Independent beer makers toasted a rise in sales since the chancellor of the exchequer scrapped a planned tax increase last year.
But the whisky industry hit out at the “unfair” treatment of spirits and wines since the tax change meant they became taxed 48% higher than beer.
Pressure is growing on George Osborne ahead of the next Budget, which will be unveiled next month.
Hopes are high that Mr Osborne will freeze whisky taxes after Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson wrote to the chancellor urging him to scrap the automatic tax rise of 2% above inflation on spirits.
The effect of a tax freeze is clear after sales of craft ales freed from the automatic tax rise soared last year.
The Society of Independent Brewers (Siba) said volume sales grew by an estimated 7.9% in 2013 to 1.55million barrels after the scrapping of the beer duty escalator, according to a survey of its members.
The sales uplift was the equivalent of 33million more pints compared to 2012.
Siba added that independent brewers directly employ 5,500 in the UK.
Rosemary Gallagher, Scotch Whisky Association spokeswoman, said: “It’s time the UK Government recognised the importance of Scotch whisky to the economy by scrapping the alcohol duty escalator this year and freezing duty.
“It’s unfair that beer was treated differently than other alcohol in last year’s budget – whisky drinkers now pay 48% more duty than beer drinkers for the same amount of alcohol and 79% of a bottle of Scotch is made up of tax and VAT.”
A poll taken by the Taxpayers’ Alliance pressure group has shown that half of British people believe taxes on wine and spirits are too high, and 80% do not believe there should be further duty rises.
David Frost, Scotch Whisky Association chief executive, said: “George Osborne should boost the UK’s public finances, the industry and consumer confidence by scrapping the escalator this year and freezing duty”.
Speaking on the day the coalition Cabinet held its first ever meeting in Aberdeen this week, Ms Davidson said it was “time the Treasury gave it a break” and axe the tax.
“I hope the Cabinet visit to Scotland will focus minds on the fantastic added value the whisky industry brings to Scotland,” she said.