Why Mason Brewing in Threemilestone is pricing pints like Germany

Here’s a cheap pint with a message behind it. For one day only, a brewery taproom near Truro will sell its lager as if it were being poured in Germany, where the beer tax is a fraction of what we pay here.

Mason Brewing Co will sell pints of its German-style lager Alpenglow at Germany’s lower tax rate on Friday 9 October. It’s backing Drop the Pint Day, which aims to show what a lower tax on pub beer could mean ahead of the Budget.

What’s happening at the Threemilestone taproom

On Drop the Pint Day, pubs, bars and taprooms across the UK are cutting the price of one cask or keg beer to German tax levels, for the Friday only.

At the Mason Brewing Co taproom in Threemilestone, that beer is Alpenglow. The cheaper taproom pints are first come, first served, so anyone hoping for one shouldn’t turn up late.

Why German prices?

Campaigners say the UK has one of the highest tax rates on pub pints in Europe, ten times higher than the rate in Germany.

The Chancellor can cut tax specifically on beer sold in pubs through hand pulls and keg taps. This is known as Draught Relief, and it’s currently set at a 13.9% reduced rate. Independent brewers believe a bigger relief could create jobs, help grow the economy and give pubs and breweries across the UK a lift.

Mike Mason, owner of Mason Brewing Co, said: “The tax we pay on pub beer is way too high and one of the highest in Europe. The Chancellor has the power to Drop the Tap Tax in his Budget and help secure the future of our small breweries and community pubs.

“To highlight the potential benefits of lower tax we’ll be offering pints of Alpenglow at the much lower German tax rates on Friday so come and help us Drop the Pint and send a clear message to the Chancellor.”

The Drop the Tap Tax campaign

Drop the Pint Day is part of the wider Drop the Tap Tax campaign, run by the Society of Independent Brewers and Associates (SIBA). SIBA describes itself as the voice of independent beer in the UK.

The campaign is asking beer drinkers to sign its petition at droptaptax.com and write to their MP. It runs until the Budget on Wednesday 28 October 2026, when the Chancellor will set alcohol tax levels for next year.

📷Credit: Mason Brewing Co