Vodka has joined the ranks of champagne, whisky and sherry as a name protected by the courts. Diageo, the multinational drinks company whose products include Smirnoff vodka, took action in the High Court after rivals started producing cheaper, less alcoholic drinks such as Vodkat. Mr Justice Arnold ruled that any brand name derived from vodka but was not vodka was likely to confuse the public - The Telegraph
One in four people are too scared to go to certain parts of their local area because of the amount of crime and disorder linked to alcohol abuse, an Ipsos MORI poll has found. The findings came as senior medics warned ministers are failing to tackle the true cause of binge-drinking and booze-fuelled disorder, despite the new mandatory code to crackdown on irresponsible drinking - The Telegraph
The UK Government is proposing a ban on drinking contests in bars and the bringing in of rules forcing pub owners to offer patrons tap water in a bid to help tackle binge drinking. The new rules need parliamentary approval - New York Times
A second round of talks to end 13 days of blockades at the Belgian breweries of the world's largest beer-maker have ended without agreement. Staff at Anheuser-Busch (AB) InBev's plants in Leuven and Liege, Belgium, have now been blocking the entrances for 13 days in a row over 263 job cuts - BBC
After losing out to Heineken, in the auction for Mexican brewer Femsa Cerveza, SAB Miller is 58p lower at £17.62. The company said beer volumes were flat in the third quarter, rather than the expected 1 per cent rise - The Guardian
Drinkers at a Swansea city centre pub are being asked for help in tracing a man who attacked a 52-year-old with a bottle. The victim was treated in hospital after being struck with a bottle outside the Adam & Eve in Swansea around 6:30pm on Saturday - BBC