David Cameron's plans for a crackdown on cheap booze lie in tatters as leaked papers show his plans are massively unpopular. The PM yesterday threw his weight behind outlawing discount drinks at supermarkets and off-licences which he blamed for binge drinking. But internal Home Office research given to the Mirror reveals public resistance to forcing up alcohol prices. A study prepared for the Home Office found 51% of people against banning cheap drink promotions in supermarkets and off licences. Only 27% were in favour of such a ban - although 51% wanted more proof of age schemes at the point of sale. Another 35% wanted restrictions on cheap drinks only in pubs and clubs - Mirror
Asia has overtaken Europe as the world's biggest beer producer for the first time in 35 years, according to a study by the research arm of the Japanese brewing giant Kirin Holdings. Asia's comparatively quick rebound from the global economic crisis was matched last year by a 5.5% surge in beer production - to 58.6m kilolitres - from 2008, the Kirin Institute of Food and Lifestyle said. It was the first time that Asia had topped the global beer-production rankings since Kirin began surveying the industry in 1974 - The Guardian
David Cameron said attracting more visitors from China alone could help improve the economy. In a speech to industry figures at London's Serpentine Gallery he said Britain must become more of a magnet for big-spending travellers. "I want to see us in the top five destinations in the world. But that means being much more competitive internationally. Take Chinese tourists, for example," he said. "We're their 22nd most popular destination. But Germany is forecast to break into their top 10. Why can't we?" - Sky News
Modern restaurants exult in parading the provenance of "pan-fried, line-caught seabass", "wild-foraged oyster mushrooms" and other elaborate or homely ingredients, but a swoop by trading standards officers has revealed that many of the descriptions are false. Three-quarters of restaurant, pub and cafe menus were found to be making bogus claims for "fresh", "local" or "hand-made" dishes which turned out to be cheaper versions using factory farmed meat, frozen fish or cash and carry food - The Independent
A leading French scientist has proclaimed that there is a "correct" way to pour champagne into a glass. Namely, drinkers should pour it just as they would a bottle of fizzy cola or bottle of beer - by tilting the glass. Professor Gérard Liger-Belair and colleagues at the University of Reims conducted a series of tests, including using thermographic equipment, into how much carbon dioxide was lost during the process of pouring champagne - Daily Telegraph