To paraphrase Hamlet, to drink or not to drink, that is the question. Value is always relative, and cocktails are no exception.  Click here to read a good article in the Washington Post about increasing cocktail prices.

Everyone has a different idea of what he or she is willing to pay for a drink.  For me, the factors are the quality of the ingredients, the skill of the bartender, and the je ne sais quoi such as atmosphere, mood, etc.  Are all of those factors subjective?  Hell yes.  Just keep drinking the cocktails you like, and be willing to expand your horizons every now and then.