Foster's calls it Australia’s favourite full-strength beer, but VB, or Victoria Bitter as it is properly known, will soon scarcely deserve the title.
Two years ago Foster’s trimmed its alcohol content from 4.9 per cent to 4.8 per cent. Within days it will be cut to 4.6 per cent.
The move is to dodge legislation that increases the excise on beer, spirits and tobacco every six months, forcing manufacturers to either put up their prices or cut the amount of alcohol or tobacco in their products.
The beers Obama. Gates and Crowley drank at the White House The next increase, to apply from tomorrow, should add about two cents to the price of a six-pack of beer and eight cents to the price of a slab according to the Tax Office.
But Foster’s is freezing the price of VB and several of its premium brands, cutting further the amount of alcohol instead.
At 4.6 per cent, so-called full-strength VB will have about 6 per cent less alcohol than it used to, on the face of it more than enough to offset what would have otherwise been a 2 per cent price rise.
But a Foster’s spokesman, Troy Hey, said other costs had increased, including glass and hops.
How will you know whether you’re getting the the old "full-strength" VB or the new one? For a while both will be on sale until the old stock sells out. Mr Hey said the new packaging would be "slightly different" and accompanied by a new advertising campaign.
The Tax Office expects the price of a six-pack of light beer to climb just one cent, and a six-pack of alcopops to go up five cents. A pack of 50 cigarettes will cost an extra eight cents.
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