Wetherspoons keeps stronger Carlsberg after Sir Tim Martin criticises watered-down beer

Carlsberg announced last July that it would reduce the alcohol content of its beers in response to tax changes - Andrew Kelly/REUTERS

JD Wetherspoon is to continue stocking stronger Carlsberg in its pubs after Sir Tim Martin hit out at brewers for watering down their beers.

Wetherspoon pubs visited by The Telegraph continued to sell Carlsberg’s Danish Pilsner brewed at 3.8pc, despite the brewer announcing in July last year it would reduce the alcohol content to 3.4pc in response to tax changes.

It comes after Sir Tim previously criticised brewers for watering down beers and suggested he may stop selling the products of those that do it.

He called it a “big mistake” and, asked if he may consider ditching weaker beers from his pubs, he said: “I don’t want to threaten suppliers but that may be an inevitable consequence.”

A Wetherspoon spokesman said Carlsberg had agreed to continue supplying the pub chain with its 3.8pc ABV (alcohol by volume) beer “for the time being”.

The Wetherspoons boss has previously accused brewers of making a 'big mistake' by weakening their beers - Jamie Lorriman

However, a spokesman for Carlsberg said it “fully expected” to only brew at 3.4pc ABV at some point in the future.

The alcohol content of beers and ales including Fosters, Old Speckled Hen and Spitfire have also been cut in recent months as brewers sought to make savings as the cost of energy and ingredients soars.

Because duty is charged on the alcoholic strength of the final product, brewers can make a saving by reducing their strength.

When Carlsberg made the change, it said the move would free up money to invest in brewing new beers and support broader public health goals.

However, the move also made it eligible for a lower tax rate on weaker beers brought in by the Government as part of swingeing reforms to alcohol taxation.

Under the new system, beers at 3.4pc ABV or lower only have to pay £9.27 per litre of alcohol, versus £21.01 for beers from 3.5pc to 8.5pc.

It comes after Sir Tim on Wednesday credited a boom in demand for “fashionable” Guinness as the pub chain posted a rise in sales.

He said: “The gods of fashion have smiled upon Guinness, previously consumed by blokes my age, but now widely adopted by younger generations.”