A Yearning for Pub Culture
I have always held a fondness for British beer and English pub culture. While today’s Brits are often known worldwide as rowdy, drunken and often violent soccer “hooligans,” the historical reality is that the English have been some of the most civilized drinkers in the history of the world. In the last 50 years or so, England has been evolving (or devolving, depending on your perspective) into a largely commercially driven, lager swilling and very mediocre-beer drinking country. From my point of view, this “devolution” has been a contributing cause for the soiled reputation the English beer drinker earns today; it’s not unlike our own over-indulgent and irresponsible behavior that is all too common with the typical American macro-lager drinker.
Why am I picking on macro-lagers and macro lager drinkers? Well, it’s simple. The large macro lager brewers are all about volume selling. They want you to be able to “chain drink” one can after another without tasting it or filling your tummy. This sounds O.K. on the surface: Heck! Why not give the people what they want, right? The problem is that although they have lightened the beer’s taste and body, they leave all of the alcohol in the package. This means that you can guzzle away at great volumes with little consequence to your tummy; but your brain, well that’s another matter, it gets wasted. This all happens in a country where unlike most of beer drinking Europe, there is little to no public transportation to get your tummy and brain home…
There is a hard-core group of folks in England committed to keeping the English pub culture — and the “real-ales” that go along with that culture — alive. The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an organization formed in the 1970s in response to many commercial assaults on Britain’s ale drinking heritage. Pubs were being bought up and homogenized to sell one brewer’s brand (like gas stations in the U.S.) or they would be closed altogether. Many small local breweries were either swallowed-up by big conglomerates or they simply closed, not being able to find a “private house” to serve their beer.
CAMRA became and still remain one of the most effective consumer groups in history. Today, they boast 90,000 members and host the Great British Beer Festival, the premier ale festival in the world. It remains an uphill battle, but CAMRA are doing well to reverse much of the devolving beer culture in the U.K.
So, you might be asking: “What is civilized drinking, anyway”? How about drinking a few pints for the taste and not the buzz, or just for the camaraderie and conversation? I especially enjoy having a few beers while I am brewing the next batch and socializing with my fellow brewers who have come by to lend a hand. Today, I write this to you while enjoying a bottled ale from the Northwest of England and listening to the ocean’s waves crashing on Litchfield beach. I am feeling quite civil at the moment…
I yearn for a day when it will become desirable and even fashionable to have a local pub in the average American neighborhood. A real pub can serve as a meeting place, a place to stop in for a pint while you are out with the pooch or a place to share the latest neighborhood gossip or debate a political point of view. A good pub should be the best place to demonstrate the friendly “social lubricity” that a couple of good pints can facilitate. Where do you think the American Revolution was concocted? Certainly, not at a loud sport’s bar or hotel lounge.
Call me a dreamer or hopeless idealist, but am determined one day to retire my current employment and while donning an apron of honor, I will be ever diligent in wiping down my bar-top as I listen to the same old story from a favorite patron another seemingly countless time, as he sits enjoying a fine ale from my proud taps.
July 15th, 2008 at 12:35 pm
“[o]ut with the pooch”? That’s an awful harsh statement about the wife, isn’t it?
July 15th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
[…] thegazz.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerpt I have always held a fondness for British beer and English pub culture. While today’s Brits are often known worldwide as rowdy, drunken and often violent soccer “hooligans,” the historical reality is that the English have been some of the most civilized drinkers in the history of the world. In the last 50 years or so, England has been evolving (or devolving, depending on your perspective) into a largely commercially driven, lager swilling and very mediocre-beer drinking country. From my point o […]
July 15th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
At least I didn’t say “Junk Yard Dog”
July 16th, 2008 at 1:58 am
Rich: FYI, on a totally unrelated topic and in case you or anyone out there in blog land are interested, while searching for the increasingly elusive Anchor Steam, I stopped by Drug Emporium in Kanawha City yesterday. They didn’t have Anchor, but they did have a few six-packs of Sierra Nevada Anniversary Ale in the cooler. As much as I wanted to take all of them home, I left a few for others to enjoy. They also had Great Lakes Moondog ESB, which I haven’t seen anywhere else locally.
Any idea where one can find Anchor Steam? The Wine Shop, (Patrick St.)Liquor Mart, and Rite Aid all used to carry it, but none of them have it now. A clerk at The Wine Shop told me they can’t get right now.
July 16th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I see what you mean about the ‘gas station’ analogy. I had a chance to go to a London pub with the expectation of sampling a lot of different English ales. Fuller was the only brand they carried. That didn’t stop me from leaving and having a few. You have to admit though that the Brits can pound down the beers. I can’t keep up with them. I don’t even try.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:52 am
Unfortunate these are dark days for the British pub industry, and most publicans will point to the 2007 smoking ban as the culprit. You used to be able to enjoy a smoke along with your pint after work. No longer. And when smokers were not longer welcome in their favorite local pubs, supermarkets began luring them by lowering the price of booze. Now more people are just staying home. New research by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) shows the situation is now so bad that 1,400 pubs closed last year - equivalent to 27 a week.
July 18th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Although, I personally like going into a smoke free environment, I have always beleived that the decision should. Be mine as to if I patronize a business that allowed smoking. I think the anti-smoking movement has pushed government too far when it c, meddle into the way a person runs a business that is still privately owned.the only responsibility that the health officials really have is to insure that patrons are aware of the risk and the business owners clearly post that they allow smoking, this before the patron enters. As for the inrterest in worker’s health, you choose where you want to work and all have risk. Bartendrs and servers know what they are getting into when they take on such a job.
We are supposed to be a Free market economy, so why don’t we let it work?
I could go on forever on this subject. I will spare you.
July 24th, 2008 at 10:20 am
Add me to the dreamer list too. I think a “public” house in the neighborhood would we the perfect way to end a work week. I have tried to turn my own basement into my personal pub, but it’s just not quite the same.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:23 am
Great article Rich!
I’m all for a return to the pub/tavern/cafe` culture. There is the “Savor the Flavor” campaign.If we can get the wine :whistle (people) onboard it would be great! I think the word your looking for is: ‘Gemütlichkeit’ It is a German word describing the feeling & the atmosphere when your sitting around talking, drinking & having fun with friends. There is no English translation. That needs to replace the current information put out by misguided people like the Sugeon General, MADD, certain church groups & other groups. That insist the only reson to drink is to get drunk. I wish they’d grow up! IMHO Their misguided missinformation & half truths are killing young people. Example: Statement: “Beer & Wine are alcohol.” I’m sorry folks. Beer & wine are beverages that contain the chemical compound known impart as Ethyl Alcohol(A byproduct of the fermetation process).
July 25th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Was that English?
July 29th, 2008 at 7:47 am
Ja!
August 13th, 2008 at 12:40 pm
[…] A Yearning for Pub CultureI have always held a fondness for British beer and English pub culture. While today’s Brits are often known worldwide as rowdy, drunken and often violent soccer “hooligans,” the historical reality is that the English have been some of … […]