How to get mates to pay

[Moad]

I am all for shouting my mates a drop of a new brew and have an open door policy in my bar but at some point I feel I need to recover some of the cost. I think people believe homebrew is cheap as chips but all grain brewing and keg dispensing has been far from a financial windfall.

Do people ask mates for a little donation when they drop in for a beer? How do you go about it if you do?

Am I being a tight arse?

 

[Spoonta]

I know what you meen mate you dont want to seam rude but its not a free pub drop some hints like I used that new malt it cost me 70 buckd for the sack and I will only get so many brews out of it there are five sorts of hops in that beer and thay cost me 50 bucks

 

[spryzie]

Put a money box out with a sign that says "all donations will go towards barley and hops desperately needed to brew the beer you are now drinking".

 

[Beersuit]

Your not being a tight arse. When I started kegging I had mates wanting to come round every night. I'm all for a session but when it's on you every night it gets a bit rich. I simply put a money box on the fridge and told them $1 a beer. The missus likes it cos now they only pop round once or twice a week.

 

[Cocko]

IF I have a gathering, just for no reason, its $20 a head - all you can drink.

Most of the people who come enjoy my beers and are happy to pay. Of course, if you would rather not drink my beers, bring you own - easy.

I don't feel tight about it, they are getting good value, I am redeeming some cost, all is good IMO.

That said, if I am pitching the day as an occasion for my own reason, as in, birthday or similar, I will use the free beer card as a bonus.

2c. or $20 as it would be.

 

[spryzie]

How much beer do your mates drink, that $20 only lets you break even?!

I'm doing tiny batches and it's still only costing me $1 a stubby.

 

[Liam_snorkel]

ehen i have a bash my guests usually bring a 6 pack of something decent because they'd feel guilty for just coming around and smashing the beers for nothing. If your mates dont instinctively reciprocate the free beer in some way then maybe you need to reevaluate your friendship? I dunno.

 

[manticle]

Would you charge your mates if you took them out on a speedboat or for a fishing trip?

Hand them a bill after they came over for dinner?

 

[Cocko]

How much beer do your mates drink, that $20 only lets you break even?!

I'm doing tiny batches and it's still only costing me $1 a stubby.

Probably more than $20 worth.. but yeah, as Liam says, they usually bring a sixer of something nice too... as who can walk in to a place empty handed. Or are you saying, it has cost me less to make? IF so, whatever, its a win for all, they would spend a lot more if they were paying commercial prices.

Not trying to charge them for each beer - just get some thing back.

 

[slash22000]

Put it this way. If I was drinking somebody's home brewed beer, I would feel like a fuckhead if I did NOT pay for it, or at least recompense in some way (buy pizza?).

Cheaper than commercial beer, sure, but it's not free is it? I mean even the cheapest batch costs what, let's just say $4 / kg of malt, $10 / 100g of hops, $5 - $10 for yeast? Last beer I made had 5kg of base malt, 320g of spec malt, 95g of hops, and some dry yeast ... so let's say $36 for the batch? But then there's a matter of labour, time, equipment ...

How much are people going to drink? Fair to say minimum 2 litres each? Probably twice that, or more, if you're going for a serious night of it.

I make 21L kegs, so that's ~$3.60 for every 4 glasses people drink (taking ingredients only into account). Personally I reckon it's 100% fair to lay down $5 - $10 when you're going to be smashing somebody's supply, or at the very least the brewer shouldn't have to chip in for the pizza / KFC / whatever. A good mate should offer to chip in. The brewer shouldn't have to ask.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Never charge for beer at my place, if I invite you over i like to be the host, if you want to bring your own than that's fair enough as well but you can drink what you like otherwise.

 

[Cocko]

Would you charge your mates if you took them out on a speedboat or for a fishing trip?

Hand them a bill after they came over for dinner?

Probably, as I am sure they understand there is a cost involved.

Dinner - possibly the one forgiven that would be wrong to ask for cost for - but if they are chipping in for beer on an occasion there is always food on the table.

IMO.

Again, I think the occasion dictates how you approach it.

But I am not shy in asking for money from friends to come around and drink as much beer as they need.

 

[Spoonta]

I go on a yearly fishing trip and the mate expects every one to throw a 50 in for fuel and bait

 

[manticle]

Put it this way. If I was drinking somebody's home brewed beer, I would feel like a fuckhead if I did NOT pay for it, or at least recompense in some way (buy pizza?).

Cheaper than commercial beer, sure, but it's not free is it? I mean even the cheapest batch costs what, let's just say $4 / kg of malt, $10 / 100g of hops, $5 - $10 for yeast? Last beer I made had 5kg of base malt, 320g of spec malt, 95g of hops, and some dry yeast ... so let's say $36 for the batch? But then there's a matter of labour, time, equipment ...

How much are people going to drink? Fair to say minimum 2 litres each? Probably twice that, or more, if you're going for a serious night of it.

I make 21L kegs, so that's ~$3.60 for every 4 glasses people drink (taking ingredients only into account). Personally I reckon it's 100% fair to lay down $5 - $10 when you're going to be smashing somebody's supply, or at the very least the brewer shouldn't have to chip in for the pizza / KFC / whatever. A good mate should offer to chip in. The brewer shouldn't have to ask.

You want your friends to pay for your labour?

What about if they walk on the lawn you carefully mowed?

Most of my friends are incredibly generous with me. Happy to share my beer with them if they want to enjoy it. People often ask me how much for a dozen bottles and that's when it gets tricky. I brew because I enjoy it. I'm not a pro brewer and don't wish to be. I share my beer with my friends when I have it.

I'll sell them my drawings - that's about it. Food, beer, friendship etc come with no expectations (other than they are not outright pricks but I tend not to be friends with them).

Each to their own but the day I start counting the cost of what a batch cost to make, then calculating how much per stubby my friends are consuming and hoping to recuperate is the day I start wearing large hats made from chocolate eclairs and counting mice at the showgrounds.

 

[seamad]

Never got anyone to pay. If your mates are at your place they're guests and would never consider charging. I have a small wine cellar and often let guests go down to pick a bottle ( albeit with a small restricted section). Swings and roundabouts . Food and wine/beer are made for sharing with friends, mind you if they were around every night it might be different.

 

[Cocko]

I share my beer with my friends when I have it.

I agree with all your points Manticle but I am only talking the bigger occasions, not a drop in or a dinner with another couple... Or a bottle or 2..

As you say, 'When you have it'

What I am talking about would be, 3 taps of different beers and go nuts - waking up to 1 blown and limited left in the other 2 etc - you absolutely have it.

Of course, you come to my house for what ever and you are welcome to a beer, anytime, but if it is a party with 20 odd people and I have gone to the effort to have full kegs of 3 different beers, than $20 each for all you can drink is more than reasonable - not offensive or reason to discredit my value of their friendship and I am sure they feel the same.

IF it is a celebration, say my birthday - then, I go the road of, all the beer you can drink my pleasure etc.. this is for me, so easy.

But if we hold a Melbourne Cup BBQ or similar, I will do the $20 a head thing....

2c.

 

[slash22000]

You want your friends to pay for your labour?

The topic is the cost of beer. Thought it would be disingenuous to exclude labour as a cost, since it is absolutely a cost you're going to cop from any commercial product.

I've never charged anybody for drinking my beer, as I said though, if I was drinking somebody else's beer I would absolutely offer to compensate them for it. They could decline sure, but I think it's pretty shifty not to at least ask. I hate feeling like I am mooching, especially amongst good mates who I know would never call me on it.

 

[fergi]

its a personal thing whether you charge your mates to drink your beer,
i never have and never will charge them," they are my mates,"
if you have to charge your mates $5 for 5 beers of your home brew then i think you are a tight arse.
if i go to their place sure i take some beer but if i dropped in out of the blueand had a few beers they certainly would not ask me for $5 dollars for a few drinks.
thats why they are mates, give and take. but if i had a mate that wanted to charge me for a beer i wouldnt bother going around there.
luckily i dont have those sort of mates.

 

[KingKong]

I dont think my mates would think twice if I asked for 50c nominal fee per stuby. Same way I dont think twice about them drinking as much as they want for nothing when they come around. Everyone has different circumstances.

If a donation per beer is fair no one will care about you asking for one. If you are generous and well off enough to offer your beer for free, Im sure your mates appreciate and reciprocate the hospitality.

 

[Bridges]

I like people to taste my beers and give me honest feedback. I'm not sure they are good enough to warrant a cover charge yet though all the same my mates and my family never turn up empty handed, so it evens out I'd reckon.