Can You Buy Beer at Trader Joe’s?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Alcohol,Stores

buy beer at Trader Joes lg

Trader Joe’s sells a lot of good stuff at low prices. But a lot of it is their house brand. So, can you buy beer at Trader Joe’s?

Here’s what I know:

Trader Joe does sell beer in states where alcohol sales are allowed. The store has a wide selection of beers in different styles at low prices. While some are its own house brands, others are regular beer brands.

But there’s more to know.

In this article, we’ll explore whether Trader Joe’s makes their own beer and how much beer is at the store. But we’ll also find out whether Trader Joe’s sells Guinness and other “regular” beers.

Let’s get started.

Does Trader Joe’s make their own beer?

Trader Joe’s does not make its own beer as it does not own a brewery. Trader Joe’s brand beers are made by a few breweries across North America. Those breweries are named on the labels affixed to the bottles and include such well-known names as Gordon Biersch Brewing Company.

Let’s look at a few of the beers and the real brewers.

The Boatswain series, such as Name Tag, Simpler Times Lager, Chocolate Stout, and the Rhinelander Brewing company beers, are made by Minhas Craft Brewery, Monroe, Wisconsin.

The Josephsbrau range of Bavarian and Czech-style beers is made by Gordon Biersch Brewing Company in San Jose, California.

Its Kennebunkport beers are by Maine’s Shipyard Brewing Company. The Mission Street line is brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, California.

Curious about what tequila Trader Joe’s sells?

In a recent article of mine, I shared the scoop on whether the store only sells its own house brand and whether its brand of tequila is good. But I also revealed whether you could buy Casamigos tequila (George Clooney’s company) at Trader Joe’s.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

How much is beer at Trader Joe’s?

The average price for a 6-pack of beer at Trader Joe’s is $5.49. However, the price does vary from state to state and depends on the type of beer. But it will generally be at least 20% lower than average grocery store prices.

To offer a more accurate picture, we’ll look at a few of these beers and their prices (as of the time of writing). By the way, “ABV” is a measure of the volume of alcohol in a brew. It’s alcohol by volume.

Simpler Times Lager

$3.66 for a six-pack.

It’s got an ABV of 6.2%, and the quality is decent, but it’s definitely not what you’d like if you want a beer that’s exceptionally refined and hence of great quality. It’s great for occasions where you’re just chilling with some close friends.

Probably not what you want to offer if you have guests you’re trying to please. It’s not bad. It’s simply decent.

Boatswain Double IPA

It’s got a higher alcohol content than Simpler Times Lager, and being double IPA, lots of hops.

But this is balanced by its malty flavor. So, the taste is good, but being an IPA, its ABV is high, at 8.4%! So, you want to take it easy on how many bottles you take at a time. It’s 5 bucks for a six-pack ($0.84 per bottle).

Josephbrau Hefeweizen

Its taste and aroma are highly pleasant, and it’s indeed top-notch.

Its ABV is very reasonable (the average ABV for beer is 5%), and the price is very affordable. It’s one of the beers I’d recommend without any misgiving. Its ABV is 5.3%, and it sells for $1 per bottle.

Does Trader Joe’s sell Guinness?

Trader Joe’s does sell Guinness Stout. The quintessential Irish drink has been sold in the United States for about two hundred years. Naturally, it can be found in most stores and is available at Trader Joe’s.

Guinness is one of the oldest beer brands in the world.

It’s arguably the most famous beer brand globally, and it’s consumed heavily in different cultures. It has a distinct bittersweet flavor and a head that adds an extra layer of caramel and chocolatey magic to the mix.

Back in Ireland, clovers are often stamped into the head of each pint.

At TJ, you get it to buy in cans. Does it taste as good as the classic stout that’s usually sold in bottles?

You bet.

There’s a method that’s employed that ensures that the taste and the head are retained even when you’re buying it in a can. But seeing as Guinness is an upscale beer, aficionados suggest that it’s ideal to drink it in a tall glass.

Have you ever wondered whether Trader Joe’s sells tobacco products?

Check out a recent article where I shared the truth around whether Trader Joe’s and Aldi split over a disagreement about selling cigarettes. In it, I also showed whether Aldi stores sell cigarettes. And I explained why Trader Joe’s doesn’t sell cigarettes.

Just click that link to read it on my site.

Does Trader Joe’s have cheap beer?

Trader Joe’s has cheap beer at an average retail of $5.49 per 6-pack. On average, Trader Joe’s beer prices are a dollar or two cheaper than what you get in other stores.

Trader Joe is famous for its affordable wine selection. But it’s got a relatively large variety of beer too. They sell for a buck or two per bottle.

Most of the beers are decent, going by tests conducted by a couple of independent informal tasters. There are a few that boast a rich flavor and aroma and a few that are downright of questionable quality. I guess it’s true that you get what you pay for.

The following is a list of some of the beers they offer:

  • Euphony Lager 
  • Caco-Phony 
  • Josephsbrau Plznr 
  • Mission St. Belgian Style White Ale 
  • Josephsbrau Radler 
  • Stockyard Oatmeal Stout 
  • Josephsbrau Heller Bock 
  • Trader Jose Dark Lager 
  • Trader Jose Premium Lager 
  • Farm Island Organic IPA 
  • Farm Island Organic Session IPA
  • Black Toad Dark Ale 
  • Boatswain Chocolate Stout 
  • Simpler Times Lager
  • Simpler Times Pilsner

Does Trader Joe’s sell regular beer brands?

Trader Joe’s sells regular brand beer brands at affordable prices in addition to its own private label brands. However, they tend to not sell standard American beers such as Coors, Miller, or Budweiser.

So some notable and beloved (but let’s be honest, terrible) national brands are missing from its selection.

Luckily, you will find Guinness, Ommegang, and Ayinger, and some other interesting brews. So, even though TJ’s is a “haven for booze”, if you’re a beer lover, you’ll have to make do with its own house brands. Because they constitute the majority of the beer you’ll find in the famed store.

You’ve probably wondered why Trader Joe’s wines are so cheap.

I got into that in a recent article of mine. I explained where they get their wine, whether they still sell “two buck chuck”, whether you can get wine by the case, and I shared what I believe is their best wine.

Just click the link to read it on my site.

Conclusion 

In the article, we explored whether Trader Joe’s makes their own beer and how much beer is at the store.

But we also found out whether Trader Joe’s sells Guinness. Then, we found out if they have cheap beer. Lastly, we looked at whether they sell regular brand beers.

Photo which requires attribution:

Beer aisle Trader Joes Reston VA by ShashiBellamkonda is licensed under CC2.0 and was cropped, edited, and had a text overlay added.

Jeff Campbell

Hi! I'm Jeff Campbell. I was a leader for Whole Foods Market for over 2 decades. I worked in 9 stores in 4 states, not counting the hundred-plus stores I've assisted in other ways. I was a Global All-Star, a Gold Pen Winner, and won Top-10 Store (company-wide) 3 times in addition to Best New Store (company-wide).

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