Beer Prices in Australia

Published by Mike The Price Man on

Australian Beer Prices

Aussies love beer! But how much does beer in Australia cost? What are the most popular brews? Why is it so expensive? How do the taxes work? Here’s all you need to know and the latest beer prices in Australia.

Latest Beer Prices in Australia

In 2016, the average Aussie aged 15 and older drank a combined total of 9.7 litres of pure alcohol. That number was up from 9.52 litres in 2015.

That’s a bottle of wine, five beers, three mixed drinks, and half a cider.

Here’s the latest beer prices in Australia:

BeerPrice per bottle (A$)

Imported Beer

Asahi Soukai Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$46
Asahi Super Dry Black Bottle 334mL (18 Carton)$67
Asahi Super Dry Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$47
Asahi Super Dry Cans 500mL (24 Carton)$67
Becks Bottle 4% 330mL (24 Carton)$43
Boddingtons Pub Beer Can 440mL (4 Pack)$20
Brooklyn Lager Can 355mL (24 Carton)$77
Budejovicky Budvar Bottle 330mL$59
Budweiser Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$50
Cantina Pura Cerveza Imported Bottle 355mL (24 Carton)$42
Carlsberg Green Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Carlsberg Green Can 500mL (24 Carton)$62
Cleanskin Beer Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$43
Coors Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$48
Coors Can 355mL (12 Pack)$27
Corona Bottle 355mL (24 Pack)$47
Corona Ligera Bottle 355mL (24 Pack)$47
Corona Sleek Can 355mL (24 Pack)$66
Coronita Extra Bottle 210mL (24 Pack)$40
Erdinger Alcohol Free Wheat Beer Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$63
Grolsch Premium Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$46
Grolsch Premium Lager Swing Top Bottle 450mL (24 Carton)$74
Guiness Draught Can 440mL (24 Carton)$65
Heineken 3 Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Heineken Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Henninger Lager Can 500mL (24 Carton)$50
Henninger Premium Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$38
Hoegaarden White Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$70
Kilkenny Cans 440mL (24 Carton)$70
Kingfisher Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$46
Kirin Megumi Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$47
Leffe Blonde Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$107
Miller Genuine Draft Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$46
Monteiths Phoenix IPA Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$18
Peroni Leggera Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Peroni Nastro Azzurro Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$47
Peroni Red Imported Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$40
Praga Pils Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$42
Praga Premium Pils Can 500mL (24 Carton)$52
Radeberger Pilsner Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$42
Red Stripe Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$67
Royal Dutch Posthorn Ext Smooth Can 500mL (24 Carton)$45
Sapporo Bottles 355mL (24 Carton)$50
Sapporo Can 650mL$8.20
Schofferhofer Hefeweizen Bottle 500mL (18 Pack)$70
Schofferhofer Kristall Wheat Bottle 500mL (18 Pack)$70
Singha Beer Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$46
Stella Artois Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$49
Stella Artois Can 500mL (24 Carton)$72
Tiger Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$48
Tsingtao Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$58
Uberbrau Imported Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$33
Vonu Low Carb Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$48
Weihenstephaner Weihenstephan Dunkel Bottle 500mL (12 Pack)$64
Weihenstephaner Weihenstephan Hefe Bottle 500mL (12 Pack)$57
Weihenstephaner Weihenstephan Kristall Bottle 500mL (12 Pack)$60
Weihenstephaner Weihenstephan Pilsner Bottle 500mL (12 Pack)$60
Zywiec Polish Bottle 500mL (20 Pack)$82

Craft Beer

3 Pub Circus Artisan Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$15
3 Pub Circus Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$15
3 Pub Circus Session IPA Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$15
4 Pines Brewing Indian Summer Ale (6 Pack)$22
4 Pines Brewing Kolsch Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$18.50
4 Pines Brewing Nitro Stout 330mL (6 Pack)$24.50
4 Pines Brewing Pacific Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$58
4 Pines Brewing Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$17
4 Pines Christmas Pack Bottle 500mL (4 Pack)$30
5 Seeds Apple Cider Can 330 mL (10 Pack)$22
5 Seeds Cloudy Apple Cider Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$55
5 Seeds Crisp Apple Cider Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$55
5 Seeds Lower Sugar Cider 345 mL (24 Carton)$55
Akasha Freshwater Pale Ale Can 375mL (4 Pack)$20
Akasha Hopsmith IPA Can 375mL (4 Pack)$25.50
Akasha Mosaic IPA Can 375mL (4 Pack)$25.50
Australian Brewery Seis Hermanos Mexican Lager Can 375mL (6 Pack)$21
Balter Captain Sensible Can 375mL (16 Carton)$50
Balter Lager Can 375mL (16 Carton)$59
Balter XPA Can 375mL (4 Pack)$20
Bentspoke Barley Griffin Pale Ale Can 375mL (4 Pack)$18
Bentspoke Cluster 8 Can 375mL (4 Pack)$28
Bentspoke Crankshaft IPA Pack Can 375mL (4 Pack)$21
Bentspoke Hows It Gosen Can 375mL (4 Pack)$19
Bentspoke Red Nut IPA Pack Can 375mL (4 Pack)$24
Burleigh Bighead No Carb Beer Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$62
Blue Moon Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$65
Brewmanity The Social Beast Pale Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$25
Brick Lane One Love Pale Ale Can 355mL (24 Carton)$68
Bridge Road Beechworth Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$26
Bridge Road Craft Beer Ingredients Pack (4 Pack)$22
Bridge Road IPA Experience Pack (4 Pack)$34
Bridge Road Beer 101 Mixed (6 Pack)$25
Buckethead Session Ale Block Can 375mL (30 Carton)$48
Buckethead Session Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$44
Burleigh Brewing Burleigh Mid-Tide Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$19.50
Byron Bay Pale Lager Can 355mL (6 Pack)$20
Colonial Draught Can 375mL (6 Pack)$23.50
Colonial IPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$28
Colonial Pale Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$25
Coopers Dark Ale Bottle 375mL (6 Pack)$19.50
Coopers Extra Stout Bottle 375mL (6 Pack)$24
Coopers Original Pale Ale Bottle 375mL (24 Carton)$50
Coopers Original Pale Ale Bottle 750mL (12 Carton)$63
Coopers Pale Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$50
Coopers Session Ale Bottle 375mL (24 Carton)$58
Coopers Session Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$55
Coopers Sparkling Ale Bottle 375mL (24 Carton)$58
Coopers Sparkling Ale Bottle 750mL (12 Carton)$67
Coopers Sparkling Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$58
Coopers XPA Can 375mL (24 Carton)$63
Cricketers Arms Keepers Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Cricketers Arms Scorcher Summer Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$58
Cricketers Arms Session Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$43
Cricketers Arms Spearhead Pale Ale 4.6% Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Deep Creek Brewtiful Haze NEIPA Can 440mL$11.50
Deep Creek Misty Miyagi Hazy IPA Can 440mL$11.50
Deep Creek Tiki Aloha Guava Passionfruit Sour Can 440 mL$11.50
Deep Creek Wisdom IPA Can 440mL$11.50
Deschutes Fresh Squeezed Tall Boy Can 568mL$13
Deschutes Hazy IPA Can 568mL$12.50
Endeavor Citrus Pale Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$20
Feral Biggie Juice Can 375mL (6 Pack)$23
Feral Boar Pack Can 375mL (6 Pack)$27
Feral Draught Can 375mL (6 Pack)$21
Feral Hop Hog Bottle 330mL (4 Pack)$17
Feral Hop Hog Can 375mL (16 Carton)$57
Feral Sly Fox Can 375mL (6 Pack)$25
Fixation Brewing Squish Citrus IPA Can 330mL (4 Pack)$22
Fixation IPA Bottle 330mL (4 Pack)$16
Fixation IPA Can 330mL (24 Carton)$95
Fox Hat Heavy Handed XPA Can 375mL (4 Pack)$22
Fox Hat Red Pelt Red Ale Can 375mL (4 Pack)$24
Gage Roads Single Fin Summer Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$55
Goose Island IPA Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$22
Golden Ridge Golden Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$22.50
Grand Ridge Golden Ale Can 375mL (10 Pack)$29
Grand Ridge Hatlifter Stout Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$23.50
Grand Ridge Natural Blond Wheat Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$18
Grand Ridge Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$22.50
Grand Ridge Pale Ale Can 375mL (10 Pack)$29
Grand Ridge Solar Aussie Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$72
Grand Ridge Solar Golden Ale Bottle 640mL$8.50
Grand Ridge Solar Natural Blonde Bottle 640mL$8.50
Grand Ridge Solar Summer Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$72
Grand Ridge Supershine Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$75
Green Beacon Wayfarer Tropical Pale Ale Can 375mL (4 Pack)$17
Green Beacon Windjammer Indian Pale Ale Can 375mL (4 Pack)$21
Hobo APA Can 375mL (24 Carton)$72
Hobo Mid IPA Can 375mL (24 Carton)$68
Holgate Alpha Crucis Australian XPA Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$20
Holgate Gate Keeper Session Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$16
Holgate Hop Tart Blush Can 375mL (4 Pack)$21
Holgate Hop Tart Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$26.50
Holgate Mt Macedon Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$74
Holgate Norton Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$60
Holgate Temptress Choc Porter Bottle 330mL (4 Pack)$25
Hop Nation The Chop IPA Can 375mL (4 Pack)$23.50
James Squire 150 Lashes Can 330mL (10 pack)$31.50
James Squire 150 Lashes Pale Ale Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$52
James Squire Hop Thief Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$53
James Squire Swindler Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$53
James Squire The Chancer Golden Ale 345ml (24 Carton)$53
Kaiju Krush Tropical Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$25
Kosciuszko Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$55
Little Creatures Bright Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$74
Little Creatures Dog Days Can 355mL (6 Pack)$25.50
Little Creatures Extra Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$63
Little Creatures Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$60
Lord Nelson Three Sheets Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$25
Lorry Boys Bright Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$42
Lorry Boys Golden Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$42
Lorry Boys Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$42
Matilda Bay Fat Yak Pale Ale Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$53
Matilda Bay Lazy Yak Session Ale Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$48
Matilda Bay Wild Yak Pacific Ale Bottle 345mL (24 Carton)$52
Modus Pale Can 375mL (4 Pack)$20
Modus Sonic Prayer IPA Can 375mL (4 Pack)$23
Monteiths Black Beer Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$18
Monteiths Pointers Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$18
Moon Dog Beer Cans 330mL (10 Pack)$32
Mornington Brown Ale Bottle 640mL$72
Mornington Draught Can 375mL (24 Pack)$55
Mornington Pale Ale Bottle 640mL$72
Mornington Peninsula Brown Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$19
Mornington Peninsula Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$19
Mornington Porter Bottle 330mL (4 Pack)$20
Mountain Goat Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$71
Mountain Goat Steam Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$60
Mountain Goat Summer Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$60
Newstead 21 Feet 7 Inches Porter Can 375mL (4 Pack)$19
Newstead Nineteen 09 Coastal Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$26
Nomad Beach House Pale Ale Can 330mL (6 Pack)$24
Nomad Champers Brut IPA Can 500mL$12
Nomad Freshie Watermelon Can 330mL (4 Pack)$15
Nomad Jet Lag Finger Lime IPA Can 330mL (4 Pack)$20
Nomad Juicy As IPA Can 330mL (24 Carton)$88
Nomad Pacific Dream Can 330mL (24 Carton)$75
Nomad Rosie Raspberry Sour Can 330mL (4 Pack)$17.50
Northern Mark Faith Can 440mL$11
Panhead Quickchange Extra Pale Ale Can 355mL (6 Pack)$20
Parrotdog Falcon APA Can 330mL (6 Pack)$24.50
Parrotdog Hawkeye Session IPA Can 330mL (6 Pack)$22.50
Parrotdog Rifleman XPA Can 330mL (6 Pack)$23.50
Pirate Life IIPA 8.8% Can 500mL$12
Pirate Life IPA 6.8% Can 355mL (4 Pack)$32
Pirate Life Pale Ale 5.4% Can 355mL (6 Pack)$27
Pirate Life Port Local Lager Can 355mL (4 Pack)$16
Pirate Life Throwback IPA 3.5% Can 355mL (4 Pack)$17
Pirate Life Tropical Pale Ale Can 355mL (4 Pack)$19
Prickly Moses Beer 6 Bottle Gift Pack$26
Rockafella Barrel Aged Dark Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$130
Sierra Nevada Draught Style Pale Ale Can 355ml (4 Pack)$18
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale Can 473mL (4 Pack)$25.50
Six String Dark Red IPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$27
Six String Tropical Pale Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$21
Steamrail Amber Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Steamrail Golden Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Steamrail Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Steamrail Pale Ale Can 375mL (24 Carton)$45
Steamrail Summer Ale Tight Red Togs Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$45
Stockade 16 Bit IIPA Bottle 330mL (4 Pack)$33
Stockade Flight Path Pale Ale Pack Can 375mL (6 Pack)$23
Stockade IPA 8 Bit Pack Can 375mL (4 Pack)$20
Stockade NEIPA Pack Can 375mL (4 Pack)$20
Stockade Refreshing Ale Pack Can 375mL (6 Pack)$19
Stockade Sesh Mid Strength Ale Bottle 330ml (24 Carton)$68
Stockade Splicer XPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$20
Stone & Wood Lager Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$81
Stone & Wood Pacific Ale Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$78
Stone & Wood Pacific Ale Can 375mL (16 Carton)$58
Stone & Wood The Gatherer Can 375mL (16 Carton)$58
Stone Fear Lion Movies IIPA Can 473mL$11
Stone IPA Can 355mL (12 Pack)$58
Stone Ripper IPA Can 355mL (6 Pack)$20
Stones Arrogant Enter Night Pils Can 473mL$9
Stones IPA Can 568mL$13
Stone Tropic Of Thunder Lager Can 568mL$10
Thunder Road Hopmania IPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$24
Thunder Road Tropical Splash Pacific Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$24
Tinnies Pale Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$20
Tinnies Session IPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$20
Tinnies Tropical XPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$20
Thunder Road TRB Hop Star XPA Bottle 330mL (24 Carton)$62
Thunder Road TRB Pacific Breeze Aussie Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$20
Tropical Rumble Fruit Session IPA Can 500mL$11
Tuatara American Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$29
Tuatara IPA Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$27
Vale Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$20
Vale Bright Ale Can 375mL (6 Pack)$18
West City XPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$25
White Rabbit Dark Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$19
White Rabbit Pale Ale Bottle 330mL (6 Pack)$20
Wilde Gluten Free Pale Ale Bottle 330ml (24 Carton)$50
Yeastie Boys Big Mouth Session IPA Can 330mL (6 Pack)$22.50
Yeastie Boys Digital IPA Can 330mL (6 Pack)$26
Yeastie Boys Pot Kettle Black Can 330mL (4 Pack)$19
Yeastie Boys White Noise Can 330mL (24 Carton)$77
Yeastie Boys White Palace Passionfruit IPL Can 500mL$11.50
Young Henrys IPA Can 375mL (6 Pack)$28
Young Henrys Natural Lager Can 375mL (6 Pack)$22
Young Henrys Newtowner Can 375mL (24 Carton)$67
Young Henrys Stayer Mid Can 375mL (6 Pack)$23

But this article is only about Australian beer – not cider or drinks. Without further ado, we’re explaining everything you need to know about Australian beers.

Beer Sizes in Australia

Australian beer sizes are confusing. They don’t really follow the metric system and they also vary from state to state. 

With that in mind, here are the most common beer sizes:

Pony

Its size is 140 ml or 5 fluid ounces. Ponies are served in New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC), Australian Capital Territory (ACT), Queensland (QLD), Western Australia (WA), and South Australia (SA). 

It’s the smallest of beer sizes and will only make a teetotaler tipsy but it’s still beer. 

Pot or Middy

The size for a pot or middy is 285 ml or 10 fluid ounces. In the Northern Territory, it’s known as a handle.

Tasmanian’s refer to it as a seven and in South Australia, they call it a schooner. While it’s the standard size in Victoria, if you love beer, you may not find this size satisfying. 

Schooner

A schooner size everywhere else but South Australia is 425 ml or 15 fluid ounces. States that consider this size to be the true schooner size are ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC, WA, and QLD. 

And unlike everywhere else on the planet, South Australians consider this size to be a pint. 

Pint 

Pints everywhere else but South Australia are sized 570 ml or 20 fluid ounces. States that consider this size to be the real pint are ACT, NSW, NT, TAS, VIC, WA, and QLD. 

Unlike most other sizes, the pint is based on the metric conversion of 20 imperial fluid ounces. In South Australia, they consider this size to be the imperial pint. 

Jug

The jug size is universal all over Australia. Even the South Australians call 1,140 ml or 40 fluid ounces a jug. 

This is the size most people get when they’re sharing a few beers with friends, especially if they’re trying to save a few bucks

Other Beer Sizes

If you’re in South Australia, order a butcher if you want to drink 200 ml of beer. It’s not too big and not too small.

In Tasmania, if you only want to consume 115 ml of beer, order a small beer. At least this name won’t confuse anyone about what they’ll be getting.

In Western Australia, a bobby is 170 ml. 

Australian Beer Ranking

Here are the top 10 most popular beers in Australia:

  1. XXXX Gold 
  2. VB 
  3. Carlton Draught 
  4. Tooheys New 
  5. Tooheys Extra Dry 
  6. Carlton Mid 
  7. Carlton Dry 
  8. Corona Extra 
  9. Pure Blonde 
  10. Hahn Premium Light 

Australian Beer Brands

Note that Fosters is not included on the top 10 list. That’s because it’s not actually an Australian beer. It’s made elsewhere. In the U.S. where it’s promoted as being “Australian for beer,” it’s been brewed in Fort Worth, Texas since 2011.  

Now let’s look at the reasons those top 10 beers are so popular.

XXXX

Pronounced as 4 ex, the joke is that Queenslanders call their best beer XXXX because they can’t spell beer. It’s made at the Castlemaine Brewery in Milton and has been for nearly a century. 

XXXX gold is a mid-strength beer everywhere but Queensland where it’s actually the strongest. 

VB

Victoria Bitter or VB is Australia’s most iconic beer. It comes in a green tin can and is also referred to as Very Best, Vitamin B, and Victory Beer to its fans. 

Those who dislike VB refer to it as Vomit Bomb and other unsavoury names. But it is the class Australian lager which has been a staple in the country since 1968. 

Carlton

Carlton is brewed by Carlton & United Breweries. They also make Wild Yak, Crown Lager, Pure Blonde, and VB. 

Carlton Draught is a hugely popular lager, thanks largely in part to great advertising campaigns that began with the viral “Big Ad” in 2006. 

Tooheys 

The locals in New South Wales prefer Tooheys which features a stag on its can. It’s a historic Sydney brand that was founded by Irish immigrants.

The Toohey Brothers started brewing this long-time favourite back in 1869 and still brews this beer in the blue-collar suburb of Lidcombe today. 

Tooheys makes an easy-drinking Tooheys New lager, a dark ale called Tooheys Old, and a crisp beer called Tooheys Extra Dry. 

Coopers

Coopers is the largest locally owned brewery in the country and it’s located in Adelaide. It’s also still mostly controlled by the same family that lent its name to this tasty beer. 

Coopers makes a variety of beers such as the pale ale and also is known for having the best home-brewing equipment. 

Matilda Bay

Matilda Bay is brewed in Perth and has been around since the early 1980s. It was widely considered Australia’s first craft beer but has since been sold to Carlton and United. 

Other beer products made by Matilda Bay are Fat Yak, Redback, and Beez Neez. 

Cascade

Cascade dates back all the way to 1824.

It’s brewed at the foot of scenic Mount Wellington which is home to one of the oldest continuously operating breweries in Australia. 

James Squire

It’s said that an English born thief named James Squire was the first person to begin brewing beer back in 1788. While reports can’t be verified, it’s said he got 300 lashes reduced to 150 after stealing the ingredients to make his beer by giving kegs of beer to the Judge. 

He was the first person to cultivate hops and open a commercial brewery in Australia. Each line of beer harks back to his life as a convict such as the One Fifty Lashes Pale Ale and the Nine Tales Original Amber Ale. 

Craft Beers

Craft beers have also gained popularity in Australia. There are now pale ale’s like Baxter XPA brewed in Queensland and Stone and Wood Pacific Ale brewed in NWS. 

There are also IPA’s available like Bentspoke brewed in ACT and Balter IIPA brewed in Queensland.

Australian Beer Prices

While beer prices vary depending on where you are in Australia, it’s not cheap. Sydney is the 27th most expensive city in the world to buy a beer at an average of 7.87 A$.

If you’re buying one-pint draught of domestic beer, prices range between 6.00 A$ and 10.00 A$ for that cold brew. If you’re craving a 12-ounce bottle of imported beer, the range is between 7 A$ and 10 A$. 

Why Australian Beer is so Expensive

There are several reasons beer isn’t cheap in Australia. First, they pay the bar staff a living wage. 

Also, barely is imported. And hops are expensive to grow. 

Last, government excise makes beer expensive. Thankfully, that money goes to pay for important things like universal healthcare, so it’s worth it. 

Beer is Cheaper than Caviar

If you still feel it’s too expensive, compare it to the price of caviar, which should make you feel as though beer prices are a bargain. 

How Beer Taxes Work

Excise rates for beer (and all other alcoholic beverages) in Australia are expressed per litre of alcohol (LAL). It’s calculated by multiplying the actual volume of the product by its alcohol content. 

If you have 3,000 litres of beer that has an alcohol content level of 3.3%, the LAL will be 99. 

Also, excise duty on beer is payable on any alcohol content that’s above 1.15% by volume in the finished product. 

Excise Rates are Adjusted Bi-Annually

Twice a year excise rates for alcohol are indexed. That usually happens every 1 February and every 1 August. 

The next indexation will occur on 3 February 2020. The last indexation factor for the rates listed below was on 5 August 2019 and is 1.006. 

They base each unit on $ per litre of alcohol. 

Excise Rates on Alcohol Volume that’s Less than 3%

If the alcohol volume is less than 8 litres and not exceeding 3% BAC per individual container, the excise rate is 43.53.

If the alcohol volume doesn’t exceed 3% and the individual container is over 48 litres, the excise rate is 8.71.

If the alcohol volume doesn’t exceed 3% and the individual container is between 8-48 litres and it’s designed to be connected to a pressurised gas delivery system or a pump delivery system, the excise rate is 8.71. 

Excise Rates on Alcohol Volume that’s Between 3% and 3.5%

If alcohol volume exceeds 3% but doesn’t exceed 3.5% and is in an individual container that’s less than 8 litres or 8-38 litres but not designed to connect to a pressurised gas delivery system or a pump delivery system, the excise rate is 50.70. 

If alcohol volume exceeds 3% but doesn’t exceed 3.5% and is in an individual container over 48 litres, the excise rate is 27.26. 

Excise Rates on Alcohol Holding 8-48 Litres

If alcohol volume exceeds 3% but doesn’t exceed 3.5%, is held in an individual container between 8-48 litres, and is designed to connect to either a pressurised gas delivery system or a pump delivery system, the excise rate is 27.26. 

If alcohol volume exceeds 3.5% in an individual container, is less than 8 litres or is between 8-48 litres, and isn’t designed to connect to a pressurised gas delivery system or a pump delivery system, the excise rate is 50.70. 

Excise Rates at 35.71

If alcohol volume exceeds 3.5% in an individual container over 48 litres, the excise rate is 35.71. 

If alcohol volume exceeds 3.5%, is in an individual container between 8-48 litres, and is designed to connect to a pressurised gas delivery system or a pump delivery system, the excise rate is 35.71. 

Excise Rates for Beer Produced for Non-Commercial Purposes but Use Commercial Equipment or Facilities

If it’s produced for non-commercial purposes and it’s using commercial equipment or facilities, and the alcohol volume doesn’t exceed 3% the excise rate is 3.06.

If it’s produced for non-commercial purposes and it’s using commercial equipment or facilities and the alcohol volume is over 3%, the excise rate is 3.53.  

Americans…

Learn How to Save Money so You Can Drink More Beer

We get it, Australian beer isn’t cheap. But it is tasty and perfect on a hot day. 

We want to help you save money so you can afford to buy more beer. One of our favourite places to eat is Hungry Jack’s and we know you like it, too. Click here to find some money-saving vouchers

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Mike The Price Man

Hi! I'm Mike - I hope you found the post above helpful. I created Aussie Prices because I noticed many websites only provided USA or UK prices, and nothing for us Aussies. So I spent a bit of time researching and put this site together. If you have any questions about the prices - let me know in the comments below. If you want to learn more about what Aussie Prices is all about, click here.

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