Brits face paying more for booze next year after the Government reversed an earlier freeze on alcohol duty.
In September, former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announced plans to freeze alcohol tax from February 2023.
But the new Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, confirmed last month he would scrap this freeze.
There were no such announcements today confirming a U-turn on this - leaving duty rates open to being increased next year.
Autumn Statement documents today appear to outline the economic benefits of unfreezing alcohol duty, with figures suggesting it could bring in £1.3billion next year.
Alice Haines, personal finance analyst at Bestinvest, said drinkers face a rise in duty levels tied to the RPI measure of inflation in February.
Some analysts expect to be about the 10% mark.
She said: "This will deliver a double blow to the hospitality industry, which must not only contend with a recession but also dwindling disposable incomes as high inflation, rising energy costs and higher taxation hammer take-home pay."
The Chancellor also announced that average council tax bills will soar past £2,000 for the first time in April.
Mr Hunt announced he will relax the cap on town, county and city halls raising bills for hard-pressed families across England.
Instead of only being able to raise them by 3% without a referendum, they will be able to raise them by 5%, the Autumn Statement said - 3% in core council tax plus 2% in social care precept.
Mr Hunt did not spell out the detail in his crafty statement, instead alluding only briefly to "flexibilities".
Average Band D council tax bills are already £1,966 - after shooting up by more than £500 a year since the Tories took power in 2010.
While decisions on each area’s bills will only be made in February, it means the average Band D bill is all but guaranteed to top £2,000 in April.
Town halls have begged the Chancellor to give them more funding from central government - saying otherwise it would take a 20% council tax rise to plug their funding gaps.
Meanwhile millions of workers will hand over more cash to the taxman after the Chancellorannounced an extended freeze on tax thresholds as part of his Autumn Statement.
The Income Tax personal allowance - set at £12,570 - was already frozen for four years to April 2026, but this will now be stretched to April 2028.
The 45p threshold for higher rate payers earning above £150,000 has also been reduced to £125,140 - hitting the most wealthy workers.
"Those earning £150,000 or more will pay just over £1,200 more a year," said Mr Hunt.
You currently pay the basic 20% rate of Income Tax when you earn above £12,570, then 40% on earnings above £50,270 - these have both been frozen.
