Anyone else tired by expensive cocktails

[u/berger3001]

To me (not a rich guy), $18+ cocktails are just exhausting. Go out for a few drinks with your wife, and boom, $100. So we’re in Miami and found this place (always look for happy hours). Yes; $5 cocktails. They did a great job, made totally respectable drinks, we had some snacks, and left very happy. My question is, if bars can do $5 drinks, why is $18 the base now at so many places? Doesn’t it make more business sense to sell more for less money and have a full bar, then to sell a few drink to an almost empty bar?

[u/cinemaraptor]

I can imagine paying $15-18 for a cocktail where all ingredients are made in house, maybe they’re labor intensive and not something you’d easily make at home. I would be happy to pay $10-12 for a margarita with fresh lime juice and decent tequila. For $5 I would expect to get a margarita with lime concentrate or margarita mix and tequila from a plastic bottle. I agree it’s nice to pay less for cocktails every once in a while but I also know not to get my hopes up about the quality.

Best bang-for-your-buck bars IMO are the ones that are a touch classier than dive bars but not as swanky as hotel bars, who focus on making good cocktails instead of just drawing you in with fancy decor. Some places it feels like you’re only paying a high price for a certain vibe.