The government may reverse its decision to introduce 24-hour drinking after senior ministers expressed fears it could lead to an increase in binge drinking. Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell has insisted that changes in licensing laws go ahead, but Home Secretary David Blunkett and Health Secretary John Reid are said to be worried about the impact - The Mail on Sunday .
The cheap and cheerful pub chain JD Wetherspoon is to lobby the Office of Fair Trading over concerns that rival operators are trying to introduce pricing cartels. The row is brewing over moves to introduce minimum pricing, where pubs, bars and nightclubs agree not to sell drinks below certain prices. Chief executive John Hutson said the OFT was the only body that would be able to provide clarity as to whether such schemes, if introduced permanently, would be legal - The Independent on Sunday
Following a list of complaints that would provide enough material for a series of Fawlty Towers, eight of Britain's most famous hotels have been axed from The Good Hotel Guide, viewed by trade professionals as the leading authority on where to stay. All eight are owned by Andrew Davis, a colourful entrepreneur described by friends as the "ultimate wheeler-dealer" who has spent the last four years and millions of pounds in his bid to "collect" 25 of Britain's best country house hotels - The Independent on Sunday
Glenmorangie, the independent whisky distiller put up for sale by its family owners, has shortlisted at least seven potential buyers, including drinks groups Brown-Forman and Bacardi-Martini and at least one Scotland-based distiller, according to industry sources. The shortlisted candidates, all of which are companies with interests in the whisky or spirits industry, have been granted access to Glenmorangie's data room. The sale of the company, which owns the UK's best-selling single malt brand, could be concluded by mid-November - The Financial Times (weekend edition)
Glenmorangie will be sold for a premium price of about £300m by the end of next month. A source close to the process said that interest was intense and that bids would be "at the high end" of a range from £250m to £300m, and were from "all the usual suspects" - The Sunday Times
It is pink, called Flirtation and guaranteed to have traditionalists gagging on their malt. One of Scotland's most famous distillers has produced the world's first pink whisky following a blunder with a batch of prize malt. The Bruichladdich 20-year-old was matured in red wine casks to enhance its flavour, a process that led to the malt taking on a pink hue. The batch, marketed as Flirtation, is expected to be popular with women and gay whisky-lovers drawn to the cachet of owning one of only 6,000 bottles of the unique Islay dram - The Sunday Times
Takings were down at Stringfellows last year as City boys' bonuses failed to materialise. Turnover at the famous West End venue fell from £4.9 million to £4.6m, a sure sign that bankers and brokers have lost some of their appetite for Peter Stringfellow's expensive champagne list. But the lapdancing club, which hosts a cocktail reception next month for the Conservative Party's youth wing, achieved a £140,000 pre-tax profit, according to accounts filed at Companies House - The Observer
Young women who binge drink will be told this week that they risk a sharp rise in the number of children born with birth defects. As the 'lager loutette' generation begins to settle down and have families, campaigners are urging more draconian health warnings against drinking during pregnancy. By the end of the year the French government will follow the example of America by demanding that warning labels are put on all bottles, spelling out that alcohol may cause birth defects - The Observer
Scientists drawing up an anti-cancer code warn that women who drink just one glass of wine a day are increasing the risk of breast cancer by at least seven per cent. For those who drink five glasses or units daily, the extra risk rockets to 41 per cent, …however, the Express also reports that Australian scientists have developed a white wine with the same health benefits as a red in terms of preventing heart disease and osteoporosis - The Sunday Express