BRITAIN is trapped in the most vicious of circles.

The cost of living crisis is driving many of us to drink, but the cost of living crisis means we can’t afford to go out for a beer.

Figures show the average cost of a pint in the UK has soared by 12 per cent in the last year to £4.07, or £4.84 if you live in London,

Even a swift half can make you think twice (luckily this one’s on us).

So, after a quick search of ‘Is drinking meths really that dangerous?’ returned unsatisfactory results, Swift Half has been forced to cast its flea-bitten net further afield to find a cheap beer.

Thankfully the team at vouchers.co.uk seemed to have the same problem and have covered Europe to find the cheapest pint on the Continent.

They also found the most expensive – so make sure you steer clear of Norway, where you will be forced to cough up £7.55 for a pint. Iceland and Denmark should also be avoided like the plague, with beers costing £7.35 and £5.72 disrespectfully (*there are apparently other reasons to go these countries still if you’re not bothered about expensive booze).

But where, we hear you rasp through dry lips, is the cheapest beer in Europe?

That honour goes to Belarus, where a pint will cost you just 71p, according to Numbeo’s Cost of Living database.

Sadly, the current crisis in Eastern Europe means people won’t be able to enjoy that for a while yet, nor the second cheapest pint, which is in Ukraine and costs just 90p.

The next three options though are much more doable, with Azerbaijan offering beers for 91p, Moldova for £1.07 and Albania – dubbed the Maldives of Europe – serving up cold ones for a mere £1.07.

The idea of bargain boozers obviously got Swift Half drooling… and checking out flights to Azerbaijan capital Baku quicker than you can learn how to spell it.

With returns for £125, hotels at £14 a night and beer so cheap, we reckon you could go on a 12 pint-a-day seven day bender for around £300.

The same 84 pints in the UK will set you back at least £340… and you don’t even get to enjoy a drunken dip in the Caspian Sea.

As they say in Azerbaijan… Alqis!