10 Of The Most Expensive Beers You Can Buy, And Are They Worth It?

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Most of the time, the cost of a beer directly affects its enjoyment. A drink at the NFL stadium that sells the most expensive beer will, inevitably, satisfy differently from a cold one straight from the cooler at a family barbecue, for example. That said, the Washington Commanders sell beer starting at $16.49, whereas plenty of craft beer aficionados will pay double that or more for a high-quality seasonal release from a renowned brewery. 

Some of the most sought-after beers can sell for hundreds upon hundreds of dollars at the few retailers lucky enough to get their hands on such rare inventory. This list forgoes those true white whales, typically released years ago in highly limited quantities. Instead, the following beers are all available either at standard liquor stores, specialty beer shops, or directly from breweries. Each of these beers is actively in production or scheduled for a seasonal release at the time of this article's writing. Within those criteria, the following is a list of the most expensive beers readily available to purchase, plus analyses as to whether or not each is worth its steep cost.

Boston Beer Company

Arguably more than any other single product, the Boston Beer Company's annual Samuel Adams Utopias release is arguably the most synonymous with expensive beer. Each year's Utopias is an ale barrel-aged to 28% ABV, packaged in a distinctly shaped, 25.4-ounce ceramic brass-colored bottle. Because it has such a high ABV, Samuel Adams' annual beer was once illegal in 15 states. From release to release, the types of barrels in which the brew is aged change. In stores, Utopias sells for a suggested retail price of $239.

On the popular beer review platform Untappd, Utopias is rated 4.45 out of 5 stars, based on over 21,000 individual ratings. While that indicates a high level of quality, even those who have tried the beer and enjoyed it don't always think it's worth its price tag. The taste is often compared to that of a quality Port or Sherry wine, which is undoubtedly unique for beer, but not mind-blowing to the extent its price suggests. 

"I personally wouldn't buy it unless you have a group of friends you can split it with," wrote one Reddit user. "I think it's good but definitely overpriced. You go in thinking you'll have some sort of revelation for the amount you're paying and you'll drink it and think this is pretty good, but I could spend a tenth of the money I just spent and get something better."

Technically, $200 is the minimum pretty much anyone will have to pay for one of 3 Floyds Brewing's limited variants of its renowned Dark Lord imperial stout. However, for those lucky enough to snag a ticket to Dark Lord Day in Munster, Indiana — 3 Floyds' annual release event, and the only way to purchase Dark Lord beers outside of the secondary market — that $200 ticket is good for one standard Dark Lord, three variants, and access to an extreme metal festival. But since variants like the Dark Lord Marshmallow Handjee and the Dark Lord Chemtrailmix sell on the secondary market for nearly $200 a bottle, it's just about impossible to nab Dark Lord variants without wading into hundreds-of-dollars territory.

The 2025 release of that Dark Lord Marshmallow Hanjee is rated 4.47 on Untappd, and the 2025 Dark Lord Chemtrailmix holds a similarly high rating. Additional variants are also well above the 4.0 threshold. Since a Dark Lord ticket to Dark Lord Day guarantees multiple rare and highly rated beers, it's fair to say they're worth their price tag for anyone with sufficient disposable income. "It's the variants now that really stand out," wrote one Reddit user. "Marshmallow Handjee (just BA vanilla — no marshmallow) is genuinely one of the best stouts I've ever had."

Just like 3 Floyds Brewing's Dark Lord Day release event for its Dark Lord beers, Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. — responsible for producing the signature beer of Iowa — hosts a single-day annual release event for its sought-after Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout. While the main event is a single bottle of KBBS without a concert or any creative variants, tickets are so in-demand that they're awarded through a lottery system. Lottery winners who procure a ticket then have to shell out its $100+ retail price for a bottle.

Pricey though it may be, the quality of the Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout has been praised in just about the most flattering light possible. On Untappd, various yearly KBBS releases rank among the highest-rated beers of all time. As long as paying over $100 for a single beer isn't an inherent dealbreaker, then the KBBS may be the beer most worth its inflated price tag. "Paid the $100 for a Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch when I won the Kentucky Brunch lottery last year," wrote a Reddit user. "It was absolutely worth it. Far and away the best beer I've ever had."

Side Project Brewing

Whereas breweries like the craft beer pioneering Boston Beer Company, Three Floyds, and Toppling Goliath each produce what could be described as normal beers, Saint Louis' Side Project Brewing is wholly dedicated to boutique brews. Consequently, Side Project's lineup of sours and strong ales is pricey on the whole. The most expensive product is a barleywine and stout blend called Continuance Blend #7, sold in a two-pack with a spontaneously fermented wild ale called Duality. The former comes in a 750-milliliter bottle and the latter in a 375-milliliter bottle. They're only available as a package deal for $80.

On Untappd, the Continuance Blend #7 is rated 4.5, and the Duality is rated 4.13. Side Project's describes its Continuance Blend #7 as being finished with maple, cinnamon, and banana. A few different reviews on Untappd recount a conspicuous lack of banana flavor, but otherwise, its reception is largely positive. The rarer Duality, which has only been rated 40 times, has been praised by multiple reviewers for its low level of acidity and pleasant level of wild ale funk. Neither beer is a phenomenon to the extent of Dark Lord or the Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout, but based on an altogether warm reception for each beer, they're worth seeking out for fans of experimental ales with money to spare.

Side Project Brewing's name is a reference to the fact that its owner also worked as the head brewer for St. Louis' Perennial Artisan Ales at the time he founded his so-called side project. It's no surprise, then, that the boutique, experimental brews defining Side Project's beer lineup reflect a range of left-field ideas also on offer from Perennial. The priciest specialty beer in Perennial's catalog is a whiskey barrel-aged imperial stout called Maman. It's available directly from Perennial Artisan Ales for $55.

On Untappd, Maman holds a solidly high 4.55 rating. Some people who have tried the beer rank it among the best imperial stouts ever produced. So, despite its steep price, it's well worth seeking out for anyone covetous of an exceptionally high-quality dark, roast beer. "Dark cocoa, roasted coffee, and vanilla notes," wrote an Untappd user of the 2025 Maman release. "Slightly strong bourbon finish. A decadent brew. One of the wife's and my favorites."

Anchorage Brewing Company is, of course, based in Anchorage, Alaska. Its beer lineup features a fair number of bottles and cans that fetch high prices in stores. Amidst some standard IPAs are plenty of limited-release sours and barrel-aged ales. The brewery is even responsible for the Citra Bitter Monk Belgian double IPA, which made it on a Mashed list of the 40 best beers you should be drinking in 2022. At the highest price point among its regular offerings is Deal With The Devil barrel-aged barleywine. It's available on store shelves starting at around a $70 price point and sometimes commanding over $100, depending on the shop, for a 375-milliliter bottle.

Based on more than 6,900 distinct ratings, Anchorage Brewing's Deal with the Devil holds a respectable 4.49 rating on Untappd. That said, numerous Reddit commenters in discussion threads about the beer's price have argued that, while enjoyable, the Deal With The Devil is not worth such a hefty price tag. "Don't bother. There are other barleywines out there that are cheaper and better," wrote one Reddit user. "I've seen fantastic small batch beers lose what made them fantastic in the first place because people loved it and demanded more, which forces the brewery to cut corners and change recipes. This beer is no different."

Just like 3 Floyds and Toppling Goliath, Forager Brewery in Rochester, Minnesota, only sells its most sought-after beer at an annual release event, albeit without a ticket requirement. That event's baseline offering is the Nillerzzzzz, a blend of bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts intended to spotlight vanilla tasting notes — hence the beer's name. That, and a bourbon barrel-aged vanilla barleywine retail for $55. At an even higher price point is the Double Barrel Maple Nillerzzzzz, which retailed for $70 in 2025. What makes this beer unique is the time spent aging in barrels that were previously used to produce vanilla extract and maple syrup.

The Forager Brewery Double Barrel Maple Nillerzzzzz's Untappd rating sits at 4.62. While that may be based on just under 200 ratings, it's still higher than other pricier beers on this list, save for the Toppling Goliath Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout. In short, this brew expertly delivers on its maple and vanilla flavors, in addition to its imperial stout style, making for a solid luxury purchase. "Maple bourbon barrels absolutely shining. Walking a lovely booze / sweet / spicy balance. Cocoa, maple, vanilla all playing together nicely," wrote one Untappd user who tried the beer in August 2025.

The Bruery

The Bruery, located in the city of Placentia in Orange County, California, is among the breweries in the U.S. that anyone should visit at least once. Responsible for its unique appeal is a deft balance between accessibility and quality. On one end of the spectrum are its baseline Belgian ales, stouts, and lagers, available either in 375-milliliter bottles or four-packs of cans. Even those are on the slightly pricier end for beer, but their prices reflect some unique recipes. 

The Bruery's flagship lager, for example, is a pilsner brewed using traditional European techniques, retailing at $14 for four cans. At the opposite extreme — exceeding a fair number of experimental 750-milliliter bottles at a $30 price point — is a $55 brew called The Rutherfords. It's a wine barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with wine grapes, and The Bruery even describes it as a beer-wine hybrid.

The Rutherfords has earned an overall respectable score of 4.29 on Untappd, based on more than 450 ratings. Befitting of its distinct style, reviewers have highlighted both its standout flavor and wine-like tasting notes. Connoisseurs of left-field beers who can afford it, then, might want to seek out The Rutherfords from The Bruery. "Sometime you are blessed drinking special beers, this is one of them: Its like drinking incredible red wine, but I can still detect some malt," wrote a reviewer on Untappd. "Red fruits, cacao, confits forest fruits. Very thin body but every sip evolves into something new. Awesome."

At a fair number of bottle shops with rare and/or valuable inventory, beers produced by Belgium's 3 Fonteinen — sometimes spelled Drie Fonteinen, based on the Flemish word for "3" — rank among the most expensive products for sale. The brewers at 3 Fonteinen specialize in wild Belgian lambic beers, which are also the specialty of the renowned Cantillon brewery. Both 3 Fonteinen and Cantillon are responsible for plenty of white whales that fetch exorbitant prices on the secondary market. Offered in 3 Fonteinen's regular lineup, but still commanding high prices in the U.S., is the Schaarbeekse Kriek, a sour cherry-flavored lambic. Bottles start at about $55 where available.

Schaarbeekse Kriek holds a 4.37 on Untappd, based on approximately 5,000 ratings. Even at a $73 price point, the fact that it's perhaps one of the foremost examples of the kriek style of beer led one Reddit commenter to characterize it as well worth its high price. "This is the standard price for Schaarbeekse in the U.S. If your friend likes Krieks, there's a good chance this will rank with the best they've ever had," they wrote. Although they agreed it was pricey, they would still choose it over other options. 

Birra Baladin

The town of Piozzo in Italy — a country not particularly known abroad for its craft brews — is home to the Birra Baladin brewery. Its standard lineup consists of popular European styles, ranging from Belgian ales to German witbiers. Xyauyù Kioke is one of Birra Baladin's specialty offerings. What makes it unique is the time spent aging in open kioke barrels, which are typically used to ferment soy sauce, but are unused in the making of Xyauyù Kioke. The beer may not directly pick up any soy sauce notes, given that the wooden barrels are new, but aging in a barrel with an open top gifts the Xyauyù Kioke with a distinct character. At domestic bottle shops, the imported Italian beer starts at around $51, and can command higher prices depending on the seller.

On Untappd, about 4,000 users have rated Xyauyù Kioke, resulting in a 4.38 average. Birra Baladin's popularity in the U.S. isn't quite on the level of international heavy hitters like 3 Fonteinen, so detailed reviews in English aren't all that common, but those who have shared their thoughts are largely positive. The Xyauyù Kioke may be more of a gamble at such a high price point and lacking widespread acclaim, but the prevailing verdict is that it's a pretty stellar beer. Whether or not it justifies its price may depend on the individual consumer. "This is absolutely marvelous," wrote a reviewer on BeerAdvocate. "Never had anything like it."

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Determining the most expensive beers available to buy required a couple of key criteria. First, some notoriously expensive beers simply sell once and are never available again, even on the secondary market, so those were not considered. Beyond those is a second tier of pretty exorbitantly expensive beers — BrewDog's Sink the Bismarck is one example — that are available in some stores. Produced during highly limited windows, those beers are now expensive, in equal parts because of their original cost and the demand on the secondary market driving up their prices. Many are also very hard to find, which made them ineligible for this purpose.

This list's selection, then, solely compiles beers that are in active rotation at each brewery that makes them. That could mean they're available in some capacity year-round, they were readily available at the time of this article's writing, or they're available in a seasonal window that recurs every year. Assessing whether each beer is worth purchasing entailed first looking at its Untappd rating, since that's the foremost source for beer reviews. Then, to either support or complicate each beer's rating, it was supplemented with written reviews that broke down the quality in greater detail.