From Cleopatra to Wellington, leaders have always taxed beer. But Australia’s system has made beer extra pricey

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Beer has existed for thousands of years. It was the drink of choice in ancient Egypt, in northern Europe in the Middle Ages and, of course, remains popular around the world today.

And, since it was so widely consumed, it was the perfect target for taxation by governments throughout the centuries. There are even records of governments taxing beer 5,500 years ago in Mesopotamia.