October 17, 2007 -- My friend and colleague Stan Hieronymus likely raised a few eyebrows this week when he wrote about the real value of some of the beers poured at the recent Great American Beer Festival. Noting that the brewers participating in the GABF are not compensated for the cost of their beer, he highlighted some of the rather pricey brands offered by southern California’s The Lost Abbey, including Cable Car, a limited edition beer created for the 20th anniversary of the Toronado beer bar, which retails for $30 per 750ml bottle.

"$30 for a beer!?" I can almost hear outraged readers exclaiming, "That’s a rip-off!"

Well, no, it isn’t. And here’s why.

First off, Cable Car was one of the finest examples of the brewing arts – emphasis on the “art” – that I tasted over the course of my four days in Denver. A sublime golden ale, it blends tartness with fruit, lightly piquant spiciness with faint sweetness, and inspired complexity with a brilliantly clean, dry finish. In short, it is a masterful creation and the only reason I have not written about it to date is because I’m growing rather self-conscious, and a little tired, of praising almost anything Lost Abbey's almost ridiculously talented brewer Tomme Arthur produces.

Now, back to that price thing. Sure, Cable Car is pricey when compared to, let’s say, a six-pack of Bud, but what about comparing it to something more appropriate, like another sparkling alcoholic beverage of extraordinary flavor and aroma? Like Champagne?

I enjoy Champagne immensely, and not that long ago thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful bottle of Billecart Salmon Champagne Brut. It, too, possessed complexity, finesse and wonderful character, and in the same size bottle it retails at a popular California beverage chain for $44.95, or a full 50% more than the Cable Car.

But bubbles always cost extra in wine, and besides, there are all those shipping costs from France to consider, so let's pick something closer to home. How about a Laetitia 2005 Les Gallets Pinot Noir, a very fine and very Californian wine recently praised as "sensational" by Wine Enthusiast magazine? Price: $60 per bottle, or twice that of Cable Car.

The way I see it, the only reason a $30 beer is considered expensive is because it's "just beer" rather than wine.

The bottom line is that when you spend $15, $30 or $200 on a 750ml bottle of anything, it is an indulgence which, like a three star meal or a flashy car, nobody requires in order to survive. Indulgences are those things that make our daily lives a little more pleasurable, and whether they come from grape or grain shouldn’t matter one iota.

What matters is taste, pure and simple. Price? Get over it!

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