David Cameron will override his Cabinet who fear it breaches European rules, it is reported.
Minimum pricing has the biggest impact on the cheapest and strongest drinks and earlier this month a group of leading academics and health experts claimed the move would save thousands of lives.
Proposals for a charge per unit of between 40p and 50p would raise £700m a year, which could go to the NHS, the Daily Telegraph says.
Scotland's administration is pushing through legislation for a minimum unit price, though health secretary Nicola Sturgeon admits it is "almost certain" to meet a legal challenge.
Westminster Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has previously warned that such a move would not meet European competition rules. That viewed has been echoed by the Business department.
But a Whitehall source told the newspaper: "The Prime Minister has decided that when it comes to alcohol, something pretty radical now has to be done and he is keen on the minimum price.
"It is complicated how this can be delivered, particularly under European law, but it is clear that the voluntary approach has not worked."
A Number 10 spokeswoman said the Government's alcohol strategy would be unveiled soon and no decisions had been made.
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