Which Beers Beat Inflation? Study Tracks 15 Popular Brews

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — While grocery bills have climbed 37% over the past decade, beer drinkers have caught a relative break. New data shows beer prices for home consumption rose 29% since 2015, slower than the 35% national inflation rate but higher than the broader alcohol category’s 16% increase.

How Much Have Beer Prices Increased Since 2015?

The study by FinanceBuzz examined government price data and found that alcohol purchased for home consumption has risen just 16% since 2015. According to the research, this figure represents an annual increase of 1.6%, which falls below even the Federal Reserve’s 2% inflation target.

Beer showed higher but still moderate increases, with at-home consumption costs climbing 29% over the decade. This trails the overall inflation rate by six percentage points. Food and grocery prices, by comparison, have jumped 37% since 2015, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The timing shows an interesting pattern. From 2015 to 2020, the cost of beer rose faster than inflation. Since then, however, the national inflation rate has consistently outpaced annual beer price increases.

FinanceBuzz notes that “alcohol falls into the latter category” of products that “were able to keep prices relatively stable” compared to others that raised prices even higher than the national rate.

Which Beer Brands Raised Prices Most?

When researchers examined retail prices for 15 popular beer brands, they found the average 12-pack cost has increased 41% since 2015, from $11.62 to $16.39. This figure is higher than the 29% increase for at-home beer purchases and also above the 37% rise in food and grocery prices overall.

Breaking down the data by packaging, bottles rose from an average of $11.69 to $16.52 (a 41% increase), while cans increased from $11.56 to $16.26 (also 41%). The consistency across packaging types suggests broad-based pricing strategies rather than material-specific cost pressures.

• Samuel Adams: +71% ($13.99 → $23.99)
• Dos Equis: +58% ($11.99 → $18.99)
• Miller High Life: +44% ($8.99 → $12.99)
• PBR: +44% ($8.99 → $12.99)
• Guinness: +42% ($12.99 → $18.49)
• Michelob Ultra: +41% ($10.99 → $15.49)
• Yuengling: +38% ($10.49 → $14.49)
• Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors Light, Miller Lite: +36% ($10.99 → $14.99)
• Corona Extra, Modelo Especial: +35% ($12.99 → $17.49)
• Heineken: +31% ($12.99 → $16.99)
• Blue Moon: +27% ($12.99 → $16.49)

Comparing Beer Prices to Broader Market Trends

The study reveals that “all but two of the 15 beers we analyzed increased prices at a rate equal to or faster than inflation since 2015.” However, many increases fell within what researchers called “10 points of inflation,” suggesting relatively modest price adjustments compared to other consumer categories.

Four beer brands (Bud Light, Budweiser, Coors Light, and Miller Lite) raised prices by 36%, “a single point higher than the national inflation rate.” Two brands (Corona Extra and Modelo Especial) “matched it exactly” at 35%.

The researchers cautioned that this is “a limited sample; pricing may vary regionally, at different stores, and even month-to-month depending on sales”.

Why Beer Prices Haven’t Kept Up With General Inflation

FinanceBuzz points out that “alcohol is often seen as a recession-resistant product.” Consumers tend to maintain buying habits even during economic downturns, which may help explain why beer price hikes have been more modest than those seen in many other categories.

While the study doesn’t go into detail on production costs, industry observers often note that pricing strategies are influenced by both consumer demand and competitive pressure among brewers. These interpretations go beyond the FinanceBuzz data but help contextualize why prices may not have risen as sharply.

What This Means for Consumers

For the average household, the study’s findings may provide a frothy measure of relief. A 12-pack of popular beer brands now costs $16.39, up from $11.62 in 2015 — a $4.77 increase over ten years.

The data also indicates that beer pricing has stabilized since 2020, even as other categories have seen accelerated inflation. Whether this continues will depend on how brewers balance affordability with their own rising operational costs.

FinanceBuzz emphasizes that “pricing may vary regionally, at different stores, and even month-to-month depending on sales.” That means budget-conscious shoppers can often find better deals through comparison shopping and timing purchases with promotions.

Study Methodology

FinanceBuzz researchers analyzed government data from the Consumer Price Index published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to track alcohol and beer price trends from 2015 to 2025. For brand-specific analysis, researchers collected prices from Total Wine & More’s website, using the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to obtain historical data from the same retailer location. The 15 beer brands were selected based on a YouGov survey of popular beers, with prices representing average costs for 12-packs of 12-ounce cans or bottles from the same major American city across both time periods.