The world is coming to an end..

… one way or another. But it difficult to find out how.

I quote the Publican, who quotes the Mail on Sunday:

Supermarkets are selling beer at a cheaper price than water, fuelling concern over their role in Britain’s binge-drinking crisis. Despite repeated public health warnings, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Asda now offer lager at just 22p a can – less per litre than their own-brand-mineral water and cola, and cheap enough to allow someone to get drunk for just £1. Lager is now so cheap that the stores pay more in excise duties than they charge at the till.

At the same time the Sunday Mirror cheerfully informs us that

Drinkers were warned yesterday to brace themselves for a hefty beer price hike within months.

Industry experts say the cost of top-selling lagers and bitters could leap 70p for a four-pack due to rising costs of malt, barley, glass and aluminium.

David Wigham, of Coors Brewers, said: “The industry is experiencing significant rises that will ultimately need to be passed to the consumer.”

I’m not sure who the someone is who is satisfied with four cans of beer to get drunk, but he or she is living in the United Kingdom and will now have to fork out £1.70 on a Friday evening.

I guess it’s just a matter of perspective. The world will go under because of cheap beer. Or expensive beer. Or something. Or maybe we can put the melting water from the glaciers in cans with the spare CO2. I’ll tell you when I find out more, OK?