Well, in Bristol (again!) to see off my friend who just came back
from China. Its only couple of days before i'll be in Bulgaria, about a
weeks time in Turkey and 2 weeks time in Iran, but there is a little
rumour going round that the Turkey-Iran border is partially closed
which would put a rather major spanner in the works! Anyway, decided to
blabber on a bit about English pub culture.
"You see Jim, here in England we have had 1500 years to refine our pub culture, whilst you in Oz only have had 200 years"
The
watering holes here are certainly a few classes ahead of their
Australian counterparts, if not that the price also is. My somewhat
over-frequent visiting (it will all balance out by the time I'm back in
Oz with the dry countries of Iran and Pakistan) has led me to attempt
to summise a few pointers as follows:
1. Ambience - It comes
quite of a shock that you can enjoy a pint without the cacophonous
company of the pubs sound system blaring out the latest in the charts.
Comfortable chairs as opposed to unergonomic bar stools, normal
lighting compared to having my glass table lit up by some kind of
flouro lights seem to indicate that these English pubs are a place for
relaxing and socialising, maybe not for dressing up and fumbling for
your proof of age card.
2. The Beer - OK, maybe us Ozzies win
out in this department, but I found the idea of the brewers making
special brews for Christmas (your Christmas Ales that taste spicy!),
Indian Pale Ales, and for the seasons (a pint of Young's Winter Warmer
.... mmmm) quite a novel one! On the down side the beer comes out the
taps at something alarmingly close to room temperature and all pubs
seem to have an insistence of having Foster's on tap. Even more
disturbing is their belief that its the best brew from Oz and that all
us Ozzies devour it, the reason for the latter being that all the
Fosters ads feature Ozzies in them happily (forcibly!?) downing a pint!
English beer does have more taste, not to mention variety. Below are a
few that are highly recommended!
Hobgoblins - Afraid you might taste something, lagerboy? A very malty strongish beer, exquisite!
John Smith's - In the way that massed produced beers go, this one fairs pretty damn well!
Young's Bitter - Or actually pretty much anything from the Young's range ... got good pubs as well.
3.
Miscallaneous - A pint, or half-pint of beer .... quite a bit more
descriptive than a schooner, middie or pot of beer ... the last one
sounds like you want a bit of the wacky tobaccky as a side! The idea of
a pub lunch is also very appealing, somewhat more than a packet of
overpriced peanuts. Talking of things been overpriced, the English have
refined that art to a tea and the pub is no exception .... its just the
thought that you know everything is overpriced that seems to comfort
you in a very odd way! At least I havent had accomodation to fork out
on!
Anyway, better be off now .... getting late here, off to bulgaria and beyond
