Andy Braithwaite, managing director of Ellers Farm distillery near York says his 40% products like Dutch Barn Orchard Vodka and Y-Gin are facing the brunt of the duty increases.
Premium spirits, he says, have distinctive characteristics and cannot be made lower strength.
He said: “The UK remains one of the highest taxed countries for alcohol, and we sit a long way off the likes of our counterparts in Germany for example. Whilst these duty reforms pose a considerable challenge to our business, it is consumers who are ultimately paying the price – it’s reflected on bar menus and on supermarkets shelves.
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