The Scottish Government has introduced legislation to try and deal with ‘Scotland’s love affair with alcohol’. A good idea or another aspect of the Nanny State? The government’s position is clear. Alcohol related problems are worse in Scotland than in most other parts of Europe (although I confess not to having found and read evidence to support this) and the cost in terms of health care, absenteeism and domestic violence makes it imperative that alcohol consumption is dramatically reduced. To do that shops, particularly supermarkes, have been prohibited from selling alcohol at ‘bargin basement’ price. Special offers on beers and wines etc. such as ‘two for the price of one’ or ‘buy two and get one free’ have been banned.

The counter arguments are many not least of which is that increasing the cost of alcoholic drinks (beers, wines and spirits) penalizes the huge majority of citizens that drink responsibly because of a tiny minority that do not.

Whilst not taking sides on this issue it is interesting that Scots generally find a way to do what they want regardless of what authority might decide (some call this kind of government legislation ‘social engineering’) and I can recall many years ago when the tax on beer and wine was increased enormously people started to make their own wine! Using basic ingredients particularly cleaply available fruit one could produce passable ‘country wine’ as it was called. Very ripe bananas were my particular favourite because supermarkets were partically throwing them away. I discovered that if champane type bottles were used a semi-sparkling wine could be produced for pennies. So good was some of it that every Friday evening I had had lots of friends…

This time around the reaction, certainly by businesses, has been very interesing. Supermarkets no longer sell booze ‘two for the price of one’ but have simply made the price of one half the price it was for two! No ‘special offers’ any more but now booze in Scottish supermarkets are about the cheapest in the UK!

One company have made it its mission to ‘poke the eye’ of those in government intent on doing what they know what is good for us even if we don’t (yet) ourselves. Brew Dog not only taunts those they would call ‘do-gooders’ they revel in making provocatively named and labled beer. Part of this is, I am sure, to infuriate those very ‘do-gooders’ thereby generating a great deal of press comment and consequenly free publicity. Thye also clearly believe that the drinks industry, particularly the beers part, needs a really good shake up. They produce a variety of beers some of which are exceptionally strong the best or worst (depending on one’s point of view) is the 41% (I repeat a beer of 41%!) which goes by the name ‘Sink the Bismark’ and one at 32% named ‘Tactical Nuclear Penguin’. I have not tried either of these but I have tried 5A.M. Saint (5%) which states on the label:

‘No significant change in modern history has ever taken place without the support of the people. We are determined to change the world of beer.’

And:

‘Brew Dog‘s Beers are the epitome of pure punk. We brew uncompromising, bold and irreverent beer, with a soul and a purpose. Our approach has the same contempt of the mass beer market that the old school punks had for pop culture. Brew Dog is a modern day rebellion against faceless corporate bureaucracy and the bland, soulless beer they industrially produce.’

Strong word indeed! The battle lines are drawn. No doubt the debate will rumble on and on…