Carling, one of the UK's best-selling lagers, has reduced the alcohol content of its beer to 3.4% ABV, with the brewer citing cost-cutting as the driving factor behind the change. The move reflects wider pressures facing drinks manufacturers, who are looking for ways to manage rising costs amid a difficult trading environment for the brewing industry.

Lowering a beer's alcohol by volume can also reduce the amount of alcohol duty a brewer must pay under the UK's strength-based tax system, making such reductions a common cost-saving tactic. Full details of the change, including the previous ABV level and when the new recipe will reach shelves, were not specified in the available report.