It is a long-held stereotype that engineers enjoy drinking – somehow in the millennia of the rise of civilization, the construction of the wonders of the world, the spread of potable drinking water and the invention of the Internet, the consumption of liquids made from fermented sugars has become associated with the study and profession of engineering. This is clearly untrue, and this article will not seek to reinforce them.

Thus purely on an academic basis, we present to you the Bodine Value.

The Bodine Value is an easy way to scientifically determine the usefulness of a given alcoholic beverage by leveraging the powerful forces of Math. It can be calculated using the formula of (Volume * Alcohol Content) / Cost. The result is that you are given a value against which you can compare the relative drunkenness-for-cheapness of different drinks. That is to say, multiply the volume of the container by the percentage of alcohol by volume and divide the result by the cost. For example, one can purchase 12 bottles of Labatt Blue for $21.95. With a total volume of 4092ml, an alcohol content of 5%, and a total cost of 21.95, our formula becomes (4092* 0.05) / 1.6625 = 9.3. A respectable Bodine Value.

If we are down to only a few hypothetical dollars, however, we may be looking for a higher value. A 12-pack of PBR ranks in at 12.73, a single Colt 45 at 15.29, and a jaunt across the border to Quebec to purchase the 10.1% Labatt Bleue could net you a value of 28.72. These values are based on Beer Store/LCBO/SAQ prices rather than bar value – the Bodine Value of which is inevitably lower due to the high cost of alcohol at bars.

When visiting these reputable establishments for the scholarly pursuit of the comparison of economic values, a pint is 473 mL, a shot is 44 mL, and a pitcher is 1773.9 mL. Thus a five-dollar pint of 5% has a value of 5, a shot of any 40% at 5$ is 3.52, and a pitcher of 5% beer at $10 is 8.8.

It is the sincere hope of this researcher that these values spur the read on to increased research into the field of economics and consumer behaviour. The way in which pricing is perceived and acted upon by the consumer can have a direct economic impact on the individual economic actors and those around them. Ultimately, it is only through rigorous peer-reviewed experimentation that we will advance this delicious field of study.