M&S’s 0.5% Czech Lager is a new entry on the Alcohol Companion Top of the Pops rundown of off-the-peg alcohol free drinks, on the back of this Guardian review: “The lemony, herbal saaz hop flavours that distinguish Czech pilsners shine through remarkably well. … Shockingly good.”
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[proposal/comment] Brexit allows “rational” alcohol unit tax, says freemarket think-tank | IEA
A 9p/unit tax would ensure that alcohol duty is a tax on alcohol, not an arbitrary tax on fluids. EU regulation currently prohibits this system of alcohol taxation. Outside of the EU, Britain will no longer be constrained—Institute of Economic Affairs
Source: iea.org.uk/publications/a-rational-approach-to-alcohol-taxation/
Note: The simplicity of the system is attractive, as is the idea of taxing the potentially harmful element of alcoholic drinks alone. It is interesting, however, to imagine how it might look in the real world. Strong white cider, widely condemned for fueling abuse because it is so cheap, is curently taxed at 7.3p a unit. So increasing the tax to 9p a unit might be expected to raise its price by 1.7p for each unit. This would mean a 3 litre bottle of 7.5% cider, which contains 22.5 units, might go up from £3.99 to £4.37. Would this be enough to deter cash-strapped drinkers? It seems unlikely. An admirably fair and rational tax may be ineffective in curbing inherently irrational patterns of consumption. ■
[video] Casey Affleck reveals he had an alcohol dependent parent | BBC News
Accepting a Bafta award for Manchester by the Sea, actor Casey Affleck revealed he had grown up with an alcoholic parent (above). This came a week after Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth spoke in Westminster about having an alcoholic father. Now others have shared their stories of parents with addiction with the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme: “I desperately wanted more than anything else in my life not to be an alcoholic, but when I was 12 or 13 and found alcohol, it just became the perfect escape route for me,” said Josh Connolly (29, pictured, see source for video).
Source: www.bbc.com/news/uk-38956779
Alcohol Companion, GPS for drinking
Q&A: Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?
This is one of the questions I’ve been asked most since Alcohol Companion was released. A fair question for which I’ve still to come up with a clear answer. The problem is there was no blinding flash of inspiration. Every time I remember wanting to know more about alcohol’s effects, I remember an earlier occasion. My memory of having these questions fades at, perhaps, six or seven, as they do, but I am sure I was curious before that. And, why wouldn’t I be? What could be more tantalising than a commonplace item nobody can tell you very much about? Writing a book on it was a fairly straightforward way to finally get some answers. Now I wonder why I left it so long?
A ‘Fifty Shades’ Cocktail? How Booze Is Becoming the New Popcorn at Movie Theaters
Forget popc
orn and Milk Duds. Booze is the next step in cinemas’ fight against flagging attendance. For decades, local and state laws prevented movie chains from offering alcoholic beverages in regular auditoriums … During the past two years, 32 states have relaxed their laws, allowing theaters to serve alcohol in any auditorium.