Applying a minimum price to alcoholic products will not reduce the problems associated with binge drinking in the UK. Argued Paul Walsh, chief executive of Diageo, the world’s largest drinks company, today.

Speaking as the Guinness producer announced operating profits of £2.8bn for the last financial year, Walsh said there was “no empirical evidence that pricing curbs alcohol abuse”.

He said his company was in always in discussions with ministers about how to tackle problem drinking, and would work with the government to “satisfy all its objectives in this area”.

But he argued that it needed to be a targeted approach, since alcohol abuse was confined to a small percentage of the population.

Article taken from The Publican, Click here to read the full Story

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Chorister, the latest occasional guest beer from Baths only micro brewery Abbey Ales will be available to Baths top real ale pubs from Wednesday 25 August.

The 4.5 % abv brown malty ale brewed with local Wiltshire Maris Otter malt and finished with Fuggles hops proved popular the last time it was released with drinkers and visitors to Bath that Landlords in Bath have been advised to order early.

Managing Director Alan Morgan commented, “We always try to brew a range of different beers to compliment our best selling Bellringer but the need to meet the demand for our flagship ale Bellringer takes up nearly all of our production. Head brewer Martin Langham, has to fit in brewing occasional beers when possible and he has slotted Chorister in before autumn. Our regular customers are aware how quickly the guests sell and fortunately for us order early.”

Abbey Ales started brewing in Bath in 1997 and have regularly won awards for their flagship brew Bellringer a golden 4.2% best bitter. They have four pubs situated in the centre of Bath the Star Inn the Coeur De Lion Old Farmhouse and the Assembly Inn. Delivery is strictly within a twenty mile radius of Baths famous Abbey.

Alan Morgan
www.abbeyales.co.uk

Abbey Ales 01225 444437 Alan Morgan 07711 118441

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With more and more pubs using social networking systems to get their message out, it makes sense to use such systems to tell pub followers what beers are available at the bar.

The Real Ale finder website at www.yourround.co.uk now allows pubs to do this in the most effective way possible on Twitter, automatically announcing new beers and creating the link to the BeerCAM to view both the current and coming soon Ale stocks.

MD Terry Dicks says, “We already provide all the functionality for pubs to present their beers to their customers and we Tweet extensively on Twitter ourselves, but recent changes to Twitter allow us to securely tweet on a pubs existing Twitter account to provide access their existing followers.”

When the publican adds a new beer to the system, he is just re-directed to login at Twitter which then gives YourRound an access code which is used to send messages on behalf of the pub.

He continues, “Because we don’t need password details, customers Twitter accounts remain secure and they can block access at any time from within Twitter itself if they decide the Tweets are not useful.”

The growing importance of social networking tools such as Twitter, in a business environment is widely recognised and Tools such as YourRound help to tailor the user experience to be truly useful, especially to the growing number of younger Real Ale drinkers.

Go to www.yourround.co.uk and sign up now. It’s free to add your beers and become part of the growing band of brewers committed to bringing Real Time Real Ale to everybody.

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Copper Ale, at 4.8 per cent ABV, is a premium, dark red ale with a strong, dry and slightly spicy palate and aftertaste. It contains Maris Otter pale ale, aromatic, amber and enzymic malts together with a marvelous mix of Fuggles, Goldings and Challenger hops.

Hook Norton Managing Director James Clarke said: “Hook Norton’s Copper Ale is based on a recipe we used to create Celebration Ale which was brewed to commemorate the brewery’s 150 anniversary in 1999 and is now back in our 161st year. “Hook Norton Copper Ale, at 4.8 per cent is a strong, dry and slightly spicy beer with hints of citrus.

To place an order contact Telesales on 01608 730391 or 01608 730395.

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It’s another example of the ever-widening North-South divide - a pint of beer is now 51p more in the South than in the North. Pubgoers pay the most for a pint of bitter at £2.88 on average in the South East, compared to £2.37 in the North East, the country’s cheapest area. Last year the difference was only 31p, says trade magazine.

Article taken from The Publican. – Sunday Mirror

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Real ale could finally be shedding its ‘beardy’ image as its popularity grows among women and young people in general.

Research by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has found that the proportion of people aged between 25 and 34 who have tried traditionally-brewed British beer has soared in the past two years.

Just over 50 per cent have given real ale a go – compared to 28 per cent in 2008.

The number of female real ale drinkers has also doubled – from 16 per cent to 32 per cent.

Article taken from This is Leicestershire - Read the full article on what young people are saying.

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Plans by a south Shropshire brewery for a £500,000 expansion are well underway with staff taking delivery of new brewing vessels.

Ludlow Brewing Company Limited is establishing a new brewery in a refurbished railway shed near the town’s railway station and hopes to have the premises open to the public in time for Ludlow Food Festival next month.

Read more in the shropshire-star

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Search for best beer writer launched

Have you got the words to be Beer Writer of the Year 2010 and win £1,000?

The British Guild of Beer Writers is giving beer communicators the chance to enter their work in six different categories, with one of the category winners to be named as the Beer Writer of the Year and receive the coveted Michael Jackson Gold Tankard Award*.

The competition is open to writers, broadcasters, photographers, poets, illustrators, designers, webmasters and bloggers whose work has broadened the public’s knowledge of beer and pubs. Nominations and entries are being sought for six categories.

To read more click here

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Honey can add luxurious almost magical qualities to beer

And talking of competitions Britain’s bee keepers have launched this year’s competition to find the best honey beer in the world. International tennis players long to have a Wimbledon title to their names. For beekeepers, Britain’s National Honey Show, now in its 79th year, has the same appeal. The show benches are packed with nearly 250 classes showcasing the very best examples of the beekeepers’ craft. A walk around them is an instant education.

Last year saw the introduction of a new class for Honey Beer. It attracted entrants from Cornwall to Scotland. Now the search is on to find the best honey beer for 2010. And it is very easy to enter.
The requirement is for three bottles or cans in any style. It should be commercially available and of course honey must be an ingredient. Gold, silver and bronze medals are the prizes, plus the kudos of success at the world’s largest honey show.

The NHS attracts a good deal of media attention. Last year several TV crews were present and BBC Radio 4’s Food Programme devoted an entire edition to the show. Already one major BBC TV programme has asked to film this year.

Last year’s worth winner was the highly drinkable Fairtrade Bumble Bee Honey Ale. Brewed by Freeminer, the honey came from wild flowers growing on a Chilean hillside.

Silver went to the distinctive Thornbridge’s Bracia, which was infused with a generous amount of dark and bitter Chestnut Honey. The bronze was won by the exquisite Lovibonds Gold Reserve.

So do you know anyone who produces a packaged beer which uses honey as an ingredient? Sweeten them up and encourage them to enter the competition. And what is your favourite honey beer?

The 2010 National Honey Show will be held at St Georges College, Weybridge, Surrey from 28 to 30 October.

Further information about the Honey Beer class can be obtained from the General Secretary, The Rev H F Capener showsec@zbee.com

General information about the show and entry forms are available on the NHS website www.honeyshow.co.uk

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