brewers have to think across their portfolios. unlike wineries, few breweries are high-end only. they make special limited-releases that could command big bucks, but their bread and butter is the high-volume daily stuff. they don't want to piss off customers by charging $50 a bottle for one offering - it breeds resentment and doesn't encourage loyalty. as touchy-feely as this is going to sound, in my opinion there are aspects of equality and equal access in beer culture that inhibit high pricing. some bands charge a lot for their concert tickets because they can, other bands don't go for the gouge. i see wine as being the former, while beer is the latter.