The price of beer is on the rise again as the industry braces for another tax hike. 

From February 1, the federal government’s excise will increase by 3.7 per cent, which is expected to drive the price of an average schooner as high as $12.

Australian Brews News founder Matt Kirkegaard told Laurel, Gary & Mark expenses are stacking up for producers.

“Everyone has seen every aspect of their household budgets go up and it’s exactly the same for brewers,” he said.

“The cost of hops, which is a big part of craft beers these days; barley, which is made into malt, has gone up; the petrol to deliver the beer to the pub has gone up; if you’re buying beer in a container, there’s the container deposit scheme, so for a carton of 24, that adds more than $2.40.”

The tax on beer is tied to inflation and rises every six months. With the consumer price index rising 7.8 per cent over the last year, the tax is expected to jump higher than usual.

“The brewers are being hit by a whammy anyway and twice a year, the government decides to add a little bit more on top.”

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Image: Getty