Not very familiar with this situation but it makes sense, the price increase on soda would bridge the gap between that and the price of a beer which would make

Not very familiar with this situation but it makes sense, the price increase on soda would bridge the gap between that and the price of a beer which would make the customer think twice if it might be worth it to spend a little bit more and get the more expensive option. It's like marketing pricing strategy but triggered by taxes and not a single company.