Coopers Brewery executive criticises Australian beer excise tax increases

Michael Shearer, the managing director of Coopers Brewery, has criticised government excise tax increases after the standard price of a slab of beer reached 65 Australian dollars. Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Shearer warned that even the cheapest alcohol will soon succumb to inflationary pressures affecting the wider industry, the Daily Mail reported on 9 November 2026. [1]

The Daily Mail reported that Australia's bi-annual excise tax on alcohol is raised every February and August, with the rate varying based on the strength of the alcohol. Shearer described these regular tax increases as unsustainable for the brewing industry. [1]

Coopers Brewery is the third-biggest beer group in Australia, according to the Daily Mail. Taxes are mandatory financial charges imposed by governmental organisations to finance public expenditure or regulate economic activity. [1][2]

The warning follows broader economic pressure in the country. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Australia's annual headline consumer price inflation rate rose to 4.3 percent in September 2026, up from 4.0 percent in August, while underlying annual inflation reached 3.6 percent. [5]