The Tyranny of the $8 Beer

We love eating at restaurant bars, in part because we prefer to chat up bartenders, but also because you have a lot more freedom in how and what you order. Unfortunately, something has started rubbing us the wrong way - restaurants charging wine prices for artisanal beers. OK folks, we know these beers are more expensive than your typical Bud or Coors Light but do they really cost you $3 each?

New restaurants seem particularly egregious about jacking up beer prices. The John Dory has a tiny list of four beers, three for $8 and one for $9. I recall much better prices on the beers at sister restaurant The Spotted Pig. While they have only been open a few weeks, perhaps they'll see the light at the end of 10th Avenue and give beer drinkers a break.

Irving Mill, a recent recipient of criticism for serving beer in less than pint size glasses, has a huge list of $7 and $8 tap beers. Ommegang from Cooperstown is $8? Brooklyn Pilsner is $7? That's pretty excessive in our opinion. Even worse, their list by the bottle has beers for $12 and $13.

Perhaps restaurateurs are forced to raise beer prices because people will only pay so much for wine or food. But the approach is counter-productive. When faced with a list of over-priced artisanal beers, we now just tend to stop at one. What do you do?