"At that moment I would have given a kingdom, not for champagne or hock and soda, or hot coffee but for a glass of beer" Marquess Curzon of Kedlestone, Viceroy of India.
"increase taxes on beer by 160%"
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012...?newsfeed=true
"Do I know where hell is? hell is in hello"
The last time I went to France (20 years ago now) the price of beer in a bar was the same as London (not Spoons) prices but the supermarket prices were very cheap. The same applied in Belgium I seem to recall.
By "France" I don't mean Paris or any other major City but Brittany. If this goes ahead in France the French will just drink the House Red rather than beer resulting in diminishing returns of duty.
Presumably it will hit booze cruises if they still occur.