As Christmas and New Year 2026 approach, liquor enthusiasts have received some disappointing news. Beginning December 1, 2025, prices for all types of liquor, with the exception of beer, will increase. The West Bengal Excise Directorate has issued a notification detailing the price hikes for both domestic and foreign liquor starting in December. Here are the specifics regarding this price increase.
According to the revised policy, all manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors are required to clear their stock at previous prices by November 30. This measure is necessary because the bottles from the old stock cannot be sold at the pre-revised prices once the new additional excise duty takes effect. If any old stock remains unsold, these items will have to be sold at the new prices starting December 1.
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For a 180 ml bottle, the price of foreign liquor may increase by INR 10. The price of 750 ml foreign liquor may increase by INR 30 to INR 40. In the case of domestic liquor, the prices will be raised by INR 10. The increase in the price mainly depends on the brand of the liquor and also the excise duty.
In order to avoid any sort of confusion among buyers as well as the sellers regarding the price hike, the excise department has made it mandatory to put a price sticker with the updated price on all the bottles.
The Excise department has made sure to send copies to all the concerned agencies, distributors, and concerned agencies. They have been directed to make sure they complete the label changes and all the required registration before the new prices take effect, that is, December 1.
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Liquor sales are a significant source of revenue for the government of West Bengal. Analysts note that the demand for alcohol remains steady, even when prices rise. People tend to continue purchasing and consuming liquor despite price increases. However, the exact impact on revenue can only be assessed one month after the new prices take effect.
For 2025-2026, the state’s annual excise revenue target is INR 19,000 to INR 20,000 crore. The budget estimate for 2025-2026 for total state excise collection is expected to be INR 22,550 crore. A senior state Excise Department official mentioned that with these new fares, they are trying to exceed the target revenue from excise duty.
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From December 1, make sure you check the prices before buying alcohol in West Bengal. This new excise duty notification is all set to try and increase the revenue for the state, after all, a huge chunk of their revenue comes from liquor excise.
