Diageo price rise a 'disaster' for pubs

The price of a pint of Guinness and some well-known lagers is expected to rise by five cent following a price rise by multinational…

The price of a pint of Guinness and some well-known lagers is expected to rise by five cent following a price rise by multinational drinks company Diageo.

Publicans have described the rise as a “disaster”. Diageo wrote to publicans saying the rise, the first in four years, is a result of a spike in the price of barley, which has doubled since 2009, and an increase in energy costs.

Vintners Federation of Ireland chief executive Padraig Cribben described the rise as “another nail in the coffin” of the pub trade, which has seen an 8 per cent decrease in business this year.

There will be similar increases in the price of such lagers as Budweiser and Carlsberg.