The Government will go ahead with an increase in alcohol duty of 2%, Chancellor Alistair Darling has announced in the Budget.
The rise, which matched a 2% hike in tobacco duty, angered the ailing beer and pub industry which had called on Mr Darling to scrap plans for the tax rise.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said the increase will mean an extra 5p on the average pint of beer.
The UK pub industry is already under great pressure, with pubs closing at an average of 39 a week.
Mr Darling said said the measures would raise more than £6 billion by 2012.
BBPA and the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) ran a campaign to "Axe The Tax", calling for Mr Darling to scrap the duty on beer, which was planned as a 2% rise above the rate of inflation over the next four years.
Camra chief executive Mike Benner said: "It is disappointing that the Chancellor has ignored widespread public concern about the plight of Britain's pubs and decided to press ahead with an increase which will result in yet more valued community pubs closing down."
Tory leader David Cameron said the alcohol duty was "going to hit every drinker in every pub".
Meanwhile, hard-pressed motorists, who have seen petrol pump prices slide back up toward the £1 a litre mark of late, will face further fuel hikes in future months.
Mr Darling said that fuel duty would increase by 2p a litre in September and there would be further rises of 1p a litre for the next four Aprils.
