>>>
>>> IT
>>> IT CAN BE A TEST AT A PARTY, A CASUAL DRINK, IT COMES
AT A PRICE.
THE AVERAGE BEER DRINKER SPENDS
$1200 A YEAR ON BREW.
THAT IS ACCORDING TO A STUDY BY
SURVEY ANALYTICS.
SURVEY ANALYTICS. >> ANYBODY WHO SITS ON IT
REGULARLY KNOWS THAT THE SWEET
NECTAR IS MORE EXPENSIVE THAN
EVER BEFORE.
EVER BEFORE. IS IT WORTH SPENDING TOP DOLLAR
OR ARE THE CHEAPER BRANDS JUST
AS GOOD?
AS GOOD?
AS GOOD? >> WE ARE PUTTING IT TO THE TEST
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT.
TONIGHT. >> Reporter: SOME OF THE PRICE
INCREASE IS INFLATION BUT MOST
OF THE INCREASE IS A RISE IN
CRAFT BEER.
CRAFT BEER. LOCAL BREWS WITH LOCAL
INGREDIENTS WITH LOCAL FLAVOR
AND A HIGHER PRICE.
WHEN IT COMES TO BEER SHOULD
YOU SAVE OR SPLURGE?
IT IS ONE OF THE MOST
REFRESHING SOUNDS THERE IS.
LATELY YOUR BEER MIGHT BE
BREAKING THE BANK.
>> THE FRESHEST HOPS ON THE
MARKET AND YOU PAY A PREMIUM
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT.
FOR THAT. >> Reporter: THIS MAN IS PART
OF A GROWING MOVEMENT OF CRAFT
BREWERS.
BREWERS.
BREWERS. >> THAT IS SAYING ONCE YOU
START DRINKING CRAFT BEER AND
YOU UNDERSTAND THE FLAVOR,
RARELY WILL YOU GO BACK.
>> Reporter: THIS IS WHAT YOUR
LIQUOR STORE IS SELLING BEER
FOR PRICES YOU MIGHT EXPECT TO
SEE IN THE CHAMPAGNE OUT.
>> WE HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON
THE MOST EXPENSIVE HOPS, THE
NEWEST CROP.
NEWEST CROP. >> Reporter: IS IT WORTH PAYING
THE EXTRA MONEY AND CAN YOU
EVEN TASTE THE DIFFERENCE IN
PRICE?
PRICE?
PRICE? WE
PRICE? WE ARE HERE AT THE WONDERING
TORTOISE IN PHOENIX TO FIND
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. [
OUT. [ MUSIC ] THERE IS A LITTLE
SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE HERE.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR BEER
DRINKING LEVEL OF EXPERTISE?
>> LITTLE TO NONE.
>> MAYBE SLIGHTLY ABOVE
AVERAGE.
AVERAGE.
AVERAGE. >> I DRINK TOO MUCH.
>> THESE THREE ARE AGREEING TO
A BLIND TASTE TEST.
THEY ARE SIPPING LIGHT BEER,
IPA, AND STOUT.
THEY WILL DECIDE WHICH IS A
CHEAPER BRAND AT THREE DOLLARS
A PINT.
A PINT.
A PINT. WHICH IS A MEDIUM PRICE CRAFT
GOING FOR FIVE DOLLARS EACH AND
WHICH IS THE MOST EXPENSIVE,
WORTH AT LEAST SEVEN DOLLARS A
GLASS.
GLASS.
GLASS. >>
GLASS. >> Reporter: WE WILL START WITH
THE LIGHT BEER FIRST.
>> THAT HAS A GOOD FAVOR.
>> THAT ONE IS GOOD.
>> Reporter: LET'S MOVE ON TO
THE IPAS NOW.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. >> NOT NEAR AS MUCH HAPPENING
WITH THIS ONE.
>> Reporter: THE CHEAPEST BEER
WAS OBVIOUS.
WAS OBVIOUS. WHEN IT COMES TO DECIDING
BETWEEN THE MILL PRICED BREW
AND THE MOST EXPENSIVE,
>> HAVE DECISIONS HERE.
>> Reporter: HAVE AS MANY SIPS
AS YOU NEED.
>> I DO NOT KNOW.
>> Reporter: WHY WAS THIS ONE
MORE DIFFICULT?
MORE DIFFICULT? >> THERE IS MORE FLAVOR TO IT.
DO YOU WANT TO TYPE?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> THAT IS A GOOD BEER.
>> Reporter: IT IS FULL.
>> YES, TRY THIS ONE.
>> Reporter: IT IS HARD TO
TELL.
TELL.
TELL. >>
TELL. >> I THINK THERE WAS ONLY A
DOLLAR DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
TOP TWO.
TOP TWO.
TOP TWO. IN THE LOWER LEVEL ONES, THERE
WAS A DIFFERENCE OF TASTE.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN
YOU COMPARE THAT NEXT TO THE
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. >> Reporter: IT IS WORTH
SPENDING THE EXTRA MONEY ON A
LOCAL BEER.
LOCAL BEER. NOT NECESSARILY THE MOST
EXPENSIVE BEER ON THE MENU IS
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> I WOULD SHIFT BETWEEN THE
TWO MORE EXPENSIVE BEERS.
>> Reporter: THIS IS NO
SURPRISE TO THOSE WHO PUT THEIR
ALL INTO THE CRAFT.
>> I AM SO GLAD PEOPLE TOOK
CRAFT FOR THE FLAVOR AND
FRESHNESS.
FRESHNESS. THEY COULD TASTE THE DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN MACRO AND MICRO BREEZE.
>> Reporter: A LOT OF THAT HAS
TO DO WITH WHAT YOU WANT FROM
YOUR BEER.
YOUR BEER. THE ALCOHOL VOLUME IS HIGHER ON
A CRAFT BEER.
YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO DRINK AS
MANY OF THEM TO GET THE SAME
SORT OF US.
WE ARE TALKING LIKE 4.2% FOR
COORS LIGHT OR BUD LIGHT, YOU
COULD BE TALKING UPWARDS OF SIX
OR 7% FOR CRAFT BEER.
TO DO THE MATH, YOU ONLY NEED TO
DRINK ONE TO GET THE SAME AS
TWO OR THREE.
IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU WANT.
>> I AND A BUD LIGHT GUY.
>> THAT IS OKAY IF YOU ARE AT A
TAILGATE, YOU CAN DRINK AS MANY
OF THOSE AS YOU WANT AND NOT
FEEL GUILTY.
FEEL GUILTY. >> YOU TASTED SOME OF THE
BEERS, WHAT IS THE BIGGEST
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SOME OF THE
MORE EXPENSIVE ONES?
>> IT IS FLAVOR.
YES, BOLDER, HEAVIER, ONE OF
THE LIGHT ONES WE DRANK WAS
GUINNESS.
GUINNESS.
GUINNESS. IT WAS THE CHEAPER OF THE STOUT
VARIETY.
VARIETY.
VARIETY. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THIS WAS ONE
OF THE HEAVIEST BEERS I HAVE
EVER HAD.
EVER HAD.
EVER HAD. WHEN YOU TASTED UP AGAINST A
CRAFT STOUT, IT WAS NO
COMPARISON.
COMPARISON. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE