In addition to January doling out some very lousy weather, another January chiller for me is that the beer and liquor distributors produce their annual price increases. Usually the increases are comparatively small and businesses must choose to either pass along the increases to their customers or “eat it.”
At Buzzy’s Country Store thru the years, I have passed along a couple of these annual price increases when they involved premium, imported and craft beers. However, I have kept Buzzy’s popular single beer prices (Bud, Coors and Miller) the same the last 14 years. The last time these prices were increased was back in 2011 when Maryland raised the Alcohol Sales Tax from 6 to 9%. At $2.25 a beer, Buzzy’s has had the lowest prices around with most places currently charging $3 to $4 per beer.
All that said however, beginning on the 4th of next month, Buzzy’s will continue to feature some of the lowest prices around; but those single beer prices on Bud, Coors and Miller will now bump up from $2.25 to $2.50. (Beers currently at $2.50 and $2.75 will also bump up a quarter.) Ten ouncers (Buds, Bud Lights and Coors) will remain $2 (just because I don’t want to hear my buddy Captain Greg Madjeski complain about it.)
Quick aside here for you on the subject of raising beer prices. This time last year after receiving the new price list from Buck Distributing (Miller/Yuengling beers) I was contemplating making these changes. I asked Lee Carroll what he thought about bumping the prices for his bottle of Miller Light from $2.25 up to $2.50.
Lee said “It wouldn’t bother me any. But I’d stop coming in here if you do.”
I didn’t know if Lee was really serious or was just joking, but I didn’t want to take a chance that he meant it. So I kept the prices the same. You have Lee to thank for 2024 being the 14th consecutive year that these Buzzy beer prices stayed the same. As for 2025 – please keep in mind that the only thing permanent is change.
Little known tune here for you from one of my go-to-guys back in the day – Johnny Ramistella (whom you know as Johnny Rivers:)