If you’ve ever stepped foot in a Stag Bar—whether you’re a local regular, a planning a bachelor party, or just a casual bar-goer who’s stumbled in for a post-work pint—you’ve probably asked the same question: “What’s the average price of a drink here?” As a Stag Bar supplier who’s worked with locations across the Midwest for over seven years, I get this question all the time. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all number. The truth is, the average drink price at a Stag Bar depends on a handful of factors: location, bar size, clientele, and even what kind of drinks are most popular. Let me break this down, from the actual numbers I see in my deliveries to the trends that are shifting how Stag Bars price their drinks. Stag Bar
First, let’s define what a “drink” means here, because that’s a big part of the confusion. At most Stag Bars, a drink falls into three main categories: draft beer, bottled/canned beer, and mixed spirits. Stag Bars don’t usually specialize in fancy craft cocktails, though some bigger locations do have a small selection, but their core is always beer and straightforward mixed drinks. That’s important because the price of a draft beer is way different from a premium mixed drink, and it’s the volume of draft and beer sales that pulls the overall average.
When I started delivering to Stag Bars back in 2016, the average drink price across my route of 12 locations was around $5.25. Back then, draft beer was roughly $4.75 a pint, bottled beer was $5.50, and a standard mixed drink—like a vodka soda or bourbon and Coke—was $7. That average has shifted over the years, of course, thanks to inflation, supply chain costs, and changing customer habits. By 2020, right before the pandemic hit, that average had climbed to $6.10. Then, during the pandemic, it jumped even more because bars had to adjust for lower volume, higher delivery costs, and new safety protocols. By 2024, the average across my client Stag Bars is around $6.75. That might sound low compared to a downtown cocktail lounge, but it’s actually in line with other casual neighborhood bars, and way cheaper than the big chain bars near stadiums or concert venues.
But don’t take that $6.75 number as a hard rule. There’s a huge gap between Stag Bars in small towns versus those in mid-sized cities, even within the same region. Let’s split this into two groups: suburban and small-town Stag Bars, and urban Stag Bars.
The suburban and small-town spots are where most of my deliveries go—places that serve mostly locals, have a regular crowd, and cater to groups like weekend hunters, college students home for break, or small bachelor parties. For these bars, the average drink price is usually between $5.50 and $6.25. Draft beer is the biggest seller here, and they price it competitively. A standard 16-oz draft of a domestic brand—like Bud Light, Miller Lite, or Coors Light—will run $4 to $5, which is what you’ll find at most small-town Stag Bars. If they have a local craft tap, that’s $1 or $2 more, but craft only makes up about 10% of their draft sales, so it doesn’t shift the average much. Bottled beer at these places is a bit more, usually $5 to $6, and mixed drinks are $6 to $7. A lot of these bars also have happy hour deals, so if you stop in between 4 and 6 on a weekday, you can get a draft for $3 or a well drink for $4, which pulls the average down for off-peak times.
Now, urban Stag Bars—those in places like Chicago, Indianapolis, or Columbus—are a whole different story. These bars are closer to downtown, near universities or sports venues, and they cater to a more diverse crowd, including larger bachelor parties, out-of-town visitors, and weekend bar hoppers. The average drink price here is between $7 and $8.50. The biggest reason is real estate: rent in downtown areas is way higher, so bars pass that cost on to customers. A draft beer at an urban Stag Bar is usually $5.50 to $7, and if it’s a popular local brand near a stadium, that can jump to $7.50 on game days. Bottled beer is $6.50 to $8, and mixed drinks are $8 to $10. I delivered to a Stag Bar in downtown Indianapolis last year, right next to the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where a pint of draft beer was $8 on Colts game days. That pushed their overall average up to almost $8.20 last quarter.
Another big factor that affects the average is what the bar’s most popular drinks are. At every Stag Bar I work with, 70% of sales come from beer, so beer prices are the biggest driver of the average. If a bar sells more premium imported beers than domestic ones, their average goes up. If they cater to bachelor parties that order a lot of mixed drinks, that also shifts the average higher. For example, last year I had a new client in a suburb of Cincinnati that specializes in bachelor party packages—they set up large tables with kegs and pre-mixed drinks for groups. Their most popular drinks are 20-oz draft beers, so their average drink price is $5.80, which is lower than the urban average, even though it’s in a mid-sized city. On the flip side, a Stag Bar in Cleveland that has a big selection of craft beers and is near a college campus sells a lot of $8 craft drafts, so their average is around $7.90.
I also want to talk about the hidden costs that go into these prices, because a lot of people don’t realize that Stag Bars don’t just mark up drinks to make a quick profit. As a supplier, I see all the costs that get passed along to customers. First, there’s the cost of the beer itself. When I deliver domestic beer to small-town Stag Bars, I pay about $0.25 to $0.35 per can, so a bar buys that can for $0.50 to $0.75, and sells it for $5, which is a big markup, but that covers all the other expenses: rent, utilities, staff, insurance, and waste. Draft beer is even more expensive for bars because taps need regular maintenance, and if a keg goes bad, that’s a total loss. Spirits are also expensive—well liquor can cost a bar $10 a bottle, so a mixed drink uses about $1 of that liquor, plus a shot of soda or juice, so the $6 price tag covers the rest.
Inflation has been a huge driver of price increases over the last five years. Between 2019 and 2024, the cost of beer supply has gone up almost 30% across the board. That’s not just from the pandemic—there’s also higher transportation costs, aluminum can prices going up, and even weather issues that hurt hop and barley crops. I remember in 2021, I had to raise my delivery prices by 12% because gas and fuel surcharges were so high, and every bar I work with had to raise their drink prices by roughly that same amount to cover their costs. That’s why the average went from $6.10 in 2020 to $6.75 in 2024.
Another trend I’ve noticed is that Stag Bars are getting more creative with pricing to keep customers coming in without alienating them. A lot of bars have started offering “flight” deals, where you can get three small draft beers for $10, which works out to about $3.33 per flight, but that’s not a full drink, so it doesn’t count toward the average. Others have “bucket deals” where four beers are $15, which is $3.75 each, again lower than regular price. These deals are great for customers, but they also mean that the average price I calculate is a bit lower than the “regular” price, because they only apply to certain times or group sizes.
Now, let’s talk about what this means if you’re planning a visit to a Stag Bar—whether it’s a bachelor party, a night out with friends, or just a casual drink. If you’re in a small town, budget around $5 to $7 per drink. If you’re in a mid-sized city, plan for $6 to $8. If you’re in a downtown area near a venue, you might pay $7 to $10 per drink, especially on game days or weekends. But don’t forget about happy hours, which most Stag Bars run on weekdays, usually from 4 to 6 PM, where you can get a draft for $3 or a well drink for $4. That can save you a lot of money if you time your visit right.
As a Stag Bar supplier, I also work directly with bar owners to help them price their drinks fairly. A lot of new bar owners don’t know how to balance covering their costs with keeping prices competitive, so I share data with them from other Stag Bars in the same area to help them set their prices. For example, when I helped a new Stag Bar open in Dayton in 2022, I gave them data on average drink prices in similar-sized cities in Ohio, and they set their draft prices at $4.50 and mixed drinks at $6.50, which was lower than the nearby Stag Bars, so they built a loyal regular crowd quickly. That’s the thing about Stag Bars—they’re not just places to drink; they’re community spots, so owners know that pricing too high will drive customers away.
I also want to address a common misconception: some people think Stag Bars are just expensive party spots, but that’s not true for most of them. The Stag Bars I deliver to are family-friendly? No, wait, no—they’re casual, they’re for adults, but they’re not the fancy, overpriced bars you see in big cities. They’re the kind of place where you can sit at the bar, have a beer, and chat with the bartender for an hour, and spend around $10 total, not $30 or $40 like some downtown bars. The average price I talk about is for a single drink, so if you’re out with friends, you can plan for about $20 to $30 per person for three drinks, which is pretty reasonable.
If you’re a bar owner or manager looking to update your drink pricing, or you’re in need of a reliable supplier for your Stag Bar, I can help. I’ve been working with Stag Bars across the Midwest for years, and I have all the data on average drink prices, supply costs, and customer trends to help you set prices that work for your location. Whether you’re a small-town bar looking to stay competitive or an urban bar trying to cover rising costs, I can provide tailored solutions for your needs. Contact me today to discuss your supply needs and get more details on how I can help your bar run smoothly.
Rock Me References:
- National Restaurant Association. (2024). Bar Industry Price Trends Report.
- Beer Institute. (2023). U.S. Craft and Import Beer Pricing Survey.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Consumer Price Index for Alcoholic Beverages Away from Home.
- Midwestern Bar Owners Association. (2023). Regional Stag Bar Pricing Survey.
- National Beer Wholesalers Association. (2024). Supply Chain Cost Report for Alcoholic Beverages.
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