A major part of British life, pubs – or public houses to give them their proper names – are places where you can enjoy a tipple and socialise with your friends. They are licensed premises which can serve alcoholic drinks to the public. They are informal and relaxed – going to a pub is a bit like joining your friends in a cosy living room and enjoying a variety of beers together. Here is our guide to British pub culture and etiquette.

‘There is nothing which has yet been contrived by man, by which so much happiness is produced as by a good tavern.’ Samuel Johnson

Pubs differ from restaurants, where food is served, and bars, which are generally livelier, sometimes flashier and offer a greater variety of alcoholic drinks, such as cocktails. Although many pubs serve a reasonable range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, you would always expect beers and ciders to be served. If you don’t drink alcohol, soft drinks are always available at the pub and it’s often possible to get a cup of tea as well!

A Very Brief History of the Public House

The history of the pub derives from taverns, which date as far back as Roman tabernae from the 1st century CE, and alehouses from the Anglo Saxon era, both of which would offer food and drink to visitors. The term ‘public house’ appeared in the late 17^th century but this name largely described a house that was simply open to the public, as opposed to a private residence. In the 17^th century, people started to move around the country using stagecoaches, and inns were established to provide convenient accommodation on major routes. It was in the 19^th century that public houses mainly became associated with drinking.

Community

In smaller neighbourhoods, pubs are often the heart of the community. It’s not uncommon to find tiny villages in the English countryside that don’t have shops but do have a pub.

Historically, pubs weren’t simply social drinking places, they were also venues where local people could do business. The Chapelfields district of Coventry has a surprising number of pubs for such a small area – just six short roads. But in the 19^th century  this was where local watchmakers lived and worked. The pubs were places where the gentry could meet the watchmakers and order their pocket watches.

In the 18^th and 19^th centuries, there weren’t many public venues outside major towns and cities and so pubs were also used to host auctions and even courts, where a local judge would hold ‘petty sessions’, prior to the instigation of magistrates courts. And, somewhat gruesomely, if a local resident died, their corpse would often be taken to the pub where the coroner’s inquest would take place.

‘In the end, in England, when you want to find out how people are feeling, you always go to the pubs.’ Martha Gellhorn

Some pubs are tied to a brewery so will have to sell at least some beer from that brewery, others are known as ‘free houses’ and they can source their beer from anywhere. For a beer connoisseur, the free houses are more likely to have a greater variety of good beers.

Pubs have evolved over the years and these days they may be also connected with brewhouses.

So, What is A Local?

‘A good local pub has much in common with a church, except that a pub is warmer, and there’s more conversation.’ William Blake

If you hear British people talking about their local, they’ll be referring to (one of) their favourite pub(s). It may be the pub most local to their home or it may just be a pub in their area which sells their preferred beer, or has a good range of beers, or the nicest atmosphere. It’s basically a pub that you attend regularly.

We meet our friends at our local every week. The staff know us and they also know what we like to drink so can make suggestions for good beer. And there will be other regulars who we don’t really know but we will see them often and so make small talk. And, because we’re British, it’s usually about the weather.

British Pub Etiquette

Ordering

Unlike many European bars and cafes you don’t enter a pub, find a table and sit down. If you do, you’ll be waiting for a very long time indeed. You order your drinks at the bar and pay immediately. Then find a seat and enjoy your drink. Or find your seat and then go to the bar to order – that’s fine too.

If you are well known at the pub it is sometimes possible to open a ‘tab’, which means that the bar will log the cost of all the drinks over the course of the evening and you pay the bill at the end.

Beers, ciders (apple wine) and perries (pear cider) are served in pints (568ml) or half pints. Sometimes beers are sold in 1/3 pint, especially if they are strong in terms of alcohol content.

Wines and spirits will also be available. Wine measures range from 125ml, 175ml or 250ml (a third of a bottle). Spirits such as vodka, whisky, rum or gin are sold in 25ml or 35ml measures.

It’s Your Round…

Sometimes everyone in a group will buy their own drinks, which is absolutely fine. If you’re drinking with friends then it’s common to buy the drinks in rounds. This means that one person buys all the drinks for the group and then, when the glasses are empty, someone else will buy the next round. And so on.

If someone buys you a drink it is polite to reciprocate. If you’d rather not get into buying rounds (which can get expensive if it’s a large group), that’s okay, just let people know you’ll be drinking at your own pace.

Last Orders!

Although pubs can be licenced to sell alcohol for 24 hours a day, many pubs shut up shop in the late evening, usually around 11pm. Last orders are called when you hear the bell ring. It means you can stagger to the bar and get the final round in – one for the road. You’ll then have around half an hour of drinking up time before being politely ejected and the pub will close.

If you return your empty glasses to the bar it will be appreciated but isn’t absolutely necessary.

Children and Dogs

Alcohol can only be served to adults over the age of 18. But many pubs are family friendly these days and children are allowed to enter pubs.

For older children, 16 and 17 year olds are allowed to consume (but not buy) beer or wine if they are eating a meal at the pub.

These days, if you are lucky enough to look young you may be asked for ID to prove that you are over 18. And if you are much older than 18, view it as a compliment if you are asked to prove your age!

Many pubs are dog-friendly and will welcome your pooch when you come in for a pint. They often have water available and some even have doggie biccies.

What Is Real Ale?

‘I would give all of my fame for a pot of ale and safety.’ William Shakespeare

The CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ales) society defines real ale as ‘beer…brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide.’ Which all sounds a bit formal but does reflect the quality of the beer offered.

You would expect pubs to sell a variety of draught beers, that is beer that has been pulled from a cask or keg, as well as bottled beers.

‘Good people drink good beer.’ Hunter S. Thompson

Beers generally fall into two categories: ales and lagers, but these have many, many variations. Pubs will generally serve both. There are a huge variety of beers available. British ales range from pale ales, bitters and IPAs (India Pale Ale, which has bitterness from hops), to dark brown beers such as milds, stouts and porters.

Lagers are not traditionally British, they originated from Bavaria in Germany. But they are very popular in the UK and are hugely refreshing on a hot day (if we ever get a hot day). Most British pubs sell lager as well as real ale.

And these days many pubs will sell also craft beers, ensuring that there are plenty of options for beer drinkers.

Feeling Fruity?

You would also expect alcoholic fruit drinks, such as cider (brewed from apples), less common perry (brewed from pears) or very unusual but quite delicious pyder (brewed from apples and pears) to be served. These will range from super-sweet to bone-dry, fizzy to flat, clear to cloudy.

Pub Grub

Some pubs don’t serve food but many do. Traditionally pubs would serve British fare such as fish and chips, a roast lunch/dinner, pie and mash.

The Ploughman’s Lunch is a traditional dish offered in pubs. It is a rustic lunch which comprises crusty bread, a variety of good cheeses, pickles and maybe a pork pie. It’s very evocative of a farmer’s meal as he takes a break from toiling in the rolling English countryside bringing home the harvest. But actually it’s not a traditional farmer’s meal at all! It was apparently dreamed up in the 1950s by a cheese marketing board as a way of selling more cheese! That said, a Ploughman’s is a cracking lunch and works very well with a pint – or two – of ale or cider.

Many pubs have diversified and often sell really good quality food as well. One of our favourite pubs has cheese night each month where they invite a local cheesemonger to set up shop and display a large variety of delicious cheeses. The pub provides a platter of biscuits, bread and fruit then you can buy whatever cheese you desire. We always buy extra to take home!

If you are ordering food, while some pubs have table service, most will take your order at the bar. Your table will usually have a number associated with it. It may be embossed into the table itself, so take a note of the number when ordering, or you may be given a table number with your order.

Posh Nosh

Some pubs have set themselves up as gastro-pubs, where they offer a variety of great food and are effectively a restaurant with beer. The food may be high-quality traditional British food or may offer different cuisines. Some of the best Indian or Thai meals we’ve eaten in the UK have been enjoyed at pubs where chefs take over the kitchen. A roast dinner is still one of the most popular pub offerings.

Pub Crawl

A pub crawl is a rite of passage for many students and younger drinkers. Find an area with a lot of pubs, then visit all of them, enjoying a drink at each before moving onto the next… and so on until the pubs close or everyone falls over. These days, more health-conscious students sometimes do pub runs whereby they sprint between pubs. Of course, there is still usually lots of beer involved.

‘Drinking beer doesn’t make you fat, it makes you lean…Against bars, tables, chairs, and poles.’ Gerard Way

Pub Games

Pubs are great places to interact with your friends or fellow drinkers. There are usually games to play – such as darts, dominoes or pub skittles. Many pubs host quiz nights to encourage punters to spend the evening drinking and answering fiendish questions. Some pubs also host regular music events where local bands play. You don’t usually have to pay to hear the music, as the pub will be quite happy selling beers throughout the evening.

‘If you can play your stuff in a pub, then you´re a good band.’ Paul McCartney 

Pub Names

Another characteristic of pubs is that they have a distinctive name and a sign outside. In 1393 King Richard II passed a law requiring pub owners to display a sign outside the premises to indicate that this was a place for drinking and tasting ales.

Pubs can be named for many things. You often see ‘colour and animal’ combinations, like the Red Lion, the Black Horse, the Iridescent Chameleon (we made that one up). Names with ‘arms’ are often associated with occupations, so the Dyer’s Arms, Blacksmith Arms, Brewer’s Arms are generally named for the traders who used to frequent them. Myths, legends and literature are also good sources of pub names, as are heraldry coats of arms and even local landowners.

Pub Cricket

If you’re ever on a road trip through the English countryside (driving through lovely country lanes, not on the motorway) you can play the game of pub cricket with your fellow passengers.

The game approximates the rules of actual cricket, so one passenger is deemed to be ‘in’. They count the legs on pub signs until they reach a pub with the word ‘head’ or ‘arms’ in the name, in which case they are ‘out’ and the next passenger has a go at being ‘in’. So, the Red Lion will score 4, the Dog and Parrot will score 6. You might get lucky with The George and Dragon (2 for George, plus 4 if he’s on a horse and who knows how many for the Dragon?)! Tally up the number of legs at the end of the journey and the winner is the one with the highest score.

British pub culture is a major part of society in the UK. If you visit, and enjoy a tipple, do make sure you get a chance to visit a pub and enjoy a pint or more…

Related Posts You May Enjoy

• 
  Visiting Berlin for the First Time
• 
  Fortresses and Falls in Jajce Bosnia
• 
  Is the Copenhagen Card Worth It?
• 
  Cheers! A Guide To British Pub Culture
• 
  Amazing Azores – A Sao Miguel Itinerary
• 
  Things To Do In Rovaniemi In Winter