British pubs

The pub is a place to for a convivial night out. You can meet people, enjoy good food and drink and even join in a game of darts or snooker, a game similar to billiards.

The word “pub” is a shortened of public house; at one time ale houses were private homes where the occupant brewed ale and sold it at the front door. Poles were topped with evergreen branches were hung outside public houses so customers could easily find them. These were the earliest pub signs. Today there is an amazing selection of pub names depicted on colorful signs. Some of them refer to historical events or local landmarks while others include references to animals, many with their origins in heraldry, such as the “White Hart” and the “Red Lion”.

Another popular pub name: “The Coach and Horses” reminds us that many pubs were once coaching inns where travelers would stop for refreshments, a night´s sleep and to rest or change the horses pulling their stage coach. There were many coaching inns in London, with stage coach services to villages and towns.

Although it is possible to buy most drinks in a pub, beer is the mainstay of the trade. Until the sixteenth century, the UK´s favourite drink was ale made with fermented malt from barley. Then hops, were introduced. Their dried flowers were used to flavor and preserve the ale and ale became beer, although the two names are used interchangeably today.

Over twenty seven million of pints of beer are sold in the UK every day. Although breweries are mainly run by big national groups, there are many microbreweries serving a smaller area and a few publicans still brew their beers.