The drinks trade has reacted to the latest HMRC alcohol excise duty receipts, released yesterday. 

Dropping across all categories except cider, alcohol receipts overall dipped by £182m, which is a 1.4% decline on the previous year. Within this, receipts for wine dropped by £94, which mirrored the same number in spirits. Beer duty receipts reduced by £6m. Meanwhile, cider increased by £74m.  

On the changes, Miles Beale, CEO of the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, said: “Not only do wine and spirit drinkers pay the highest rates of excise duty and contribute the lion’s share of all alcohol duty receipts to the public purse, they have also been hit hardest by the UK’s uniquely punitive excise duty regime. 

“With every new set of data, we see clearly that increasing duty rates year-on-year reduce consumer demand and income to the Exchequer. Combined wine and spirit duties were £188m lower in 2025/26 than in 2024/25. 

“But there’s a chance to stop the ‘drip, drip, drop’: the government’s recently announced evaluation of the 2023 duty provides a clear opportunity for a major re-think as part of the 2026 Autumn Budget.”

Likewise critical, a representative from the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA), added: “The government’s own data shows that UK spirits producers, our supply chains and consumers across the country, can see the devastating impact of the 17% increase to spirits duty over the last three years.  

“Spirits revenue has fallen by £94m in 2025/26, and revenue is £1.1bn lower than was forecast when the new alcohol duty system was introduced in 2023.  

“It is critical that HM Treasury do not turn a blind eye to the role the punitive and distortive duty rate has had on spirits revenue, in addition to job losses and investment pauses across the spirits industry.” 

The SWA, which released this statement in tandem with seven other spirits organisations, continued: “Spirits duty amounts to a super tax on the industry and must be urgently addressed.  

“HM Treasury promised a review of the new alcohol duty system three years after its implementation. 

“We welcome the launch of that evaluation, and our organisations are united in our call for the review to be as comprehensive as possible, and for the Autumn Budget to take steps to support the UK’s world-class spirits industry.”