Major beer brands in the UK are quietly reducing the alcohol strength of their drinks while keeping prices and container sizes the same, a practice dubbed "drinkflation". Carling Original, one of Britain's best-selling beers, will drop from 4.0% to 3.4% alcohol by volume (ABV) from October, following similar moves already made by rivals. The change matters because it shows brewers responding to tax rules rather than consumer demand, quietly reshaping what's in the glass without shoppers necessarily noticing.

The shift is largely driven by UK alcohol duty reforms introduced in 2023, under which beer between 3.5% and 8.4% ABV is taxed at £22.58 per litre of pure alcohol (roughly 41p a pint for a 4.0% beer), while beer at 3.4% or below falls into a lower band taxed at £9.96 per litre (about 19p a pint). Other brands including Foster's, Sol, Carlsberg, Grolsch, John Smith's, Coors and Amstel have already cut their ABV in recent years. Carling's manufacturer argues the weaker version tested better for taste with consumers, and it introduced a stronger, pricier 4.7% Black Label variant in February to create a tiered product range.