The days when you could get a 99p pint of John Smith's in a Wetherspoon might be long gone. In fact, spending a fiver on a pint these days - especially in London - isn't something too many people think twice about but even this seems a little pricey for a beer.
Branches of The Craft Beer Co., which can be found all across the UK, are selling pints of Speedway Stout for a jaw-dropping £22.50 ($29) - more than five times the cost of an average beer, which was £4.40 ($5.66) nationwide last year and £5.20 ($6.70) in London this year.
A barman who works at the chain's Old Street pub in London explained that the US-brewed stout - which at least has an ABV of 12% - is so expensive because of its ingredients, but that they're happy to pour a third of a pint for just £7.50 ($9.66). A third of a pint. £7.50. Yep.
Made in California by AleSmith Brewing Company, the beer contains Blue Mountain Coffee from Hawaii in addition to other expensive ingredients. This makes the coffee-flavoured beer what's thought to be the most expensive draft pint in Britain. Let's hope so, anyway.
At that price, the beer - which is a jet black colour and has a thick, syrupy consistency, costs more per millilitre than a bottle of luxury Belvedere vodka, which will set you back £45. At least that should last you a lot longer.
The managing director of The Craft Beer Co, Martin Hayes, said: "We sell the Alesmith Speedway Stout Hawaiian Special Edition by the 1/3 pint as standard.
"We do not stop people buying a 1/2 or even full pint should they wish, in the same way we do not stop people buying two or even three pints of standard strength lager.
"When we import into the UK and showcase some extremely rare and unusual beers that tend to be incredibly high in ABV - they do come at premium prices."
There's pricey and there's pricey, though. He probably gets a healthy discount, too. According to The Mirror, one person who tried it wasn't fully convinced it was worth the price.
"It looks delicious, but it's too busy," said one person. "It tastes like an old blanket. For me, the coffee doesn't really do much to the pint but make it taste like it's been poured into a dirty glass.
"I'm sure it's to some people's tastes, but definitely not mine. It looks like Guinness but tastes like regret."
Even city workers weren't sure they'd spend their ill-gotten gains on the pint. One, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "That's a nice pint. I wouldn't mind splashing out on one if it were a special occasion or something.
"But I can't imagine anybody spending an afternoon sinking beer that's more expensive than my mortgage."
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Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Topics: Food, UK News, Alcohol, Beer, UK, London, california