From a buddy of mine also in the industry, he's indicated that unless it's a nano brewery or a really ingredient intense beverage, most places have the economy of scale to not be but so expensive - there's always a max price a beer can be sold with any reasonable volume.
Domestic beers wholesale pricing had only marginally increased from about $.25/case to maybe $.35 - dunno what the keg conversion is, but sounded like maybe an increase in the $5/keg range.
All that to say - what's your girlfriend seeing that's going to be catastrophic to beer drinkers in the Commonwealth? Or is this just another nickel/dime play by the park/SEAS?
A nickle and dime play by the wholesaler. There's 1 major wholesaler in VA, and everyone tends to follow them, and YTD alone her specific product has gone up 30% from that wholesaler. That's not to mention when they've done with other brands.
A FWIW, this wholesaler cut delivery drivers, lost staff, and in another state they operate in suffered a 2 week strike for refusing to do more than cost of living raises in 2022.
Basically the more I hear from her and the more I learn, the whole beer business is backasswards and the importer/brewer and consumer get screwed by the middleman.