Unbeerable: $15 for a pint in NZ
You may still be able to find the odd bar in central Auckland boasting $5 pints, but most thirsty punters can expect to pay as much as $15 for a tap beer.
The Herald visited a number of bars and restaurants in the city, comparing the price of a standard beer.
Based on an average New Zealand pint size of 473ml, Tom Tom Bar and Eatery in Victoria Park and Soul Bar in the Viaduct had the most expensive beer on tap.
At Tom Tom Bar, a 500ml glass of Asahi will cost you $15. It’s $12 for a 400ml glass at Soul — both the equivalent of $14.20 for a pint.
Neither restaurant responded to requests for comment.
Ponsonby bar Long Room came third with a pint of Asahi costing $13.84, closely followed by Glass Goose in Auckland Central where a pint of Tiger costs the equivalent of $13.70.
According to Consumer New Zealand chief executive Sue Chetwin, there are no rules or caps on what restaurants and bars can charge for a drink. “A lot of things come into play in pricing: how much is the rent on the building that the beer is being sold from, whether they have all the same deals with suppliers, what rates they pay their staff, what place they are providing for people to drink the beer — it’s not just a simple matter of saying the beer is the same, so should be the same price.”
Hospitality New Zealand advocacy and policy manager Dylan Firth said comparing pricing was difficult as it depended on individual costs and supplier arrangements.
“You often pay more for something with a waterfront location and that may come down to the fact that they have higher rent so the overheads are much higher — for them to get a profit, they would need to charge more.”
Japanese restaurant Ebisu came ninth on the list with Steinlager Tokyo Dry costing the equivalent of $12.24 for a pint.
Restaurant manager Wayne Shennen said rent was a major factor as well as the type of establishment.
“[Pricing] can depend on whether it’s a restaurant or a bar because obviously good chefs cost a bit,” Shennan said. “Chefs are underpaid in this industry anyway for the kind of hours they do so that needs to be taken into account — if we don’t make enough money to get good staff we won’t be able to hold on to them,” he said.
“Also, typically when people go out to a restaurant they aren’t necessarily going with the same intention as when they go to a bar.”
A spokesperson for brewing company Lion said details around supply and pricing for businesses was commercially sensitive.
Across the range, Monteith’s and Mac’s came out as the more affordable beer, with most places charging around $9 or $10 for a pint.
Chetwin said although restaurants could charge what they wanted, the choice was over to the consumer whether they wanted to spend the money.
For those wanting to enjoy a pint or two at a more affordable price, it may pay to visit the regions. The most popular beer at several bars in Rotorua is a Mac’s Gold — about $7.80 a pint. In Christchurch, a pint of Speight’s costs $8.70 at Speight’s Ale House and $8 at The Embankment in Phillipstown.