As the cost of living crisis continues, having fun on a budget is a non-negotiable. If you like going out-out, it’s likely that you’ve been forced to adjust your spending habits on a night out. No more buying drinks at the club, we’re drinking at home now.
But now even drinking at home could cost you a little bit extra. From tomorrow (August 1 2023), alcohol prices will increase in line with inflation.
Some of your favourite alcoholic beverages will see a price hike as high as £1.29, with the cost of a bottle of wine increasing by 44p. Can’t we have anything nice?
Prices of alcohol were expected to rise on February 1, however, the move was put on pause by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt for another six months.
The cost of alcohol will now rise tomorrow by September’s consumer price index of inflation at 10.1%.
If that wasn’t bad enough, the strength of alcohol will determine the cost of the drink, which could add a 9% increase to some drinks from August 1. This highlights the biggest change in duty rates since 1975.
Additionally, this new move is distinguishable from the current as it currently taxes alcohol by the four types of drinks. As it stands, there are four different duties for beer, cider, spirits, and wine.
So, how much is it going to cost you to buy your favourite bev?
The new figures highlighted by the Wine and Spirit Trade Association (WSTA) show that the new system will increase the price of bottle win by 44p, whilst port will see a rise of £1.29 per bottle.
But there’s good news as other alcoholic drinks might see a price reduction. A duty on a bottle of sparkling wine could be cut by 19p, for example.
It’s good news for anyone who loves cream liqueur as prices for drinks like Baileys’s could decrease by 3p whilst prices of tinnies like G&T could fall by 5p.
Alcohol Duty changes from August
- Port 20% abv 75 cl - New price: £4.28 Difference: +£1.30
- Sherry 15% abv 75cl - New price: £3.21 Difference: +97p
- Vodka 37.5% abv 70cl - New price: £8.31 - Difference: +76p
- Still Wine 12.5% abv 75cl - New price: £2.67 Difference: +44p
- 440ml can beer 4.5% off trade - New price: £0.42 Difference: +4p
- 440 ml can cider 4.5% off trade - New price: £0.19 Difference: +1p
- Pint cider 4.5% on-trade (draught) - New price: £0.23 Difference: 0p
- Pint beer 4.5% on-trade (draught) - New price: £0.49 Difference: 0p
Spirit-based Cream Liqueur 17% abv 70cl - New price: £3.39 Difference: -3p
Pre-Mixed G&T 5% abv 250 ml - New price: £0.31 Difference: -5p
- Sparkling Wine 12% abv 75cl - New price: £2.76 Difference: -19p
“Amongst all this pressure the government has chosen to impose more inflationary misery on consumers with the biggest single alcohol duty increase in almost 50 years,” Miles Beale, chief executive of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said.
Beale continues: “Ultimately, the Government’s new duty regime discriminates against premium spirits and wine more than other products.
A UK Government spokesman said: “As announced at Spring Budget 2023, the government will increase the duty rates under the revised duty structure for alcohol products being introduced from 1 August 2023 in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI). This includes all alcoholic products produced in, or imported into, the UK.
“The government will also increase the value of Draught Relief from 5% to 9.2% for qualifying beer and cider products and from 20% to 23% for qualifying wine, other fermented products (previously made-wine) and spirits. All changes will take effect from 1 August 2023.”