'Pub team in Premier League'

Nottingham United, who normally play in the East Midlands League, expected a friendly kickabout against Bulgarian third division side Vitosha. But after a night in pubs and bars the hungover team arrived to find themselves surrounded by TV crews, a sizeable crowd, gun-toting agents and a bloke from the British embassy. They soon discovered Vitosha is the home side of Bulgaria's football-mad PM Boyko Borisov. He sometimes turns out for them even though he is 51 with a pot belly. And when he heard they were playing an English team, the Premier League fan insisted on playing up front - The Sun​

For the characters in Sex and the City, it was the Cosmopolitan. And for James Bond it was a vodka Martini, famously shaken not stirred. But today's most preferred cocktail is the Mojito, with sales of rum reaching their highest level in 40 years, according to Tesco. It said sales grew 12 per cent - faster than any other spirit - last year - The Telegraph​

Adnams drowning its sorrows after beer sales slump. Its excellent beers can be a source of cheer in hard times, but perhaps the folk at Adnams haven't been enjoying enough of their product. The half-yearly report from the Suffolk brewer is decidedly downbeat, warning of "very tough conditions" and tumbling beer sales across the industry. Turnover was flat, like the beer, say lager drinkers, at £23.1 million, but profit slumped 27% to £641,000. There was a "very disappointing" 9.1% dip in beer volumes across the market, while Adnams' volumes fell 6.8%.Chairman Jonathan Adnams described the results as "very disappointing" after a good performance last year - Evening Standard​

Minimum pricing for alcohol in clubs and supermarkets should be introduced in Northern Ireland as soon as possible, Alex Attwood has said. Buy one get one free, women drinking for nothing and all-you-can-swallow offers could be curbed under fresh proposals from the Social Development Minister. Buy one get one free, women drinking for nothing and all-you-can-swallow offers could be curbed under fresh proposals from the Social Development Minister. Two Belfast bars are running "all you can drink" promotions. Health campaigners have expressed concern that patrons will consume too much alcohol and endanger their health or leave them vulnerable to physical and sexual harm - Belfast Telegraph​

Danish brewing giant Carlsberg unexpectedly boosted its second-quarter profits and its 2010 forecast yesterday, as the rate of decline slowed in its key Russian market and a strong rouble drove earnings. Emerging markets, such as Thailand, are a key target for Carlsberg as its traditional heartland becomes saturated. The maker of Carlsberg, San Miguel, and some 300 other brands said that while beer drinking in Russia continued to drop in the quarter following a big tax hike in January, the slowdown was less steep than in the first three months. The group sharply increased its business in Russia in 2008 with the joint £7.8 billion takeover and carve-up with Heineken of Holland of Scottish & Newcastle - The Scotsman​