Traveling can be stressful, especially when airports are involved. There’s the risk of hitting rush-hour traffic on the way there, the chance that TSA is moving slower than usual, and the sheer fact that you’re about to board a hunk of metal that’ll be soaring through the sky at 35,000 feet. Whatever the case, one of the most dependable ways to take the edge off the experience is to grab a quick pint or two at your terminal’s bar. Unfortunately, the drink prices at these bars also tend to hit high cruising altitudes. And given that downing booze you brought from home is a no-no at any American airport, anyone looking for a pre-flight drink is at the mercy of on-premise price gouging.
For better or worse, American airports don’t have a standardized pricing system for beer, wine, and cocktails. In some cities, the price of an airport beer isn’t much different than that of a dive bar. In others, you can expect to shell out more than $13 per pint — even for a basic macro lager. To help you budget for your next trip, VinePair checked out personal finance publication FinanceBuzz’s recently published list cataloging the average price of a “regular-sized domestic macro brew,” which uses price data collected from the nation’s 50 busiest airports. FinanceBuzz defaulted to Budweiser and Bud Light in their collection, and at airports where those beers weren’t available, the prices of either Coors or Miller products were considered. For every airport listed, the price averages were determined based on beers offered at a minimum of five restaurants or bars per airport.
