$42 bill for two drinks at SA venue sparks viral social media post from Cosi

Stunned by a price of $42 for just two drinks at an SA venue, Cosi took to Facebook – but industry heads say there is good reason for the cost.

A social media post has gone viral after a well-known SA personality posted about a $42 cost for two drinks at a local venue.

On Sunday night TV host Andrew ‘Cosi’ Costello took a picture of a pint of beer and 250ml glass of rose from an unnamed South Australian venue that totalled to $42.40.

“You gotta feel for bars competing with wage increases, product increases and taxes. But $42.50?” Cosi wrote.

“I just told my wife drink slowly cause there’s no second round.”

Cosi told The Advertiser he’d chosen not to name the venue to avoid shaming them.

“Hospitality has it tough enough for now without me naming and shaming,” he said.

Commenters shared their own shock at the price with one commenter writing price rises were a deterrent for potential customers.

Glen Thomson wrote: “that’s ridiculous”.

Jewels Kerswell shared the last time she visited a bar she paid just $3 for a pint, but now doesn’t frequent hospitality venues anymore.

Some commenters commiserated with the costs to run a hospitality business, specifically in light of the recent wave of closures in the industry.

Jenn Webb wrote: “It’s just so sad that the pubs had to charge high to keep their business afloat. We would love to support them but sometimes it’s just too expensive. It’s cheaper to drink at home.”

Australian Hotels Association SA chief executive Anna Moeller said increased costs of alcoholic drinks stemmed from rises in alcohol excise duty rates and wine equalisation taxes.

“Essentially, the excise is a tax on jobs because if there are less people drinking in venues, that’s where the jobs are, Ms Moeller said.

“Hotels currently can’t simply pass on the full increase in costs, so they try to subsidise it as much as they can, and that’s by squeezing their own profit margins. And that’s why you’ve seen a number of closures recently.”

Ms Moeller said increases to prices in venues, and tight budgets at home have given rise to new behaviours for customers.

“People are trading down the menu and down the drinks list … couples are coming in a splitting a main between them … that’s a changing behaviour due to the cost-of-living crisis,” she said.

Ms Moeller encouraged people to continue to visit hospitality venues instead of drinking at home, as the pressures on everyone can be alleviated by chatting around a pub table.

“It’s a healthy thing to do … to get together and celebrate and sometimes commiserate.”