Hold my beer alert!
The BBC stuns with Monks insist on high-alcohol beer:

A French Government drive against alcoholism has incurred the wrath of Belgium's famous Trappist monks.

Famous for vows of silence, the Trappist monks are also well known for brewing strong beers, including Chimay and Westmalle.

But the French Government now wants to slap high taxes on any of those beers that contain more than 8.5% alcohol.

Now that's what I call a beer!

The Trappist brewers argue that this is against the spirit of the European free trade area, the single market.

Actually, as might be expected, they have a spokesman.

The new fiscal measures were announced unexpectedly at the end of last year in order to deter alcoholism.

But French wine - which has a stronger alcoholic content than Trappist beer and is already taxed less than beer - is not being penalised in the same way.

I'm shocked!