Support Scotch Whisky Associations #dropthedramduty Campaign

[William]

UK whisky sales have fallen by 1 million bottles following Chancellor Philip Hammond's hike in the spirits tax in this years March budget.



You can read more details on the drop in sales and drop in money going to the treasury here:

http://www.scotchmaltwhisky.co.uk/ukwhiskysalesfalldutyincrease.htm

Following this huge drop in domestic demand here in the UK, the Scotch Whisky Association has launched a #dropthedramduty campaign urging Philip Hammond to cut excise duty on spirits to protect the UK's leading food and drink export which supports 40,000 jobs.

Those of you who use Twitter can support the SWA campaign by sharing it with your followers::

#dropthedramduty

You will also find me occasionally posting about the latest from the world of whisky if you want to give me a follow:

@ScotMaltWhisky

Slainte, William
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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

[jcarrick]

I totally support the campaign but don't use twitter, am I the only one that doesn't use twitter? From what I have seen, regards whisky, twitter is more a marketing platform rather than genuine whisky drinkers exchanging thoughts on whisky. I may be wrong and hope loads of whisky drinkers will get behind this.

[Carson]

The lack of replies on twitter to the hashtag #dropthedramduty does show how fake and ineffective twitter is as a communication platform, SWA has 7346 followers and no more than a handful of replies which is a pity as they do have a case for fairer taxation in comparison to other alcoholic drinks.

[eelbrook]

At the last Budget, there was a rise of 36p in duty on a typical bottle of spirits.

Are we seriously being asked to believe that this was the reason for such a massive fall-away in UK whisky sales?

It didn't seem to overly trouble gin drinkers with UK sales increasing by 12%

[Islay Pete]

Perhaps, perhaps not, it certainly doesn't effect those buying the high end whisky but as Carson points out "they do they do have a case for fairer taxation in comparison to other alcoholic drinks". I don't use twitter or I would have expressed my support.

[WinBase]

i sound like a broken record saying this, but more damage to the future of whisky is being done by the distillieries and retailers who are riding the whisky boom & hike the prices up by ridiculous amounts on a month by month basis, who's greed will do more harm long run than the chancellors increase. I will give two examples among many i have.

I bought a bottle of Allardice 18yo in Oct 2016 from MoM and paid £58.99. the price a year later (actually it was less than a year later) was (and is now) £77.40. and increase of £18.41, or a 31%. in real terms my wages have dropped in that time.

on the same order i bought a bottle of Jack Daniels silver select for £51.83, then within a cpl months the price jumped to £61.95

I no longer look at Malt whisky as an automatic first choice, (although still buy quiite a bit), instead theres some quality aged Cognac, armanac & rums out there to try, & i doubt im the only one who's thinking this way. GL

[Fergie]

The price increases we have seen and continue to see for malt whisky is nothing to do with taxation but doesn't malt whisky sales only account for around 10% of all whisky sales, I am sure that is what I have read in the past, too late on a Saturday night now to check details.

Surely it isn't impossible that a small increase in prices for the entry level blends caused by a tax increase may well impact sales. Isn't it the entry level blended whisky end of the whisky business that generates most sales/money and creates jobs and a nice pile of cash for the government.

Also why should whisky drinkers pay more tax for alcohol than cider, beer and wine drinkers.