Beer giant Anheuser-Busch InBev is understood to be reviving the Hong Kong IPO of its Asian unit and is set to raise as much as HK$37.9 billion (€4.4bn), roughly half of an earlier target.

Nine out of 10 people believe Ireland is an expensive place to buy both food and drink.

My inner puritan didn’t like one of the playgrounds at the new Center Parcs in Longford. (Just so you know, ourselves and the kids got a two-night stay for free, which is a bit of a laugh because I’m about as influential as Theresa May.)

A new global study has found that Irish women are some of the heaviest drinkers in the world.

I apologise in advance for this column as there is considerable decadence ahead. I was lucky enough to visit Adare Manor for one of their prized wine evenings recently, the good news however is that these evenings are open to anyone for approximately €75 to €85 per person — excellent value given the wines being served.

This week I want to focus on the wines of the Languedoc which covers a vast area of vineyards growing both varietal wines to suit international tastes but also quirky local wines unique to the region. The terrain here can vary from wild rocky garrigue to Mediterranean to more Atlantic.

Conor McGregor has expanded his highly sought-after Irish whiskey by adding distribution in the UK.

The organisation behind a new campaign aimed at tackling the trauma endured by the children of those who abuse alcohol say the initiative is not about judging parents, but ending an ongoing cycle of harmful drinking.

Six years on and Dry January is more popular than ever, but does quitting booze for a month actually make a difference to your life? Ian Hamilton of the University of York found out.

Gardaí say 11% of fatal road crashes involving drink happen the morning after a night out.

Despite expectations that the bubble would burst, gins are more popular than ever, with new ones popping up across the country. Why is the classic G&T so rejuvenated? asks Leslie Williams.

A new survey has found that 74% of people think drinking to excess is ‘just a part of Irish culture’.

Esther N McCarthy gathers some insider information to get you through to the new year.

RP O’Donnell has made Ireland home in every way but one – the American can’t get his head around our attitude to drink, especially when it comes to the 12 pubs of Christmas.

Growing up in the midlands in the 1970s there was not a lot of wine consumed in our house except at Christmas or when the English cousins arrived in the summer — it was usually Blue Nun. However, my dad did occasionally buy red wine and that was almost always Rioja, a byword for quality then, as now.

The Bill will now go to President Michael D Higgins for signing and enactment.

The Menu has long been a supporter and advocate for any form of community food co-operative enterprises so was delighted to hear of the recent official opening of Limerick’s Urban Co-Op’s new premises at Eastway Business Park.

In 1976, the average supermarket stocked 9,000 unique products; today, that number has ballooned to 40,000, yet the average person gets 80%-85% of their needs in only 150 different supermarket items.

Most readers of this newspaper get their fix before they tackle the front page.

Drunk Munchies or 'Drunchies' is caused by soaring glucose levels from the sugar content in alcohol.

More than 2.5 million people visited brewery and distillery tourist attractions in Dublin last year.

THESE summer days are a treat and it is the time of year to be outside

Joe McNamee is back with a taste of the lastest food news from around the country.

Leslie Williams visits Out of the Blue in Dingle Harbour.

All this gorgeous weather has sent me to Italy in search of refreshment this past few weeks. I’ve also been dipping into southern France for rosé.

The Summer 12-week certificate course students had a special treat last week, when Merlin Lebron Johnston from Portland Restaurant in London came as guest chef to The Ballymaloe Cookery School.

Today we are looking at fizzy and herbal drinks.

This column has been extolling the virtues of Beaujolais for a couple of years now and I’m pleased to see that I am not alone as in volume terms Beaujolais sales were up 76% in 2017 and in value terms up over 95%.

Cork’s adventurous artisan distillers are doing wild things with apples, honey and milk to create drinks with a difference. Joe O’Shea meets the makers.

Leslie Williams delivers the latest wine news and offers up six options to taste this weekend.

Food news with Joe McNamee.

Why not consider making a herbal tea border ora collection of container teas? Fiann Ó Nualláin offers suggestions on what to plant to start your collection.

Coconut is a versatile ingredient, it comes in many guises, in the form of water, milk, oil or cream, desiccated or flaked.

Food news with Joe McNamee

I WAS called a hipster recently — I think it was my pointy shoes with the red laces. I actually took it as a compliment despite the fact that I can’t be a hipster now that I’m in my late 40s, that sobriquet is only for the young. Dublin has many hipster hangouts but hipster central has to be the Bernard Shaw pub in Portobello — they even sell PBR (Google it along with the word ‘Hipster’).

Vinegar may seem like an unusual ingredient in cakes and buns but it is one of those slightly magic ingredients that adds to the mysterious alchemy of baking.

Food news with Joe McNamee

RECENTLY I was invited back to my home county, Laois to an event to raise awareness of the burgeoning food scene.

A huge amount of our time is spent in work and there are lots of ways you can make changes to incorporate into your daily workday to improve your overall health.

A court has granted drinks and entertainment licences for this summer’s Ed Sheeran gigs at Phoenix Park.