The price of a pint is set to shoot up by more than 15 cents from next week.
Brewers Diageo - makers of Guinness as well as Smithwicks, Harp, Carlsberg and Budweiser - have confirmed they will add 6 cents to a pint next Tuesday.
And publicans are set to impose extra increases of their own to maintain profit margins they claim have been hit by the controversial introduction of a smoking ban in all Irish workplaces - including pubs - two months ago.
When Government taxes are also included the total increase is estimated to be well over 15 cents.
Diageo said its prices would have gone up earlier this year, but were held back because of the smoking prohibition, implemented by the Government on health grounds.
The Consumers' Association of Ireland called on publicans to swallow the price rise. The organisation said landlords would be punished by their customers if they upped drink prices.
Spokesman Mr Dermot Jewell said: "I think sales will drop - there is no doubt about that if that level of price increase goes through."
Fine Gael said it would monitor the impact of the price hike and publish the results on it s consumer affairs website, www.ripoff.ie .
Enterprise, trade and employment spokesman Mr Phil Hogan said the party would survey the price of a pint of Guinness in 20 Dublin pubs this Friday and again seven days later.
"Consumers are already struggling with massive prices on the high street, and for many state services.
"Diageo is a highly profitable multinational business which already makes a huge margin from Irish customers, and I see no justification for such a stiff hike in its wholesale price.
"The company should now declare its 2003 profits if it wants to justify this increase, and it should seriously reconsider its decision."