Alcohol price increase; stock up now on Brangelina’s Château Miraval Rosé and Kylie Minogue’s prosecco

Those who enjoy a cheeky tipple from the vineyards or distilleries operated or endorsed by the wave of celebrities who have taken to the alcohol market to diversify their portfolios may want to think about stocking up overnight. 

Originally announced as part of the Conservative government’s Spring budget, the price of alcohol is set to rise on the first day of August as part of a complete reform of Alcohol Duty - the tax HMRC adds to the price of every pint, shot, glass, can and bottle of booze and is the biggest change to the way Alcohol Duty is calculated in 140 years.

Most wines with an ABV between 11.5% and 14.5% will see an increase of £0.44 per 75cl bottle, resulting in a 20% rise from the current rate (£2.23 to £2.67). For wines above 15% ABV, the duty increase will be £0.97 (+44%) per 75cl bottle, with the increase scaling up for higher alcohol percentages. 

Meanwhile, wines under 11.5% ABV will enjoy a more favourable treatment, with a reduction of £0.09 from the current rate for wine at 10% ABV, making it £2.14 per 75cl bottle. Additionally, the abolishment of separate duty rates for sparkling and still wine will lead to a £0.19 reduction in duty for Champagne or sparkling wine, bringing it in line with still wine at £2.67 per 75cl bottles

Draught beer and cider in 20-litre containers below 8.5% ABV with a dispensing system will receive a 9.2% discount, keeping prices steady for certain products. However, the standard duty on packaged beer with 3.5% ABV and above will rise by 10.1%, resulting in a £0.69p increase per case for a 24-pack of 330ml 4.5% lager. Additionally, spirits over 22% ABV will also face a 10.1% duty increase, raising the price of a standard bottle of 40% ABV by £0.81.

That would mean that a bottle of Kylie Minogue’s prosecco, which currently costs £12, will drop to around £11.91 per bottle due to having an ABV lower than 11%. However, a bottle of  Château Miraval Rosé, made at the winery Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are fighting over, will rise from an RRP of £20.95 to £25.14 under the new alcohol duty tax.