal than a 12-pack and on and on


8  Go to free/cheap tastings at breweries

Most breweries throughout Connecticut and elsewhere for that matter offer tastings and tours to one degree or another. The tastings are sometimes free or if they do cost anything it is usually $5 - $10 (sometimes for unlimited samples!!!) This is a great way to taste some excellent and well crafted brews. Also, because you are doing this at the brewery that makes the beer, you have an amazing opportunity to pick the brains behind the brews! Also, another great place to meet craftbeer fans like yourself.

9 Go to beer festivals (WooooHoooo)

First of all, regardless of the fact that it's a good move financially, if you love craft beer or even enjoy craft beer to any degree, attending a beer festival is a must. It is the single best way to sample the widest variety of beers and also to meet other like minded craft beer aficionados. Most craft beer festivals offer unlimited sampling (please always make sure to pace yourself, eat some food and secure a safe and reliable transportation source!!!). Also, unlike hoity-toity wine festivals, the admission prices to craft beer festivals are usually far from astronomical ($30-40 average ticket prices). You also usually get the opportunity to score some cool schwag and listen to some awesome music.

Check my list of upcoming beer festivals in Connecticut (HERE)


10 Go to tastings at package stores (usually free)

Next time you are at a package store, take a look around at some of the signs or better yet ask one of the workers if they offer tastings, you will be surprised as many do (especially the larger chain ones). They usually do this on a set schedule (weekly or monthly) and feature different beers each time.


11  Buy Growlers

Many local breweries offer to fill new or used growlers in addition to offering their tours and samples. The prices for these growler fills are often a great deal, especially in comparison to prices at beer bars. Thomas Hooker Brewery offers growler refills for as low as $8 on all their beers (except for Porter and Doppelbock). Some simple math (I will try to do this but I'm a couple of IPAs deep as I write this) shows us that a 64 ounce growler would yield four pints of Thomas Hooker Beer. Find me another place where you can get $2 pints of awesome craft beer and I'll be amazed (and happy)


12  Craftbeer Happy Hours

A Craftbeer Happy Hour is pretty much like a regular Happy Hour only way way more awesome. Instead of getting a half priced bud light (ooh yummm!), you can get a few bucks off of craft beer selections, up to half off at some places! Most beer bars in CT offer them, just check out their websites or give them a ring to find out when and what the deal is.


13  Buy Flights

Buying flights is a great way to sample various craft brewskis. If you are on a budget or just like to be wise with your moolah, why buy 16 or 20 ounces of a beer you have never had, when you can have a small taste for free. Get a flight of beers (which usually works out to be a bit of a deal, ounce per ounce when you compare the price with full beers on the menu), see which one(s) you like the best and then go with full glasses of those.


14  Tasting nights at beer bars

Most beer bars are really creative with their promotions and if you have a little flexibility in when you are willing to consume some craft beer goodness you can usually find some nice tastings offered for free or a reduced fee. Prime 16 in New Haven has a free tasting every Wednesday night, featuring a specific brewery and a few of their offerings. Other Connecticut Craft Beer hotspots like the Plab B locations, Gingerman locations and others offer them as well.

15  Get a CT Beer Trail Trailblazers membership

A CT Beer Trail Trail Blazer's membership will set you back a minuscule 10 bucks and get you more than a dozen awesome craft beer discounts throughout the state (more beer bars, breweries and brew pubs are offering discounts every month and there are even discounts on beer festival tickets!!!). For all the details on discounts and deals offered head (HERE)


***And lastly, don't forget to check back at this blog often for sweet deals and events. AND if you have any more great tips on drinking great craft beer on a budget please leave a comment and I will add it to the list***