It's 6pm on a rainy evening in Liverpool and a group of civil servants has come together in a Victorian pub to talk shop over half a bitter, or two. Their mission: to find ways of tackling "Britain's binge-drinking culture".

These are England's regional directors of public health. Their meeting place is not, they say, rank hypocrisy, but a key part of their message.

"What we're saying is a small amount [of alcohol] is good for you, but a lot is bad for you," says Rod Griffiths, public health director for the West Midlands.

The choice of pub, too, is significant. Dr Duncan's is owned by Robert Cain's Brewery, which prides itself on promoting "sensible drinking". The company's bottles carry labels telling drinkers how many units they are consuming.

The managing director, Sudarghara Dusanj, concedes the motivation for cooperating with the government is double-edged. Downing Street's "alcohol harm reduction strategy", published last month, carried thinly veiled threats of government regulation if the drinks industry failed to act voluntarily on binge drinking.

A couple of hours later, Dr Duncan's is selling a fair amount of lager to a group of young men. They are clear about why they come to the pub.

"We like the ale, it's cheap, and you can get wasted before you go into town," says David Dowdall, a 20-year-old student.

Like his friends, he is drinking Red Eric, a 6.5% lager. They are sceptical about what they see as a narrow definition of binge drinking, but agree that unit information can be helpful.

A few hundred metres away is Yates's, a noisy bar, quite unlike Dr Duncan's. The tables all carry cards with special offers. Between 5pm and 8pm, a jug of vodka and Red Bull can be had for £6.99.

Claire, a 23-year-old bar worker, has just bought four bottles of beer for herself and a friend, taking advantage of another offer. She says the responsible drinking message does sometimes get through.

"If you're out for a couple of drinks with your mates, it might make you think," she says. "But if you're on a bender, it won't make any difference."