Doomed!

[SimonMac]

BBC News - Alcohol minimum price plan to be unveiled

Ministers are to unveil plans later for a minimum price for alcohol in England and Wales as part of a drive to tackle problem drinking.

The Home Office is expected to publish a consultation on the proposal, which was first put forward in the government's alcohol strategy in March.

A price of 40p per unit was suggested at the time.

But pressure has been mounting on ministers to follow Scotland's lead, where 50p has been proposed.

Who here still buy's their cider by the gallon?

[DaveB]

BBC News - Alcohol minimum price plan to be unveiled



Who here still buy's their cider by the gallon?

Never mind by the gallon. When I was a teenager back in Cornwall we used to buy 5 gallon barrels direct from the local scrumpy farms. Tasted like apples and straw and made you fall over.

[wurzel]

BBC News - Alcohol minimum price plan to be unveiled



Who here still buy's their cider by the gallon?

Farmer up the road has got rid of his dairy herd & now has his bulk tank full of cider. 8 quid a gallon at my last visit.

[cailin maith]

Never mind by the gallon. When I was a teenager back in Cornwall we used to buy 5 gallon barrels direct from the local scrumpy farms. Tasted like apples and straw and made you fall over.

We had some great stuff when we were in Dorset a few years ago, cloudy and flat - rocket fuel

Between that and the Blue Vinney, it was a fab few days.

[d000hg]

If I ran a company that made cheap booze I'd be papping myself - 'premium' brands of lager are already sold above that price. For instance the very best multi-buy deals on stuff like Becks Vier are £10 for 12 cans. 12 cans at 4% is 21.1 units which has a minimum price of £9.50.
So at normal prices, brands like Stella and Bud are on or above the limit. If Tesco own-brand tat has to sell at the same price as those, it simply won't get bought anymore.

For spirits... a 750ml bottle at 40% has 30units and a minimum price of £13.50. That knocks out all the cheapo vodkas and blended whiskies but is about what you pay for branded stuff like Smirnoff, Gordons, etc.

So is all this simply going to mean anything for us middle-class people, or is it only going to hit the poor?

[SimonMac]

If I ran a company that made cheap booze I'd be papping myself - 'premium' brands of lager are already sold above that price. For instance the very best multi-buy deals on stuff like Becks Vier are £10 for 12 cans. 12 cans at 4% is 21.1 units which has a minimum price of £9.50.
So at normal prices, brands like Stella and Bud are on or above the limit. If Tesco own-brand tat has to sell at the same price as those, it simply won't get bought anymore.

For spirits... a 750ml bottle at 40% has 30units and a minimum price of £13.50. That knocks out all the cheapo vodkas and blended whiskies but is about what you pay for branded stuff like Smirnoff, Gordons, etc.

So is all this simply going to mean anything for us middle-class people, or is it only going to hit the poor?

A lot of the booze sold in supermarkets cheap are loss leaders just there to bring punters in the door to buy other goods, its the same as why Supermarket petrol is cheaper than average

[OwlHoot]

Definitely time to investigate beer and wine making kits again.

Paying all this tax for booze is a mug's game.

[hyperD]

Definitely time to investigate beer and wine making kits again.

Paying all this tax for booze is a mug's game.

These kits are very good - 50p/pint

[Lockhouse]

Unintended Consequences

Mess with the market...

[d000hg]

Definitely time to investigate beer and wine making kits again.

Paying all this tax for booze is a mug's game.

I'm not sure this new legislation would affect the taxation, isn't it simply telling retailers they can't sell below a certain price? i.e. price-fixing only.