NEW DELHI: Your hic hic hurray moment will cost you a little more from Friday. Hard drinks such as whisky, gin, brandy, rum and vodka will cost more as excise duty on alcohol has been increased by 50%. Beer and wine, which are deemed less alcoholic, have been exempted.

The hike will affect 250-280 brands of India Made Foreign Liquor such as Blenders Pride, Royal Challenge, Royal Stag, 100 Pipers etc. These will cost anything between Rs 10 and 30 more. The move is expected to enhance Delhi’s excise revenue by Rs 100 crore this fiscal.

The notification has been sent to all licensed liquor shops along with a fresh price list. “Whisky is the most sold hard drink in Delhi and is consumed throughout the year. It will shoot up our revenue, but we also hope this would dissuade youngsters from drinking too much,” said an official.

In June last year, the government had increased the overall price of liquor by 10-15% by enforcing New Delhi Excise Rules 2011. But even then, beer and wine were left out of the ambit with wine prices registering a marginal increase of 5%.

“We want to encourage the sale of soft liquor over hard ones. Therefore, we have not increased duty on beer and wine,” said a senior excise officer.

Private and government liquor shop owners, however, said the price hike will not have much effect on sales. “It’s a marginal increase which is expected around this time of the year. We are glad that they have not increased the beer price as it is sold the most during this time of the year,” said a DSIIDC official on condition of anonymity.