10 Beer Brands Fans Are Side-Eyeing Over Rising Prices

For those looking to pick up some cheap alcohol, beer used to be the easy choice. You'd grab your usual brand and pay what seemed like a fair price. Over the last few years, that has changed. Buying beer now comes with a wince about how much it's eating into your wallet. 

Beer prices have been steadily rising for a few years now. Some popular brands have pushed this price increase so far that customers are now wondering if they should look elsewhere. Inflation is always going to affect prices, but cost has turned into a runaway train. You question what exactly it is you're paying for and is it actually worth the cost. Trust us, you're not the only one who is starting to double-check the price tag.

Here we'll look at 10 of the worst culprits whose prices rises are eye-watering. These choices have been selected due to a mix of market research and personal accounts from customers who are fed up with paying premium prices for previously affordable beer.

Guinness is one of the world's most iconic beers. The rich and creamy stout is not only loved for its flavor, but as a synonymous representation of Irish culture. It is a favorite in pubs and homes across the globe with plenty of variants now available. However, according to the Visual Capitalist, in the past 10 years it has risen in price by 42%. Its owner, drinks giant Diageo, has struggled in recent years. Confusion over strategy and changes in leadership have perhaps made it lean heavily on its most popular brands for profit. But customers have noticed.

Diageo have given the common excuse of "the rising costs of doing business," but when smaller brands can offer cheaper drinks, that raises suspicions. It always seems like trying to dress up an attempt to get as much from customers as possible. For fans looking to soften the blow, Murphy's Irish Stout delivers a similar drinking experience, at a friendlier price. It appears that Guinness is confident its immense brand power will keep it popular despite the price rises.

If Guinness is synonymous with Ireland, the same can be said for Budweiser and America. It has long offered what people want, an affordable lager with a light and crisp profile. Another beer with incredible brand power, the "King of Beers" slogan has been one of the most prominent taglines for decades. What seemed like an everyday beer that was perfect for barbecues and sports games is now feeling like a premium purchase. The same applies to Bud Light, with both beers having a 10-year price increase of 36%.

As with all companies, Anheuser-Busch has needed to cope with market pressures and at least some price increases are inevitable. Yet, a beer that can easily tap into nostalgia and Americana is another that is pricing out the average beer drinker. It's no surprise some beer drinkers are blaming corporate greed over increased production costs. For those looking for a light beer that remains easy on the wallet, Natural Light is a cheaper alternative. It may be light in flavor, but at least it delivers easy-drinking at a lower cost.

Modelo Especial has developed into a lager that is ideal for bars and backyard parties. It's a Mexican pilsner-style beer that is perfect for those who like a lager with a slightly sweet malt taste that pairs perfectly with many foods. The branding has been slick and it's a strong draw for those who don't like domestic beers. However, with its rise in popularity has come an increase in price. A decade-long price rise of 35% is starting to make some rethink their beer choices.

It seems to be a prevailing thought from some beer lovers that people should turn to locally-made beer instead. As an import beer, you may be expected to pay a little more, but fans are starting to flinch. It has started to feel as if there is no premium beer anymore as it seems all major brands now have a premium price tag. For now, Pacifico Clara is a solid alternative. You still get that bright and refreshing profile that is a feature of many Mexican lagers.

Heineken is one of the most recognizable beers in the world. It's a Dutch classic that has strong brand appeal with its famous green bottle. The drink itself offers you a slight bitter hop presence with a light body, ideal for those sunny days. Through a wide range of marketing campaigns, the brand has become a common sight at music festivals, airport bars, and sports venues. It's intertwined in beer culture, but customers are starting to get frustrated about price rises. Many suggest people need to stop drinking these overpriced beers and there will surely be a tipping point — eventually.

It's an easy drinking beer, but there are plenty of rivals when it comes to that. Perhaps more drinkers will turn to craft beers as an alternative. The only downside to craft beers is the expense, but the gap between them and popular lagers has never felt closer. With a 31% uptick in the last ten years, it has felt like the price increases for Heineken beer have been relentless. For those wanting a similar European-style beer which isn't so expensive, Beck's is a worthy rival. Grolsch is also another great option for those looking for a taste of The Netherlands.

There seemed to be a turning point after the COVID-19 pandemic. What started as challenges in manufacturing and delivering products became a permanent shift in the ways companies are handling everyday business. This paired with an uptick in the cost of barley and aluminum, which can be attributed in part to tariffs, has led to higher prices, with little regard as to whether or not this provides fair value. Samuel Adams, specifically with its Summer Ale, takes the top spot in terms of price increases. There has been a 71% increase in the last 10 years.

The current prices have been labelled as "absurd" by one fan, and it's hard to disagree. It may be a flagship American craft beer, but Samuel Adams is now leading the way in cost. It still maintains a craft identity, so you don't expect it to be priced on the same level as some other everyday beers. Yet, fans are giving it the side-eye as prices now are getting too steep. It used to be that you could pay mid-price for a full-flavor beer. That benefit is gone now. Alternatives such as Yuengling Traditional Lager can give you a similar tasting experience with more bang for your buck.

While trying not to slip into a full-blown rant, it feels as though Dos Equis has followed a similar path to many other brands. Its prices have skyrocketed by 58% within the past decade, which is the second-highest increase behind Sam Adams. A beer can start out with a fairly niche following while trying to expand in bigger markets. It blows up in popularity as it's new and refreshing. Incrementally, the price creeps up. With its newfound popularity, the beer can rely on loyalty and brand power to ensure sales stay strong, even with the price increase. Meanwhile, the company can blame the same market pressures as everyone else.

This is all conjecture and not an attack on Dos Equis, but this is how it feels as a consumer. Dos Equis is a great warm-weather beer that sits nicely in that range between bland macro lagers and the craft scene. However, it's not alone in that category with solid options such as Tecate providing similar benefits. There are genuine reasons why prices have increased globally, but Dos Equis is another brand that is seemingly taking advantage of this to hike prices. There are also accusations of shrinkflation, with slightly smaller bottles. Is that the truth? We don't know, but it sure feels like it.

Michelob Ultra targets a unique niche in the beer world. It has become a popular choice for those who want a light beer, but one that is low in carbs and calories. It's popularity has increased so much that it has overtaken Modelo as America's best-selling light beer. Much of its branding is based on appealing to athletes who want to enjoy themselves while still maintaining an active lifestyle. Whether you're a gym-goer or simply a casual beer fan, the recent price increases have stung. It may be light in calories, but it's starting to feel heavy on the wallet.

Once you have found your beer of choice, you don't want to be searching around for alternatives all the time. Perhaps that's why Michelob feels it can get away with a 10-year price rise of 41%. It's now at a price that is closer to premium lagers and imports than it should be. If a company can bump up prices with minimal pushback, that's what they're likely to do. Whether that pushback eventually comes with brands such as Michelob remains to be seen.

One of the worst parts of these increases for American beer drinkers is that they also include what used to be affordable favorites. For a long time now, Coors Light has been one of the country's most recognizable beers. It's an easy-drinking lager that fits for any occasion. The "cold as the Rockies" marketing campaign is one of the most memorable of all time, helping to develop the brand into a reliable, consistent brew that is ranked as the best American light beer out there.

Over the past 10 years, Coors Light has seen a 36% increase in prices. Like with a few of the other beers on this list, Coors Light is still affordable if you buy it in big packs, but buying it in smaller volumes is where things start to get questionable. With such a strong brand, it can remain comfortable maintaining higher prices to protect profits. The six-pack that you usually pick up without much thought is now making you glance at other prices. The best options for a substitute include brands such as PBR, Natural Light, and Busch Light. Or, you might just wait to see which light beers are on sale at the grocery store. 

There seems to be an unintentional theme with this list in regard to the inclusion of a wide range of Mexican lagers. That doesn't seem to be a coincidence. There has been a surge in popularity of Mexican beer in America as more people embrace the crisp taste that is usually associated with them. The rise in this popularity is likely to be multi-faceted, but it seems fans are noticing that brands are hiking prices disproportionately to domestic offerings. 

The easy drinking profile of Corona Extra beer gives it a unique appeal for those seeking maximum refreshment. But, the brand seems to be trying to use that appeal to seek the maximum price possible. It has seen a 35% increase in costs over the past decade. For those looking for premium imported lager, Italian beer may be a better choice. These can be similar in lightness, but can deliver a fuller flavor. Though imported beers typically carry a stigma of having higher prices, this isn't necessarily true. Many are comparably priced with domestic brands and will save you money in the long run. 

Here we have another mainstay of American beer culture. The story of Miller Lite is similar to that of Thomas Edison and the lightbulb. The brand may not have invented light beer, but they are the ones who perfected and popularized it, paving the way for other light beers that American drinkers would come to embrace. Despite being light, Miller Lite also had a decent level of flavor. While it used to be affordable and is still on the cheaper end of the cost scale, it's more expensive than ever before.

A 36% price increase over the past 10 years has hit consumers hard, with many complaining. Sadly, popular alternatives such as Bud Light and Coors Light have also been on a similar price trajectory. This leaves beer lovers with few alternatives. It's best to either look around at what's on offer or buy in bulk. With how prices have progressed in the last decade, it feels as though any beer that does become popular will eventually see similar price upticks.