Why we shouldn't be afraid to highlight the benefits of beer (and other booze)

The ad, to promote Côtes Du Rhône wines in its domestic market, has fallen foul French rules, which prohibit linking alcohol consumption to happiness.

It’s a ludicrous decision. I’ve seen the ad in question and the chap isn’t even holding a drink, but we getting used to such rulings - even here in the UK.

All the more reason, then, to praise the latest promotion from the British Beer Alliance (the pan-industry coalition to promote beer): The Goodness of Beer.

The drive is an attempt to dispel some of the myths around beer and promote some of its health benefits.

It is a gutsy move. There are enough of the fainthearted within the alcohol industry itself that would prefer we kept quiet about such things, not to mention how the anti-alcohol posse would like us gagged.

But beer is naturally low in sugar, high in minerals and rich in B vitamins, and there are proven benefits to drinking moderately.

We should not be afraid to say so.

The British Beer Alliance is modelled on a successful 10-year Spanish campaign, which succeeded, in part, by concentrating on the benefits of beer.

This is why the Alliance’s brave stand should be praised and why the rest of us should prove our “taste for life,” by being just as confident.