Scotland first part of UK to get alcohol minimum price Assuming this fails, a minimum unit price for alcohol of 50p per unit will come into effect by April next year, increasing the cost of a bottle of wine to at least £4.70, a bottle of Bell's whisky £14 and a six - pack of lager about £6. But Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish Health Minister, argued the measure is required to tackle the binge drinking epidemic by increasing the cost of cheap lager, spirits and cider. This is a landmark moment in Scotland's fight against alcohol misuse. I'm glad that my parliamentary colleagues have done the right thing today in voting to make these proposals a reality," she said. Labour refused to back the legislation unless changes were introduced to claw back £125 million extra in supermarket profit the party estimates will result from the minimum price. But Miss Sturgeon described this as a "fig leaf" after Labour's other reasons for opposing the Bill had been "demolished." She also pointed out that Labour at Westminster backs minimum pricing. Gavin Hewitt, chief executive of the SWA, warned the legislation would be struck down by Europe and will damage the whisky industry abroad by encouraging other countries to erect trade barriers. Roseanna Cunningham, the SNP Community Safety Minister, later admitted she had voted against the legislation by mistake, while Labour's Malcolm Chisholm defied his party and backed it