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Since I live in Iceland where all alcohol (except for in bars and other such places) is sold in state-stores and the alcohol tax is insane (up to 90% of the price of vodka is just tax) perhaps it's a bit hard to compare Icelandic and American prices. But I could try I guess.
At my local bar, a pint of beer (generic macro-lager) costs roughly 7 bucks (900kr). A shot (I think it's 25-30ml, don't know the exact size) of Jack Daniels 12$ (though I think you get somewhat better value for money if you order a double. Can't 100% confirm that though I am pretty sure). A shot of vodka costs about 9.20$. Since I don't ever buy expensive whiskey at the bar I don't remember exactly what the more expensive types cost but they cost a lot.
The price of the beer I am willing to live with. I find it harder to accept the pricing of the shots and the hard alcohol (though to be fair, it's not really the bar's fault because of the insane alcohol tax), but I can live with it if I just buy a few and not too much. In a perfect world (won't happen, but it would be nice if it did) I would find the fallowing prices to be good value for money:
Beer: 4.62$
Shot of hard alcohol (let's assume it's 25ml) like vodka, rum, gin, Jack daniels etc: 5$
Shot of mid-shelf stuff (let's assume it's JW black): 7.50$
Shot of top-shelf stuff (let's assume it's Talisker): 11$
Is this realistic? Probably not, but this is as much as I would be willing to pay at a bar for alcohol before it basically starts to be bad value for money.
That isn't realistic for most of the small towns in America much less a high cost of living area like Iceland and a US metro area! Add to that that you live where most of those brands need to be imported.
The only one you got near right is the beer...and even that can vary widely.
When you go to a bar you are not just buy alchol. ..there is the overhead of the building, utilities, staffing, taxes, glassware, mixers....you name it.
In exchange you get a social setting of your liking, comradery, a wider options of what you can order than most homes stock,....if you don't think it's fair...than stay home.
Bars are not run as charity....they are to make money for the owner.
Have you priced a good martini at a decent bar? All drinks are over priced, including wine. So your choices are: 1, do not go to bars to drink, stay at home; it is safer anyway or 2-pay the price.
Or 3: Don't drink at all. That solves even more problems in the long run.
Nope, I think cocktails are overpriced for the most part, but not whiskey. With the overhead of a bar, it's just something you expect. Now, I think in general there are a lot of whiskeys that are overpriced (like Pappy and Whistlepig) but that's another story....
I don't mind spending a little more on good Bourbons. It's cheaper than buying a bottle. It also leads me to great Bourbons to stock my liquor cabinet. I just bought a few bottles of E H Taylor Small Batch because of a taste at a Bourbon Bar
But, to answer OP's question, mark-ups on Bourbon (all alcohol) have always been high. It is always cheaper to buy a bottle
Or 3: Don't drink at all. That solves even more problems in the long run.
yes, that does solve the problem, but that isn't really what this is all about. It is about the cost of alcohol.
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