Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

ian2121 t1_j2u0z9p wrote

My Dad was touring the Olympia beer facility way back in the day. Back then they had the original Olympia and a Premium Olympia that had gold foil over the cap. My dad asked what the difference between the original and the premium was. The tour guide says, “well the market demands a premium product.”

106

mrlolloran t1_j2u4i6o wrote

Could have been a misinformed tour guide, I embarrassed one during the Harpoon Brewery tour once but it’s not my fault they incorrectly stated a fact about beer while guiding a tour through a brewery. That’s not the time to make stuff up or stand your ground about your incorrect fact.

25

ian2121 t1_j2u5ed5 wrote

Well the guide didn’t say if it was or wasn’t any different. It was more a non answer than anything.

23

mrlolloran t1_j2u5vgn wrote

Depends, I could see that non-answer being intentional, and therefore not a non-answer if you can read between the lines but yeah it could be either

7

phadrus56 t1_j2t6u9p wrote

Because more expensive booze taste better probably.

87

bosspaysmetoredit247 t1_j2u0l7a wrote

Riveting and ground-breaking study uh?

33

TheArcticFox444 t1_j2v3d0x wrote

>Riveting and ground-breaking study uh?

A real shakeup....

12

dewayneestes t1_j2usnez wrote

I believe the standard of “people who consume the product know why to pay more for a good one” is pretty universal.

23

DTFH_ t1_j2uzi6e wrote

See I would assume the opposite as a starting place, I would presume the cheaper option tastes worse. Between a cheap handle of vodka and an alternate that is a few more dollars, i would avoid the cheaper option but not because i have knowledge of the more expensive version.

8

kickme2 t1_j2we4f2 wrote

Binge Rationalist…

A.) Cheap Scotch = Bad Hangover. B.) Expensive Scotch = Hangover Light.

5

[deleted] OP t1_j2tm9b9 wrote

[removed]

−6

phadrus56 t1_j2topcv wrote

Spoken like a person who doesn't drink alcohol. I can tell the difference between Johnny Walker black Johnny Walker Blue and Johnnie Walker red, at least for the first three drinks

8

IngoTheGreat t1_j2tw2ky wrote

There is a lot more to tasting than simply being able to tell different things apart. Your average joe on the street who's had some wine in his life could probably distinguish one wine from another; that doesn't mean he's ready to be a wine taster.

1

phadrus56 t1_j2uqnx8 wrote

Alcoholics make the best bartenders. They know how good drinks test.

1

The_iron_mill t1_j2v814s wrote

I'm absolutely not trying to be pedantic here but it definitely tripped me up when I saw Johnny Walker twice, and then some other fellow named Johnnie Walker, on your list.

1

baddspellar t1_j2teupf wrote

There is substantial evidence that consumers associate higher prices with higher quality for similar products, resulting in firms being able to charge higher prices for new products. As consumers become more informed about the products, the power of this signaling declines. Bagwell and Riordan developed a model of this some years ago

https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/research/math/papers/808.pdf

From the abstract, it sounds as if the study participants were choosing from among beverages they did not have specific knowledge of, as the tests included some choices described as "decoys".

27

carbonxe t1_j2v3ru4 wrote

It’s kind of crazy when I think about it but I have no problem spending $20 on a 4 pack of craft beer but absolutely refuse to pay $15 for a 36 pack of Pepsi.

24

RedheadsAreNinjas t1_j2vuwpi wrote

Unrelated, sort of, but I have recently quit drinking (definitely problematic/lack of moderation) and I’m so excited to see that extra money still in my bank account every week. That and weight gain are my two biggest reasons it just needs to go.

15

Captain_Clark t1_j2v70uk wrote

I’m not sure what a “choice conflict” is. There are about 15 brands of beer at my local convenience store. I buy a fairly cheap brand which I’m accustomed to. If they lack that, I step up in quality instead of down because I’d already eliminated the cheaper brands. So is that the “choice conflict”?

6

tr14l t1_j2y3c7h wrote

I too would spend more money to drink craft beer rather than hate myself.

3

XueShiLong t1_j2ta1u3 wrote

until they're brokeassed alcoholics, in which case the cheapest stuff is fine, thanks.

16

HooverMaster t1_j2u4q2l wrote

Jokes on them. Imo sapporo is the best beer there is and it's so unbelievably cheap

5

Obiwan_ca_blowme t1_j2u70w2 wrote

I like PBR. And in the summer I drink Bud Ice. Don't really care what other folks think about that cheap beer, I like it.

0

Samwarez t1_j2tozbe wrote

I don't know enough about booze to know what's worth the extra cost, but I know generally the more expensive stuff tends to be better (for example: I prefer Johnnie Walker Black label over Red label), and one of my rules of drinking is that if you can't afford to drink the good stuff you can't afford to drink.

What I consider the good stuff my be questionable, but the gist of it is that if I am factoring in the cost of alcohol in my buying decision I should not be spending money on alcohol.

4

Foxhoundsmi t1_j2ugehg wrote

I think the “good stuff” is all about taste. Because say with Jameson I prefer the 18 year over the 21 year. I like the vanilla notes better. So even though one is more than another, the taste is what wins. As well with Suntory’s whisky i find that the $30 bottle (Toki) is about the same as the $70 bottle (Hibiki). Though with Suntory the aged bottles are much better but in recent years have gotten too expensive for me to buy. I’ve seen around $800-1000 for a bottle of 18 year.

−5

BabyWetRat t1_j2vjntk wrote

Taste is subjective. But there can also be bias. If you let people know what they are drinking (ie how expensive it is) they will often say the more expensive one is better. However in a blind taste test the opposite is sometimes true.

2

dejus t1_j2u0v8o wrote

This is literally the premise behind grey goose vodka. The way vodka is regulated, there’s not a huge difference in quality between different vodkas. They’re all the same stuff, it just might have a little more tail in there and you’ll get more of a hangover. But not enough to justify a $20 bottle vs a $50 bottle. Or more.

4

skoomd1 t1_j2uphcx wrote

Most of the blind taste tests ive seen with vodka, Grey Goose is consistently once of the lowest scoring vodkas out there. So overpriced for what it is.

3

dejus t1_j2upvzw wrote

I’m not sure if you’re familiar, but I think it was the podcast Radiolab did an episode on vodka. They talk about how strictly regulated what you can call vodka is. The guy who created grey goose literally made vodka and marketed it as using special water from some spring. He tripled the price and people paid for it.

5

flannelheart t1_j2xtelj wrote

This right here. I've done a bit of distilling and the only difference in taste is if you leave more tails in there. If I'm drinking a vodka/soda, I'll use middle shelf but, White Trash Russians (vodka/Yoo Hoo)? Gimme that ground floor 'cause I'll never taste it.

2

coppertech t1_j2u51td wrote

for some, its not about the travel, but just the destination itself.

2

AutoModerator t1_j2t6gtd wrote

Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our normal comment rules apply to all other comments.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

1

Bawbawian t1_j2tev7g wrote

pretty sure I'm immune to this I like what I like.

I like instant coffee and blended Scotch.

1

phadrus56 t1_j2v0zkl wrote

I'm with you on the blended but not the instant

3

Obiwan_ca_blowme t1_j2u79qa wrote

Jokes on you! I drink for effect. So anything will do.

1

supagirl277 t1_j2vpf9d wrote

Cause nobody knows whether it’s worth it or not

1

BuffaloOk7264 t1_j2w8oc9 wrote

I had been buying Hornitos tequila for $25 but recently found a plain bottle of Sauza tequila that sells for $15. I just pour the cheap tequila into the fancy bottle. Problem solved. Everyone thinks I’m drinking the “good” stuff!

1

RydmaUwU t1_j2w8uzn wrote

Notice this says individuals who consume alcohol. Not alcoholics. Because I personally go for the cheapest whiskey I can find. Knowing I'm gonna be right back later to buy more very shortly.

1

well_its_a_secret t1_j2wlv7v wrote

Advertising and sales of alcohol are crazy correlated.

1

Interesting_Mouse t1_j2y4uy5 wrote

Something that no bartender or sommelier has ever noticed before.

1

BootheFirst t1_j3dh4mu wrote

Here’s all the data we collected on you thrown back in your face. = we know now how to make you pay more for stuff.

1

chasinjason13 t1_j2u2rlj wrote

Brenda! Get Sales on the line! They're not gonna believe what I just heard down in the restaurant division of NoShitInc.!!

0

galwegian t1_j2ud1k4 wrote

Spirits are like fragrances. Nobody really knows what’s on the bottle. They just pretend to. So we equate price with ‘quality’. It’s all a scam in other words.

−3