Archive | Articles on Alcohol

Hangover remedies

Posted on 01 September 2010 by admin  

I will never drink again!” Who hasn’t said that after haven been drinking the night before, and woke up the next morning with a thumping headache and a stomach rolling around like a roller coaster. You may have enjoyed the drinking, but the hangover the next morning is not fun. Here are some natural Homemade Hangover Remedies to help you cure the hangoverThere are various fruits you can eat to help reduce the hangover such as bananas, limes, lemons, and apples. Try adding lemon juice to your coffee and drink up. Drinking water is also good because this will replenish your system because alcohol dehydrates you. Chicken soup works well in the morning for a hangover. Tomato juice will help you out because it helps, in simple terms, gets the alcohol out your system faster. Peanut butter is an African tradition, they might have the right idea to reduce your hangover so it can’t hurt to try it.

If you’ve got any in the house, take some vitamin C and vitamin B. They’ll help you replace some of the vitamins that you’ve flushed out of your body with the previous night’s alcohol. Aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen will help with that throbbing head. No need for an expensive hangover pill – if you read the ingredients, you’ll almost certainly find that the active ingredient is one of these three. Keep a supply somewhere handy. Dark spirits such as red wine, brandy and whiskey contain more congeners (by-products of the process of alcohol fermentation), which increase the symptoms of a hangover. Cheaper spirits are also known to cause a worse hangover because fewer impurities have been removed. Another key factor is your body weight. A smaller body weight usually means a greater hangover. Mixing your drinks is a sure way to lead to a hangover.

From home remedies to over the counter homeopathic hangover cures, this article will look at how to cure a hangover using several methods that can ease the morning after pains of hangovers, and some ways that just flat do not work. Try not to be too active, and give yourself time to rest. It might be a good time to catch up on all of those Kung Fu movies that have been laying around. It seems somewhat silly or even crazy to say this, but the original idea for this type of product comes from the KGB. In the former USSR, the Russian Academy of Sciences for the military had been assigned the task of creating and developing an hangover pill. At first the idea was to develop a pill that would allow a secret agent to drink without experiencing any drunkenness. Over time they found that this hangover pill did not in fact help a person stay sober but did help as a hangover remedy. This hangover cure of sorts ended up taking nearly twenty five years to develop.

Find out how you can use each of these for a hangover cure. Get some wonderful tips and secrets for hangover remedies in a natural and easy way. I’m sure you always wanted to know about all the symptoms of hangover to get yourself aware to deal with future emergencies effectively.

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Alcohol Rehab Program

Posted on 11 August 2010 by admin  

Alcoholism is somewhat akin to drug addiction. They start in small steps and develop into huge abnormal levels, destroying one and causing others, especially his near and dear ones, untold miseries. Fortunately, the society has opened its eyes to the needs of addicts, including alcoholics. Most people now know that alcoholism is a perverse state of mind and body which can be cured by love, care and medication. The stigma earlier attached with the menace has almost dissipated.

Alcohol rehabilitation programs run by alcohol rehab centers are a great lucky thing for the alcoholic, his or her near and dear ones and the society as a whole. For getting maximum benefits from these rehab programs, it is advisable to get enrolled in a rehabilitation centre and follow their dictums word by word. The programs aim at family members too. Not only the alcoholic, but others in the family also need to pitch in with their contributions for achieving the highest levels of success.

The objective of these programs is to bring about a stage of total abstinence by creating a positive awareness in the mind of the alcoholic and also to prepare him or her to lead a better quality post addiction life. Rehab centers employ every means possible for achieving this dual purpose.

Once checked in, the alcoholic is put through medication processes. Severe withdrawal symptoms may crop up at this state and it is very difficult for the patient to cope with them individually. This is a crucial stage in alcohol rehabilitation program. Once the person pulls through the stage, other stages may look easier.

As we all know, alcohol abuse for long periods can result in a number of diseases. Many body organs start malfunctioning. The liver, heart and stomach may be rendered weak. The power of the brain to think and decide may also get hampered. The methyl alcohol present in any alcoholic beverage hinders proper action of brain cells and would leave you groggy. All these residual negative effects are treated at the second stage. Now the patient is cured of most ill effects of the body connected to alcoholism.

Now the psychologists, psychiatrists and voluntary service workers take over to make the mind stronger. This stage of psychological therapy is based on love and care. The addict is allowed opportunities to share experiences with others, taught practical strategies to cope with problems, and imparted group therapies and personal counseling.

Even after being discharged from the alcohol rehabilitation centre, the ex-alcoholic is asked to appear for follow up checks and are advised to meet doctors and counselors on a regular basis.

It has been found that these alcohol rehabilitation programs are a roaring success and many an alcoholic has found freedom from the quagmire of alcohol with the patient and understanding care of alcohol rehabilitation centers.

If you are looking for more information related to Alcohol Rehab Program then feel free to visit Alcohol Rehabilitation from CliffSideMalibu.com.

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Looking at the Humorous Side of Beer Commercials

Posted on 22 July 2010 by admin  

Beer is known to be a drink that is supposed to quench your thirst. To get people to buy different varieties of beer there are various beer commercials that tempt us to buy these beers. These commercials that you will see everywhere are found in different types of media. For instance you will see beer commercials on TV, on bill boards and even at sports matches.

These beer commercials are kept at a light hearted medium as they show people all of the best things which can happen if you drink a particular type of beer. There are other beer commercials where you will see different types of animals being used to promote beer. Now these animals are not seen drinking any beer. Instead they promote the beer by showing the lifestyle which can accompany the drinking of beer.

You can see the humorous side of these beer commercials as they merely try to show you that drinking beer is a friendly activity. You may have seen many of these various beer commercials to remember the more memorable ones. For instance you may remember the beer company who had a bull dog as they mascot for the beer commercials.

In this series of commercials Spud the Bulldog was seen living the good life as he was surrounded by people who loved coming to the parties where he was as there was great food, fantastic company and free flowing beer. Of course after a few years time Spud was retired. The next set of animals to grace our lives with beer commercials was a trio of frogs or toads.

For these fun commercials you see a pond scene at night. There are three frogs seated on rocks and a lily leaf. You suddenly hear one of the frogs make a sudden noise. This frog says the word Bud. The next frog then pipes up with another word. This time the word is wise. And finally the final frog says the final sounds, which are “er”. At first each of these sounds is somewhat far apart.

As the words come closer you get to hear the words these frogs are croaking. The frogs are letting us know about the fact that even frogs are impressed by the Budweiser beer. As you see there are many fun things which can be found in beer commercials. And despite the fact that these beer commercials are in some cases more than ten years old, you will still see the influence which lingers with beer commercials.

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A Guide to Creative Christmas Cocktails

Posted on 22 July 2010 by admin  

The season for festive specialty drinks is finally here. Get ready with your sparkling Christmas cocktail party with festive beverages that are sure to invigorate and uplift the holiday spirit among your guests. Do the planning and preparation and make your Holiday merry with these creative Christmas cocktails tips.

Invitations. Release the creativity in you and personalise your invitations. You can simply design a red paper with silver bells or wine glasses and confetti and write the details using white or silver ink. A novelty Santa Claus hat may be included along with your invitation; you can ask your guests to wear them on the event to make it a little less formal and fully embracing of the Christmas spirit (quite literally).

Venue decor. Identify a color scheme. If you wish to go for the traditional Santa color – red and white then make use of drapes of red and white fabrics along with red and white balloons to decorate the venue. Decorate the tables with red and white table cloths, perhaps with a splash of green or gold. You can also add silver ornaments and enhance the look with shine and sparkle. You may want to wrap plant pots in aluminum foil for a creative Holiday decor. Of course, a Christmas tree with gifts under it sets the perfect Christmas atmosphere. If your party will be held indoors, remember to ornament pillars.

Food. Since cocktail parties do not necessarily require a full course meal, you still want to prepare enough finger foods and hors d’oeuvres that the guests can graze throughout the event. Tarts and shortbread are ideal cocktail party foods as well as cheese, crackers, and cut fruit.

Drinks. Now that you have set the Holiday spirit with the invites, venue decor, and food, it’s time to consider the most important part of your Holiday cocktail party. Generally, you have the option for a full bar or a drink menu. Full bar allows your guests to choose their favorite drink, this is ideal if you have a well-stocked bar and if you are willing to buy the necessary spirits and do the mixing and bartending yourself. But you also have the option to be more creative and opt for a drink menu as it encourages your guests to try on different drinks. Just create a list of drinks and its ingredients, set it on the bar, and allow your guests to try and mix their own cocktails.

Creativity comes in when you have a special theme to work into. Come up with gemstone colored drinks to show the sparkle and shine of the Holidays. Reinvent the traditional eggnog and prepare eggnog strictly for adults by mixing eggnog with white chocolate liquor. Of course, the holiday cocktails such as Angel’s Delight (combination of cream, triple sec and gin), Holiday Hopper (melon liquer and creme), Christmas Jones (pineapple, vodka, and lemon-lime soda), and the English Christmas Punch should be made available. You can also prepare a dessert drink with the mixture of 1oz each of vodka, amaretto, and heavy cream.

There’s actually a variety of creative cocktail drinks to serve. Just choose those that match your theme and fits right with the personality of your guests. Moreover, consider having a few non-alcoholic drinks for some of your non-drinking guests.

Derek Rogers is a freelance writer who represents a number of UK businesses. For a range of recommended Cocktail, he recommends Alexander Hadleigh Wine Merchants & Importers.

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Drinking & Dieting – How to Lose Half a Stone Quickly!

Posted on 18 July 2010 by admin  

If you want to lose weight fast then what you drink is just as important as what you eat.

Here we are going to look at drinking and dieting and how by making some simple changes in your drinks you can lose weight fast.

These drinking and dieting tips are easy so let’s look at them.

1. Coffee

It’s great that we have so many different varieties of coffee and specialist coffee shops have been one of the major growth industries in recent years.

Only one problem – many coffees contain up to 400 calories the equivalent of a filling snack.

Also caffeine gives an energy boost followed by a slump, so you are then more likely to eat to satisfy your craving for energy.

If you must drink coffee take it black (or coffee with skimmed milk at around 10 calories it’s the best option.

Or try drinking tea. Green tea is a great option.

It has been found that drinking 5 cups a day boosts the metabolism that can see you burn up to 70 extra calories a day.

2. Drink water

Drink plenty of fresh water. Water is an important catalyst in losing weight and keeping it off.

It acts as a natural appetite suppressant by keeping your stomach full and fending off dehydration which can lead to hunger pangs.

When we get “hunger signals”, in many cases they are “thirst signals”, so drink 1.5 2 liters a day to fend them off

Water also helps your body metabolize stored fat by helping the kidneys flush out waste.

Drinking eight glasses of cold iced water each day burns about 60 calories.

Your body has to work to raise that waters temperature to your body’s temperature. This results in burning about 420 calories per week.

3. Carbonated Drinks

Here you need to consider that a can of coke has around 150 calories so 4 day means 600 the equivalent of a meal.

Switch to diet options or cut down. Carbonated drinks in terms of calories add up!

4. A tasty filling lunch drink

Soup is fantastic for weight loss, is full of goodness and is filling and their great in the winter to.

Make sure you go for healthy options lots of vegetables, fish, beans and chicken are good options.

Vegetables have slow realise carbs for energy and the meat protein which makes you feel full for far longer.

5. In the morning get started with

Juice full of goodness and tasty but be careful. You need to drink juice with pulp in it (i.e the bits) as these are shown to keep you full longer and prevent snacking.

Buy fruit juice without added processed sugar make sure it’s organic and full of pulp.

6. Alcohol

The killer on a diet but you don’t have to give up entirely. Consider the fact that alcohol is laden with calories and increases appetite and you can see how it can ruin your diet.

Let’s be honest though many of us like a drink, but you need to be sensible.

If you are out and want a drink then the best option is a sprit and a diet mixer or the occasioal glass of wine with a meal is ok.

How much can simple drink changes make to your diet?

When dieting drinking and dieting are closely linked and unless you are careful about your drinking your diet will suffer.

Follow the above tips though and you will soon be losing weight fast and feeling great so try them.

For more on health genrally and diet and weight loss visit our website for a huge resource of articles, features and downloads and at http://www.net-planet.org/index.html

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Facts on Alcoholism

Posted on 18 July 2010 by admin  

Alcoholism is a major health problem in the US, ranking with cancer and heart disease as a threat to health. Alcoholism is a progressive disease in which drinking increasingly affects a person’s health, family life, social life and job. Untreated, alcoh olism results in physical incapacity, insanity or death.

A Basic but Significant Question:  What is Alcohol?

The alcohol that people drink at bars, parties, or at other social functions is called ethyl alcohol or ethanol.

Ethyl alcohol is produced by fermentation, a process in which yeast fungus feeds on starches and/or sugars in different grains (such as rice, hops, or barley) or fruits (especially grapes) and excretes alcohol along with carbon dioxide (CO2).

Q: How does alcoholism start?

A: Doctors don’t know all the reasons why people become alcoholics. Some start out drinking a little bit or using drugs and end up hooked on alcohol or other drugs. A person might drink to forget problems or to calm nerves but then end up needing alcohol to feel normal. Once a person loses control over drinking, he or she needs help to stop drinking.

Q: If the alcoholic is sick why doesn’t he or she just go to the hospital?

A: At first, the alcoholic is not aware that he or she is ill. Even when the alcoholic becomes aware that something is wrong, he or she may not believe that alcohol is the problem. An alcoholic might keep blaming things on other people, on his or her job, or whatever. But, really, it’s the alcohol that’s the biggest problem.

Which medications treat alcoholism?

Three oral medications—disulfiram (Antabuse®), naltrexone (Depade®, ReVia®), and acamprosate (Campral®)—are currently approved to treat alcohol dependence. In addition, an injectable, long-acting form of naltrexone (Vivitrol®) is available. These medications have been shown to help people with dependence reduce their drinking, avoid relapse to heavy drinking, and achieve and maintain abstinence. Naltrexone acts in the brain to reduce craving for alcohol after someone has stopped drinking.

Alcohol Consumption

Moderate alcohol use, up to two drinks per day, is not considered harmful for most adults. Nonetheless, a large number of people get into serious trouble because of their drinking. According to the most current government information, nearly 14 million

Americans, 1 in every 13 adults abuses alcohol or are alcoholic. Several million more adults engage in risky drinking that could

lead to alcohol problems.

StatisticsAlmost half of Americans aged 12 or older reported being current drinkers of alcohol in the 2001 survey (48.3 percent). This translates to an estimated 109 million people. Both the rate of alcohol use and the number of drinkers increased from 2000, when 104 million, or 46.6 percent, of people aged 12 or older reported drinking in the past 30 days.

Approximately one fifth (20.5 percent) of persons aged 12 or older participated in binge drinking at least once in the 30 days prior to the survey. Although the number of current drinkers increased between 2000 and 2001, the number of those reporting binge drinking did not change significantly.

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You Have to Know your Limits With Bar Drinks to Avoid Drunkenness

Posted on 11 July 2010 by admin  

I am sure that many of you have heard the names of various drinks and wondered what was being ordered. Well most of these exotic sounding names are used for bar drinks. These are the ones that are considered as being very popular. Besides being popular with the party crowd these bar drinks also earn bartenders lots of money. Now you are probably thinking what are the types of drinks that people like.

These exotic drinks are made from many alcoholic and some non alcoholic beverages. There are some very popular shooters that people love to drink. These have names like Big Red Kamihazi, Jello Shooters, and Windex to name a few. You can also get champagne bar drinks like Mimosa, Champagne Cocktail, Cold Duck or Kalte Ente to otherwise call it. In addition to these interesting bar drinks there are many others.

You have great tasting Vodka drinks that bear names like Sex on the Beach, Cinnamon Pussycat, Cherry Pussycat and Blue Whale. For those of you who love Tequila there are also some very interesting bar drinks that go by the name of Long Island Ice Tea, which of course has nothing to do with iced tea other than the name. Horny Bull, Margarita Sunrise, Blueberry Tequila Limedrop.

There are also bar drinks that go under the names of Sex on the Beach, Coconut Pussycat, and Cherry Pussycat. These bar drinks are known as sexy triple x bar drinks. Now these are just a few of the many different types of bar drinks that you can get from various bars in the world. The best way to order one of these is to stick to the type of alcohol that you like and order the bar drink from that group. You should be aware that some bar drinks can belong to other drink groups as well.

To make your life easier most of the top known bar drinks comes in the families of Vodka, Champagne, Tequila, Gin, Whiskey, Cognac, Absinthe, Shooters and you can also get non alcoholic beverages from many bars. The other sensible thing that you can do is to go to a bar on a week day and have a small glass of one of these bar drinks, that way you can decide if you like the alcoholic drink or if you would like to stick to your usual.

As with all alcoholic drinks be they bar drinks or others you will need to know your limits and make sure that you don’t get drunk. Also you will have to have some way of going home if you are closer to going over the legal limit with your bar drinks. Remember that while these bar drinks can taste great they can get you into trouble if you become stone drunk.

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Brewers and distillers concoct all manner of fruity surprises for a World Cup winner

Posted on 05 July 2010 by admin  

The Football World Cup has seen lots of advertising from big drinks companies, as they look to push their biggest brands, and the latest takes on their classic formulas.The big success in the spirits market recently has been flavoured vodka. There are all sorts of different varieties, from old favourites such as lemon and lime, to more exotic blends, using herbs, pepper and other unusual ingredients.

Ready-mixed vodka drinks are also great as a standby for when friends pop round to watch one of the nail-biting knockout games. Just chill them to taste, and enjoy straight from the fridge! And of course, vodka is the ideal spirit for mixing, especially for creating a long, cool drink – a great idea for when the action gets so intense that the true football fans can’t tear themselves away from in front of the telly.

It’s incredible how much the market for this cool, clear spirit has expanded, and that means that anyone looking to buy vodka online is spoilt for choice. The same is true for cider-lovers. At the time of the last World Cup, the big bottled brands which are now so well known were only just starting to make their mark. Today, though, they’re everywhere, and like vodka, have diversified into a range of exciting new flavours, as cider makers blend their product with all manner of fancy fruit, and make them available for willing customers to buy cider online.

Beer makers have been doing the same for years, but now you can buy cider online with such exciting extra ingredients as lime, strawberry, raspberry and even toffee! They’re certainly a refreshing change – literally – from the standard apple formula. And speaking of beer, adding fruit to recipes has been done since even before the hops which give beer its traditional bitter flavour, were discovered. Fruits, along with various spices and plant extracts were traditionally used to make beer, but it was only when the hop was discovered that beer really took off, because they act as a preservative, helping keep beer fresher for longer.

There’s hardly a single type of fruit which hasn’t at some time been added to a beer to give it a distinctive taste. Raspberries, strawberries, lemons, oranges and damsons are among the fruits which brewers today use to produce beers which stands out from the crowd, and each of these adds its own distinctive flavour to the finished brew.

Hardly a month passes without an enterprising brewer somewhere in the UK or Europe taking delivery of a crop of fresh fruit to be added to one of their beers. And the results, like the fruits themselves, vary massively. Anyone looking to buy beer online will see that this is a trend which, like the fruits themselves, is bursting with flavours.

Beer and cider has long been a favourite amongst people, especially when the weather is nice. Popular drinks such as Peroni beer and Brothers strawberry cider taste great and offer a cool, refreshing drink.

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Looking Younger with Red Wine

Posted on 02 July 2010 by admin  

If you’re into anti-aging skin care, then perhaps you need to ask: Can drinking red wine really make you look younger? There are some ingredients in red wine which are derived from the red grape pip and skin that would suggest so. Let’s take a closer look at the properties of red wine and whether its consumption will benefit skin care and your anti-aging regimen.

Many people only concentrate on the outside to look younger e.g.  Face creams, ointments, non-surgical facelift techniques etc, but the battle to look younger often is fought from within as well as without. In this case we look at the intake of red wine as a natural anti-aging remedy.

In the red wine fermentation process, resveratrol is produced, which has a high concentration of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants fight free radicals like pollution, sun damage to the skin, and damage to the skin and body caused from smoking etc.

Maybe that’s why in scientific studies conducted between the Americans and the French have concluded that the French are generally far healthier than their American counterparts. While both consume high fat diets, scientists found that French people live longer , have less cancer-related illnesses, heart problems, have longer longevity, and look younger for their age. What is the common denominator that’s consistently present in the French diet, but mostly absent in the American diet? You guessed it: Red wine!

Scientists have discovered that indeed the ingredient resveratrol has anti-aging properties, and can result in humans looking younger than their age with prolonged intake of red wine. Most of the oldest people on earth come from France!

Other than its anti-aging skin care properties, what are some other benefits of consuming red wine on a regular basis?

It controls cholesterol levels as well as blood pressure
It prevents  heart disease
It prevents cancer
It aids overall health and blood circulation
It even fights obesity
It promotes softer skin
It prevents, inter alia, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s.

So does white wine act as a similar anti-aging weapon? Studies prove not. Unfortunately the white grape does not consist of the same anti-aging properties as the red grape, so you will not gain any benefits from drinking white wine from an anti-aging point of view.

Remember, the deeper the RED of the wine, the better.  A chilled sweet or semi-sweet red wine is my preference; a dry red at room temperature could be yours. As long as it’s a deep red, your anti-aging skin care program will be on track!

But beware: drink a maximum of ONE OR TWO WINE glasses of red wine per day. More than that will have the opposite effect on your anti-aging skin care efforts because excessive alcohol damages the skin and has malevolent effects on the liver over time. 

So bottoms up for drinking red wine as an anti-aging medicine! It’s deliciously good and will keep you living longer and looking younger as well as handing you a long line of health benefits, provided it’s consumed in moderate quantities.

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Bolly Scotch

Posted on 02 July 2010 by admin  

Vijay Mallya, head of United Breweries Group, owner of Whyte & Mackay has caused consternation in the staid world of Scotch whisky production by suggesting that he wants to spice-up Scotch with natural colours and flavourings to produce alcopop-style drinks.

Well he can’t call it Scotch. Not if it contains any additives. That would be illegal, said a spokesman for the Scotch Whisky Association, referring to the very strict rules, centuries old, governing the production of, what can be called, Scotch whisky. Mr Mallya, speaking about the growth of the Indian market recently, accused the Scotch Whisky Association of “paranoia”.

The Indian Tycoon, who paid £600 million for Whyte & Mackay nearly a year ago, one of India’s richest men, said that he wanted to: “Innovate”. Adding, that the market for Scotch was losing out to Vodka and wines. He said he wanted to experiment with natural additives to make Scotch more attractive to the young. He pointed to the 500 million people, in India, under the age of twenty-five, a huge target market for his proposed innovations, larger than Europe or the US.

There has been much controversy concerning alchopops and other alcoholic drinks aimed at the young. Alcopops are accused of cleverly disguising their alcohol content with sugar and, in some cases, caffeine. The colourful appearance of the products has been blamed for encouragement of over indulgence, or binge drinking, particularly by young women. Parents and concerned groups have repeatedly called for them to be banned, although their fears have been largely ignored. A spokesman for The Scottish Licensed Trade Association said: “We have seen a lot of problems with alcopop-style drinks in recent years and a huge variety of new products have appeared. It becomes a problem when they are deliberately marketed at young people and it’s extremely important that the right balance is struck where these things are concerned.” The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, an organisation with affiliations worldwide, refused to make any comment.

The colourful Vijay Mallya inherited his father, Vittal’s successful Indian business empire in 1983 aged twenty-seven and proceeded to build it into a conglomerate of international importance. He is probably best known for founding the Kingfisher brand. With businesses spanning brewing to airlines, Mallya has earned the nickname The Branson of Bangalore and for his lavish parties The King of Good Times. He controls about sixty percent of the Indian whisky market and his United Breweries Group became the world’s second largest whisky company when it purchased Whyte & Mackay last year. He was recently named chairman of Indian budget airline, Deccan Aviation Ltd. He owns forty-two homes worldwide, including a Scottish castle – Keillour, Perthshire – a stable of 200 horses, the Formula One racing team, Force India (formally Spyker) and the 331 foot Indian Empress yacht, once owned by Elizabeth Taylor. He is estimated to be worth between £1 billion and £2.5 billion.

Mr Mallya did not become a billionaire by kowtowing to four hundred year-old rules and regulations, so we should expect to see Bolly Scotch alcopops on sale soon.

Sam Scribbler. Ex ad-man living at the end of the world. http://oldmalt.com/

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