AleSmith Speedway Stout Now The UK’s Most Expensive Pint

A London pub is selling an American craft brewery’s special stout for a mind-boggling £22.50, thought to be the UK’s most expensive draft pint EVER!

Here’s the deal…

London’s trendy Craft Beer Co Old Street venue is now selling pints of a much vaunted US release from San Diego, California-based AleSmith Brewing for what some consider to be a “king’s ransom.”

And according to the Daily Mirror the city’s beer fans are more than willing to shell out almost $30 US for the privilege…that’s nearly five times the cost of an average pint in the United Kingdom!

Which proves two things…When you brew up something special, people will pay top dollar (or pound?) for it. And that some Londoners are exceptionally well-healed…just sayin.’

We get that AleSmith Speedway Stout is pretty impressive. After all the multi-award winning coffee-infused stout is the stuff of legend….but £22.50, really?

Aren’t these people concerned about the consequences of Brexit?

And at 12% ABV it’s not like UK patrons aren’t getting major bang for the buck (or more properly the pound). But still that kind of pricing puts the legendary stout variation more in the realm of a bottle of luxury Belvedere vodka than it does a cask ale.

Martin Hayes, the managing director of the Craft Beer Co chain, told The Independent that the beer is more commonly sold as a third of a pint, making the cost of the famous stout more palatable…

But he stood firm in defense of his prices…

“When we import into the UK and showcase some extremely rare and unusual beers that tend to be incredibly high in ABV (alcohol by volume), they do come at a premium price.

“Being the original Craft Beer focused pubs in London, our business is curation, offering people an unmatched choice with unmatched hospitality and knowledge.”

“We offer people a huge choice and our prices are always carefully calculated and incredibly good value.”

But given its cost at London’s Craft Beer Co, one has to face the fact that AleSmith Speedway Stout is currently commanding prices more commonly associated with cocaine than a pint of Guinness.

Banner image credit: Craft Beer Co