Just paid $11:80 for a pint of beer at the local pub. Seems to be the going rate over here in W.A. Anything from $10 upwards. Just don't get it, so rarely do I indulge in a beer at a pub but sometimes treat myself and always walk away angry.

Having spent time recently in S.A. and Tasmania and pints were around the $5 mark, with happy hours being lower than that. I get that the S.A. pint is slightly smaller but all the same I am more than happy with spending that sort of money. Surely W.A pubs are pulling the p*ss (to coin a phrase) charging this much. Mid week our pubs are more than half empty as compared to those I saw over east, and surely lower prices and more sales is the way to go??

Going a round over here with a few mates is a nightmare.

Come on share what you pay for a pint in your locals to upset me more!!

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shi thouse said..
Just paid $11:80 for a pint of beer at the local pub. Seems to be the going rate over here in W.A. Anything from $10 upwards. Just don't get it, so rarely do I indulge in a beer at a pub but sometimes treat myself and always walk away angry.

Having spent time recently in S.A. and Tasmania and pints were around the $5 mark, with happy hours being lower than that. I get that the S.A. pint is slightly smaller but all the same I am more than happy with spending that sort of money. Surely W.A pubs are pulling the p*ss (to coin a phrase) charging this much. Mid week our pubs are more than half empty as compared to those I saw over east, and surely lower prices and more sales is the way to go??

Going a round over here with a few mates is a nightmare.

Come on share what you pay for a pint in your locals to upset me more!!

Yeah mate, it's crazy... I honestly don't know how they justify it, but it's the same as eating out in this town.
For $11.80 I could get myself and one of my mates drunk in Cape Town.

Paid $12.50 at Legends Bar in Alfred Cove the other day.
i felt violated.

Perth, overpriced, overrated, overrun

I did a big trip over WA years ago and the price of pints caused a premature end to my trip. $4.00 schooner (425ml) over east

Yeah the price of beer on tap in Perth is an absolute rip off. What is the justification for the high prices?

Even exxy craft beer is less than $10 a pint. I wouldn't waste a dollar on a pint of regular stuff.

The price is correlated to the hotness of the women in the pub

It's $25 for a Cadillac Margarita at La Cholita in Northbridge. Read into that what you will.

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Mobydisc said..
Yeah the price of beer on tap in Perth is an absolute rip off. What is the justification for the high prices?

Coz they're all cashed up miners

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shi thouse said...
Just paid $11:80 for a pint of beer at the local pub. Seems to be the going rate over here in W.A. Anything from $10 upwards. Just don't get it, so rarely do I indulge in a beer at a pub but sometimes treat myself and always walk away angry.

Having spent time recently in S.A. and Tasmania and pints were around the $5 mark, with happy hours being lower than that. I get that the S.A. pint is slightly smaller but all the same I am more than happy with spending that sort of money. Surely W.A pubs are pulling the p*ss (to coin a phrase) charging this much. Mid week our pubs are more than half empty as compared to those I saw over east, and surely lower prices and more sales is the way to go??

Going a round over here with a few mates is a nightmare.

Come on share what you pay for a pint in your locals to upset me more!!

That's cheap $13 something for a pint of squires ale here in Dongara, mates pay 2.50 Gbp a pint back home , pubs here are crap especially atmosphere, really miss the uk pubs around Liverpool Manchester area ,full of friendly characters

Main reason I think is no pokies. I will gladly pay double the eastern state rate to keep pokies out of here . even the pubs over east without pokies hav e to compete with the pub next door who does, my thoughts anyway
w
w

Were beer prices higher before the mining boom, or only since then?

What I think might be happening is that people see the money some people are getting in the mines, and thinking 'I need to get something like that', and increase their prices accordingly.

They may even be doing it because the boom has pushed up housing prices, and they feel they need to be able to compete, and charge a higher price.

One thing I have noticed with WA is that things are expensive, but some 'regular' jobs are not so highly paid. It probably doesn't work too well when house prices are pushed up and the people in regular jobs need to compete.

Thoughts? Or has it always been expensive? You would think beer would be the one thing that would be cheap to make in WA, so it shouldn't be the cost of materials.

Edit: I am too lazy to look up the amount in a pint, but I think my homebrew costs work out to about $1 a litre, and at the moment, it tastes great!

From a mate who knows someone in the industry, they reckon they can serve a pint up for around $3 and cover all costs. All the rest is sheer greed and profit. The correlation with prices is also directly related to the quality of service. Assuming all pubs charge these ridiculous prices because thats what the neighbours charge, plus most West Aussies (myself included) are dumb enough to put up with it (having said that most drinking is done away from a pub these days). Being under 30 and working the pub and club scene must suck these days - a good night out (cab included) must cost hundreds.

Was stunned at the quality of food, good service and low prices in S.A.

Just had a lazy lunch in Freo with a couple of mates and finished with an $11 pint for a Nail Red Ale at the Norfolk -- well worth the money for a great beer but I would gladly pay less..... although I'll pay that to keep the pokies out of pubs !!!!

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jn1 said..

Mobydisc said..
Yeah the price of beer on tap in Perth is an absolute rip off. What is the justification for the high prices?

Coz they're all cashed up miners

and that's the problem. We're not ALL .......


anyway, I don't understand pints. By the time you drink half of it, its warm. If you drink it fast enough you get too pissed.
Middies at an average rate is fine

Now: Big Jims portable margarita machine out of the back of his van at Lano after a sesh - now we're fkn talking.
Hint hint James.....

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Mark _australia said..

and that's the problem. We're not ALL .......

That was a wind up Mark

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Mark _australia said..


anyway, I don't understand pints. By the time you drink half of it, its warm. If you drink it fast enough you get too pissed.
Middies at an average rate is fine

The trick is to drink it just fast enough where you don't care that its too warm. If you care that its too warm, drink faster.

I have been drinking too much homebrew, and under the right conditions, a too-sweet un-carbonated warm beer, is perfectly fine to drink! Much nicer when its crisp, cold, and perfectly carbonated, but meh...

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shi thouse said...

Was stunned at the quality of food, good service and low prices in S.A.

Spent a week in Hobart a couple of weeks ago - your comment is very relevant for that beautiful city too!

This one got me furked, whilst my old fella was visiting here we shared a love of little creature bright ale brewed in freo west aus, when he returned to the uk I searched for a off licence or bottlo which had them, I found one in Chester approx 50klms away, they delivered to the door , when my MasterCard bill came through it was just under what it costs me locally ,

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jn1 said..

Mark _australia said..

and that's the problem. We're not ALL .......

That was a wind up Mark

Trouble is, it is true. Mining priced out normal folks and they wonder why we farken hate it

Priced out of housing and ca'nt afford a fkn coffee or fish n chips with a beer in Freo.

This little lot cost me £24 about 3 months ago in the UK... exchange rate at the time comes to $38.
Yup, 23.7 litres of Belgium Wife Beater for less than 4 pints here (2.2 liters) 10... thats TEN FUGGEN TIMES THE AMOUNT!!!!!!

I v e r y rarely go out to the pub to drink anymore... and then its a few beers at a pub then to a BYO dinner place where we take cartons.

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worrier said..
Main reason I think is no pokies. I will gladly pay double the eastern state rate to keep pokies out of here . even the pubs over east without pokies hav e to compete with the pub next door who does, my thoughts anyway
w
w

Got to excuse my ignorance here...being West Aussie, haven't experienced the pokie demom (plus I have 0% interest in gambling). . What are some of the issues with pokies if you have no interest in them?

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cauncy said..

shi thouse said...
Just paid $11:80 for a pint of beer at the local pub. Seems to be the going rate over here in W.A. Anything from $10 upwards. Just don't get it, so rarely do I indulge in a beer at a pub but sometimes treat myself and always walk away angry.

Having spent time recently in S.A. and Tasmania and pints were around the $5 mark, with happy hours being lower than that. I get that the S.A. pint is slightly smaller but all the same I am more than happy with spending that sort of money. Surely W.A pubs are pulling the p*ss (to coin a phrase) charging this much. Mid week our pubs are more than half empty as compared to those I saw over east, and surely lower prices and more sales is the way to go??

Going a round over here with a few mates is a nightmare.

Come on share what you pay for a pint in your locals to upset me more!!

That's cheap $13 something for a pint of squires ale here in Dongara, mates pay 2.50 Gbp a pint back home , pubs here are crap especially atmosphere, really miss the uk pubs around Liverpool Manchester area ,full of friendly characters

mate, you're in the wrong pubs.

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shi thouse said..

worrier said..
Main reason I think is no pokies. I will gladly pay double the eastern state rate to keep pokies out of here . even the pubs over east without pokies hav e to compete with the pub next door who does, my thoughts anyway
w
w

Got to excuse my ignorance here...being West Aussie, haven't experienced the pokie demom (plus I have 0% interest in gambling). . What are some of the issues with pokies if you have no interest in them?

Pokies are a constant temptation and it seems to become more and more socially acceptable to have a 'flutter' on the pokies as time goes by. Just like how gambling on the AFL has recently permeated the life of every tv watching footie fan in the last few years. In 2010 nobody knew the odds of their team winning a match, now it's the first talking point.

Life has it's ups and downs, it's sober times and the crazy drunkard times. Year by year the Pokies slowly suck most of one's family and friends into sitting in front of them - even the one's who had zero interest in it 10 years previously. They sit and live in hope. Pokie players seem to live for the telling of a yarn about how they won big, and everyone remembers when they win something.

If you're not into Pokies then you will feel as lonely as a non smoker sitting at a table full of smokers. That feeling when the smokers all get up in unison, leave the table to go to the outside Alfresco section of the Pub to hang out together in a moment of nicotine and smokey smoke bliss (or just to pass judgement on the one person that is left behind). They leave you to sit there by yourself sipping on you're warm 13 dollar Pint for an agonising 10 minutes.

The thing is that the smokers return after 10 mins, friends playing the Pokies may not return for the rest of the night!

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shi thouse said...

worrier said..
Main reason I think is no pokies. I will gladly pay double the eastern state rate to keep pokies out of here . even the pubs over east without pokies hav e to compete with the pub next door who does, my thoughts anyway
w
w

Got to excuse my ignorance here...being West Aussie, haven't experienced the pokie demom (plus I have 0% interest in gambling). . What are some of the issues with pokies if you have no interest in them?

Worrier is spot on here, and I'm happy to pay $10 a pint or more to keep the pokies out.
They absolutely ruin the atmosphere of any venue with seedy old ppl, dreamers and no hopers punching buttons for hours on end. Totally anti social waste of space. TBH i don't understand how ppl can't comprehend the basic mathematical equation on their chances of winning, and continue to play.

There has to be a recession coming when everyone is crabbing about the price of a pint.............
Don't worry the prices drop pretty fast when the arse falls out and then a $5 pint is too expensive when you're unemployed...

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shi thouse said..

worrier said..
Main reason I think is no pokies. I will gladly pay double the eastern state rate to keep pokies out of here . even the pubs over east without pokies hav e to compete with the pub next door who does, my thoughts anyway
w
w

Got to excuse my ignorance here...being West Aussie, haven't experienced the pokie demom (plus I have 0% interest in gambling). . What are some of the issues with pokies if you have no interest in them?

I have no interest in them myself, but you hear stories about people getting addicted to them and losing huge amounts of money, just hoping for a payoff. They even make it easy for you by bringing drinks and food to you while using the machines, which I think is unethical.

I went to a yum-cha lunch with a friend recently in a largish hotel, and just to find the restaurant you had to walk through an area of hundreds of poker machines. They don't even hide them away anymore like they used to, and encourage you to walk through the area.

A mate's mother ended up losing thousands and thousands of dollars years ago when she started playing the pokies. She would lose and like a lot of gamblers think that she would recover the money by playing them more, which never works in the long run.

Going back a few years, you used to be able to cash out your machine, and get all the money and go. Now, at least the few I have used in the last decade, seem to require you to get someone to come to the machine and cash it out for you and you get the money from a desk. The cynic in me thinks that they have done this to make you reluctant to just finish and go do something else. How many people are going to bother to cash out $5, and end up playing it til they lose it. Except stingy people like me that is

The other effect pokies seem to have had was to close down some pubs in some areas. The poker machine licenses were granted to every pub (as far as I know), and in order to get more licenses and machines people in city areas were buying country pubs just for the pokie licenses, shutting the country pub and transferring the licenses. I think they might have reformed that, but I can't remember.

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Elroy Jetson said..

shi thouse said..

worrier said..
Main reason I think is no pokies. I will gladly pay double the eastern state rate to keep pokies out of here . even the pubs over east without pokies hav e to compete with the pub next door who does, my thoughts anyway
w
w

Got to excuse my ignorance here...being West Aussie, haven't experienced the pokie demom (plus I have 0% interest in gambling). . What are some of the issues with pokies if you have no interest in them?

Pokies are a constant temptation and it seems to become more and more socially acceptable to have a 'flutter' on the pokies as time goes by. Just like how gambling on the AFL has recently permeated the life of every tv watching footie fan in the last few years. In 2010 nobody knew the odds of their team winning a match, now it's the first talking point.

Life has it's ups and downs, it's sober times and the crazy drunkard times. Year by year the Pokies slowly suck most of one's family and friends into sitting in front of them - even the one's who had zero interest in it 10 years previously. They sit and live in hope. Pokie players seem to live for the telling of a yarn about how they won big, and everyone remembers when they win something.

If you're not into Pokies then you will feel as lonely as a non smoker sitting at a table full of smokers. That feeling when the smokers all get up in unison, leave the table to go to the outside Alfresco section of the Pub to hang out together in a moment of nicotine and smokey smoke bliss (or just to pass judgement on the one person that is left behind). They leave you to sit there by yourself sipping on you're warm 13 dollar Pint for an agonising 10 minutes.

The thing is that the smokers return after 10 mins, friends playing the Pokies may not return for the rest of the night!

Green thumb from me EJ, and your comments are spot-on for what was happening about 10 years ago. I had a business partner (good guy, we still keep in contact) that nearly sent us all under with his addiction. This started when the first pokies came to our town and on the first 3 visits, he averaged about $500 each time (a big win now, but huge for 1994!). He got hooked, lost his share of the business & respect, lost a few friends & it nearly cost him his family. From then on, I was typically the guy who would sit at the bar by myself having a beer whilst my mates would "just put 50 bucks through the pokies" - a comment that is very common & basically states that they know they are going to lose at least $50. This happens several times over a night.

Nowadays with high unemployment & welfare benefits, the issues are mainly with those that are on the 'lower' social scale and don't have jobs or family support to keep them busy. Basically, get cash out after your Centrelink payment goes in & blow most of it on the pokies within the first day.

In relation to beer prices - the pokies make the cash, so no need to have a large profit margin on the beer - basically the pokies are subsidising the beer, which brings more drinkers in & after a few ales...they put cash into the pokies - vicious cycle!

Join a club, $5.50 a pint at my sailing club plus no dickheads and would be hero throwing punches around. Not bad I thought!

I dont go out over here in WA at all, but I do a bit of work in SA and Queensland occasionally.
Im always blown away when I go in to a pub on my day off midweek and see mum/dad playin the pokies while the kids are in a cage in the corner playin with toys.
Could be just me but I recon pokies should be in Casino's, same as WA. I didgo into a pub with the nephew earlier this year though and paid $11+ for a pint I wont be goin back in a hurry. I head to Phillipines this week for work 80c for a san mig. Im happy to pay that.
W

Here's an interesting link.

www.pintprice.com/region.php?/Australia/AUD.htm