London, Sept 14 (ANI): Beer lovers in the UK will soon have to pay a little more for the drink, as breweries have decided to hike the prices for the second time this year, bringing to the market (for the first time) to four pounds a pint (one-eighth of a gallon).

The companies blame the impending hike in beer process on an unprecedented rise in the price of materials such as gas, fuel, malt and sugar for the decision to push up the price tag of lager, bitter and ale.

Draught and bottled Stella Artois, Beck’’s and Tennent’’s lager, all owned by brewery InBev, will go up by about three founds a pint tomorrow, while in two weeks” time Carling and Grolsch drinkers will also see three pounds added to a pint, reported the Guardian.

Tetley’’s bitter will follow in the first week of October, while Marston’’s, the Wolverhampton-based brewery behind Pedigree bitter, is adding 10 pounds to a pint. We have done everything possible to limit the price increase, but there have been unprecedented levels of increases in raw materials in recent months, the paper quoted Stephen Oliver, managing director of Marston’’s Beer Company, as saying.

According to the paper, the price of barley and metal, used for making cans, has gone up by more than 50 per cent in the past two years, while the company’’s energy costs have soared by more than 150 per cent in some cases.

In London and south-east England , drinkers face significantly higher prices. The current wave of price increases means PS4 a pint will be far more commonplace this year, said a spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association. (ANI)