Beer Prices To Rise This Fall (Time To Stock Up)

Now we may understand why that beer tastes so much better during the summer: it's cheaper. Following beer sale trends, Anheuser-Busch has predicted higher prices for its Budweiser products set for this fall, and other beer companies may follow suit. 

Anheuser-Busch's price hikes were first reported by the St. Louis Dispatch; insiders in the beer industry have predicted about 55-cent to 70-cent price hikes on cases of Budweiser, Bud Light Platinum, and Bud Light Lime. It shouldn't be too surprising that Buds are getting more expensive; Anheuser-Busch has raised prices last fall, and again in 2010.

However, the pricier Budweisers are predicative of a larger trend for the beer industry, reports TIME. While there's not hard evidence, generally, beer (and other beverages) is cheaper to buy during the summer. Why? Beer sales soar during the summer, thanks to holidays like the Fourth of July, Memorial Day, and Labor Day, but then fall from September to March — just in time for a beer-friendly holiday, St. Patrick's Day. While it might make more sense to raise prices while beer sales are hot, beer companies sneak in price hikes during the down-months, possibly because the changed prices don't disrupt sales as much. In any case, we think now might be the time to stock up on some beers to last us through hibernation — er, we mean winter.