Publicans make 400% mark-up on minerals

Irish publicans can make almost twice as much profit on soft drinks than pints of lager, according to RTÉ’s flagship consumer show.

The station’s The Consumer Show, which will air tonight on RTÉ One, calculates the average mark-up for a 200ml bottle of orange, cola, or lemonade is 407%, but 98% on a pint of lager.

The watchdog series worked out that the national average price of a pint of lager is €4.67 (profit of around €2.30), but approximately a pint of a mineral, or two bottles of 200ml or 220ml, costs around €5 (profit of around €4).