The federal tax on domestic and imported beer went up by about 1.5 per cent on April 1, the first of a series of “escalator” tax increases announced by the federal government in the 2017 budget.

Be prepared to pay more for your brew after the Easter weekend tax hike.

The federal tax on domestic and imported beer went up by about 1.5 per cent on April 1, the first of a series of “escalator” tax increases announced by the federal government in the 2017 budget.

The increases are tied to inflation, and are strongly opposed by Beer Canada, a group that represents brewers.

According to the group, nearly half of what consumers pay for beer right now is tax.

Canadian senators have also voiced concerns about the impact rising taxes could have on Canadian micro-breweries and the domestic alcohol industry.

Canada’s Department of Finance admitted they did not look at the impact the escalator tax might have on the industry before introducing the tax in 2017.