Anyone else fed up with rising alcohol prices?

[Lucytheluckyone]

So for those who drink alcohol, anyone shocked by how expensive drinks are when out these days? I was out for a nice dinner with my husband last night - the place we were in was a ‘higher end place’ but the general bars (I’m in Edinburgh) are much the same. The cheapest glass of wine was £11.95 (175mls) and cocktails started at £14.00! We opted for a bottle of wine because on working it out had we gone with glasses it may have been £50 alone without even eating! In Edinburgh a cocktail has gone from £7(ish) 2 years ago to over £10! Anyone have this where they live?

I paid £2.49 for a pint of Thornbridge Jaipur (one of the best beers in the UK, brewed in Bakewell) in Spoons last week. The place was packed on a weeknight, it’s not hard to see why they

Cool story bro

My point was Echo falls is not worth £18, I wouldn’t pay a fiver either.

I don’t agree with your point either, but that’s ok. We don’t need to agree!

Where are you all drinking? I had a perfectly decent glass of Pino Grigio with my meal last night (pizza place in London) and it was £5.25.

DH and I never drink out any more..it's too much of a rip off,especially here in Scotland. I like gin but now buy it on Amazon as its cheaper than supermarket prices here.
If you like decent wine try the Wine Drops app. I've recouped my membership fee easily and the wine is lovely.

A pub near us (not in London or an expensive location) has classified a shandy as a cocktail and is charging £13 for that.

ETA it’s a rural area so people drink shandy because they’re driving, so it does feel a bit irresponsible as well as greedy.

I'm sorry what? How have they not been laughed out of business for pulling shit like that.

A pint of bitter shandy is my go to summer drink and I don't think I have ever paid more than a fiver for it, even in London.

They’ve just opened recently. I don’t imagine they will last very long.

DH bought two G&T’s and a small bowl of nuts in a bar in London recently, and the bill came to £48.

Ha! There are always placeing like that in London, skilled at extracing the maximumamount of money from people "because London".

My son and his friends rarely drink. They either play pool at the pub and get one pint all evening or every six weeks they go out and get absolutely smashed. Drinking isn't the go to it used to be. They never drink inbetween or at home. They are also really health conscious which is great. Wear earplugs in clubs etc.

Also I get that prices have to increase but if your like me and not well off, you simply cut out that expensive thing. If you can't offord it, you can't afford it.

It's like eating out. We only eat out for a birthday now. It's £140 for pizza express or go to the cinema for £5 each now. There's always something cheaper to do.

It's very sad the high street is dieing but I don't have the money to do these things more than a rare treat.

The cost of everything to deliver you your glass of wine has risen an awful lot.
From the supply of the wine itself to the environment you're sitting in, to the staff serving it to you and clearing up afterwards.
Who should be covering that increase if not the person wanting the wine?
Everyone knows that the cost of everything has risen and yes, you can buy a bottle to drink at home for a fraction of the price, but then you're supplying the labour to get it from the delivery to the glass, the glass, the premises and stock, the fuel to keep the place lit and warm/cool enough and you don't need insurance or a licence to do so. Those things aren't free, they cost more than just buying a bottle of wine, so why would you expect that you'll get the same price as buying it from a shop and drinking it at home?

People seem to really hate the hospitality industry at the moment and want it to subsidise their leisure time by not charging them what it costs to deliver the service they want, because they want the service, they just don't want to pay for it.

I too would rather pay the "Not a Spoons" tax . What has surpised me recently is the variation. Even in our small commuter town there are extortiinate places and really quite good value places. I normally drink bottled beer and for Peroni, for example, there are places where I can pay £4 a bottle and places that want £7.50, in the same town. I find the same in London.

DH and friends who go to the pub to watch sport have spotted a recent thing which is downlod the brewery/pub app. They often give you a free drink or discount.

Luckily I dont drink wine, its extortionate everywhere.

That’s nice dear.

Don’t get me started on the price of a coffee 🤣

I enjoy a really good glass of wine if we go out for a meal just the 2 of us (probably happens about 3 times a year due to no babysitter) so that’s not really a helpful answer is it?🙄

You can just go without it.

I guess this is partly why young people are looking for alternative ways to socialise. I used to go for a night out to the pub and then maybe a club at that age. Night bus home. These days that would be about £60 minimum.

But household budgets are really suffering too and the first thing a responsible household budgeter cuts when making ends meet is overpriced non essentials like food and drink out of the house.

You'd have to be utterly stupid or a exceptional martyr to get into debt or miss essential bills to keep spending on wine in pubs to support the hospitality industry.

It's not hatred, it's necessary financial prudence.

Well yes, how novel…..

Hugely expensive where I live. Soft drinks have gone up a lot too. I think the cost of living and cost of employing staff increases have made it impossible for the hospitality industry to keep their prices down.

I can’t bring myself to pay it. Don’t drink much anyway but can’t pay £10 for a small glass of wine in a pub. We were down in my local pretty town and bought wine at the co op and sat down by the river bank. Pubs are all rammed though so clearly doing well with the tourists.

It's like eating out.

i can't remember the last time I had a meal out that felt worth the price.

Don’t get me started on the price of a coffee

You really have to accept you are paying for the space, the wifi, the comfort. The coffee is obviously an incidental.

If you want proper coffee, you are much better off getting some decent beans, a good machine and enjoy paying 30p a shot. Similar vibes to homebrewing 😀

Minimum unit price makes absolutely zero difference in pubs.

If anything, Scotland's pubs benefit from the minimum unit price.

Our local is £3.50 a pint and £11 for a bottle of wine. Been coming here 10 years and wouldn't go anywhere else.