SCRANTON, Pa. — The next time you're looking to sit back, relax and crack open a beer, be prepared to reach deeper into your wallet.
Seamus Cadden of Cadden Brothers Beer Distributors in West Scranton says prices for all kinds of alcoholic beverages have gone up almost three times the usual amount.
"Beer usually goes up about 50 to 60 cents per year roughly in October, and that's typical, but this year it went up about two anywhere from a $1.50 to $2.50 per case, especially on the domestics, that's a lot," Cadden said.
Cadden says the rising costs for beer products is due to the inflation in prices for hops, a key ingredient in making beer.
"When you buy a craft beer, you're going to buy the four-pack or the six-pack, they are naturally more expensive. It's more on the domestics, anywhere from your economy 30 packs to your Blue Moon, your Sam Adams, your White Claws, your Twisted Tea that's all gone up significantly," Cadden explained.
Despite rising prices, customers say a couple extra bucks isn't gonna stop them from getting their favorite beverage.
"Well, it's like everything else; if you want it, you'll pay the price, you know," said Gordon Shiffer of West Scranton.
"Yea, the Coors Light went up. You know I'm a Coors light guy, I like to have a couple but not too many, you know," added Jeff LaBrosky of Scranton.
LaBrosky says beer is just another one of the many items that has spiked in prices post-pandemic.
"It's just crazy anymore how prices went up even with my shop, I had a lot of prices going up through parts and stuff like that. I get what people are going through. It's a tough time," LaBrosky said.
And it's all because of hops.
Hops is the priciest ingredient in many beers; it's also a crop that's only harvested once a year.
Hops prices are up more than six percent from a year ago.
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