Rumor Mill: $19 Craft Beers At Super Bowl, Sugar Tax Drives Consumers To Beer

American Craft Beer|February 18th, 2022|

Chicago researchers have found that a sugar beverage tax aimed at lowering soda consumption in Seattle is driving people to beer. We’ve that, Super Bowl beer prices, and more.

How Much Did Beer Cost at Super Bowl LVI ?

Too much as far as we’re concerned…

Mass market beer prices ranged from $17 for premium to $19 for craft selections, while wine went for $17. As for liquor selections, $14 got you a single shot is the cheapest option on the menu, while the most expensive double went for $25.

But if you could afford ticket prices to Super Bowl LVI which according to Ticketmaster started at $6,800.00 for the lowest ticket and soared all the way up to $81,800.00 for VIP seats, you probably didn’t care.

Words to Drink By

“Thousands of geniuses live and die undiscovered — either by themselves or by others” – Mark Twain, American writer and entrepreneur

Beer Sales Rise After Seattle Imposes Sugar Tax

According to a new study by Chicago researchers Lisa M. Powell and Julien Leider published last month in the journal PLOS ONE, Seattle residents bought seven percent more beer after the city passed a soda tax in 2018.

There was evidence of substitution to beer following the implementation of the Seattle SSB (sugar-sweetened beverage) tax,’ the authors concluded. Similar taxes on sugar beverages have been implemented in Washington, DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Boulder, Colorado.

“Washington state has the highest excise tax in the country for distilled spirits at $35.31 per gallon, according to the Daily Mail “though the alcohol tax doesn’t apply to beer, making it a cheaper and more attractive alternative.”

The study entitled Impact of the Seattle Sweetened Beverage Tax on substitution to alcoholic beverage only measured sales at stores that sell both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. And as a result it does not take into account sales of beer or wine at liquor stores or at restaurants, meaning that the actual increase could have been higher.