Via iStockphoto / @onlysalafans TikTok
A potential Pine Hall customer in Detroit was left dumbfounded when she saw the price of cocktails at the bar.
Pine Hall, which opened in June, is one of the trendiest new rooftop bars in the Detroit area. However, one customer remains unconvinced by the menu prices.
Recently, it seems like prices for drinks have gone up. Kentucky Derby drink prices were no less than extortionate. One TikToker, who was shocked by the cost of an $18 margarita, questioned whether it was a recession indicator.
But as TikToker @onlysalafans demonstrated, the drinks in Pine Hall are even more costly.
The viral video, which has garnered 174,700 views, is zoomed in on the menu on the outside of the tavern.
“This is mildly horrifying to me that a cocktail costs $1 less than an entree of fried chicken,” she says.
As she says this, she pans the camera over to a drink called the “Desert Island Negroni,” which costs $21. Meanwhile, the “Boneless Fried Chicken” costs $22. BroBible was able to verify these prices on the Pine Hall website.
BroBible reached out to the TikToker via TikTok direct message and Pine Hall via email.
‘Going Out Has Become So Performative’
Many commenters were critical about the price.
“It’s important to know that these $20 cocktails have less than $1 worth of ingredients in them, including the alcohol,” one remarked.
“And the bartender expects a $5 tip to mix it and walk it over to you,” a second complained.
A third argued that “going out has become so performative it’s so annoying.”
Other commenters implied that the high cost of these drinks is why people drink and socialize less.
“I don’t think it’s horrifying,” a fourth chimed in. “I think it helps people drink less.”
“This is why people aren’t drinking as much out,” a fifth opined. “I’d rather just get an appetizer.”
Elsewhere, a sixth asked, “Does anyone else say they’re ‘taking a break from alcohol’ when out at places like this? I ain’t paying $20 for 2 sips of alcohol.’
Why Are Drinks So Expensive?
A 2024 Delish article consulted with experts in order to uncover what it called “boozeflation” in recent years, with an emphasis on cocktails being especially expensive.
“Since the end of the pandemic, [cocktail prices] really kind of lost their mind,” Brett Thorn, senior food editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, explained to the outlet.
Of course, the rising costs of rent, ingredients, and other essentials needed to keep the business running is probably part of the reason. But as Thorn pointed out, this could be a catch-22.
“It can be a vicious cycle, because in order to pay your bills, you raise your menu prices, then your traffic, the number of people coming into your restaurant, is going to decrease,” he explained. “And so you might harm yourself even more by raising prices more than your guests are willing to accept.”
Noah Tracht, VP of Strategic Partnerships at F&B Insights, said that as of 2024, cocktails in metropolitan areas cost $15 to $18, while cocktails in fancy restaurants cost $22 to $25.
For Noah, these drinks’ trendiness makes them more expensive.
“Most cocktails across the spectrum are seeing price increases,” he said. “Changes in consumer preferences and market conditions can influence pricing trends.”