Exploring British Pubs and Drinks: A Guide for Newcomers

Pubs are a massive part of British culture, with loads of people spending lots of time in them every day. It seems like pubs aren’t just for having fun anymore, but also for living it up. For people visiting the UK for the first time, it can be challenging to understand the menus and vibe of British pubs. This article will give you information on some common types of pubs and drinks they offer.

Three types of British Pubs

The pub has not become a common community culture in a short time. It has a close relationship with the country’s history and living habits. The common pub in Britain can be divided into three categories:

Pub

The most common type is pub, which is short for public house.

In many areas, especially in the countryside, pubs are the centre of social life. Samuel Peps described the British pub as the heart of England. Statistics show that there are now more than 50,000 pubs across the UK. In addition to food and drink, most pubs also offer games and other entertainment.

An Irish Pub is different from a British Pub. Its main features include a friendly atmosphere, Irish sports and Irish music. The first Irish Pubs appeared in the 10th century and have since spread around the world. Irish Pubs are often named after their current or former owners or their street.

Pubs are generally open from 10 am to 10 pm. Watching football is also a big part of British pub culture, so they will be packed on game days. Some pubs are open 24 hours a day.

Bar

Most bars are located in downtown areas, with modern interior decoration and lively atmospheres, which many young people favour.

Specifically, the bar is divided into a public bar and a saloon/lounge bar.

Public Bar is usually smaller, where customers can chat and dance, and there are darts, billiards, cards and so on.

A saloon/lounge bar is a quieter bar with a more elegant atmosphere. Live bands, theatre, comedy and other performances can be enjoyed here. However, this type of bar is more expensive, and there may be a service charge.

Club

The club is more like a recreational facility; most require an entrance fee. Clubs come in many forms; some require membership, some require an annual fee, some are exclusive to college students, and some only serve celebrities. In addition to different customer groups, some clubs have a unique theme. For example, a Sport Club is often for members of sports fans, while a Night Club is for young people who enjoy nightlife.

Types of Alcohol in British Pubs

Bear: 4-5% alcohol

Mild Ale: A pale colored beer that is primarily popular in the central region of England.
Brown Ale: Brown ale is a dark amber or brown beer popular in England, Belgium, and the United States. Brown ale in the south of England is darker, sweeter and lighter; northern brown ale is more robust. The representative brand is Brooklyn Brown Ale.
Pale Ale: Pale Ale is a rich, fizzy, light beer. It’s considered the pride of British beer and is taking the place of porters, browns and pale ales.
Indian Pale Ale: It is similar to Pale but has a stronger hop character and a more intense taste. It is mainly bottled.
Old Ale: This beer, with medium strength and malt sweetness, has been well stored before drunk, hence its name. The most representative brand is Gales’s Prize Old Ale.
Lager: This is a type of imported beer with a lighter colour, best enjoyed when served cold, such as brands like Fosters Ice, Stella Artois, Becks and Heineken.
Stout: Originally from the British port, the beer has an alcohol content of about 7% to 8%, and has a strong taste with obvious burnt and malt flavors.
Sweet/Oatmeal Stout: The British like to add sugar to their stouts and porters to balance out the bitterness and make them fuller-bodied. Example: Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout.
Porter: This beer is typical of the 18th and 19th century British industrial revolution. It has a rich and intense taste with a slight bitterness.
Barley Wine: This English stout is full-bodied and intense, with a high alcohol content and a beautiful amber color. Example: Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale.
Shandy: A mixed drink of beer and lemonade.

Spirits

Common spirits in bars are Whisky, Vodka, Gin, Rum, Tequila, and Brandy. The most popular is Whisky; Scotland Whisky is a representative of it, and Irish Whisky is also one of the popular choices. Spirits are usually ordered as a shot (English and Welsh) or a dram (Scottish). There are also higher-end French wines, such as French cognac brandy.

Cocktail

Cocktails are popular drinks that are made by mixing spirits with other condiments. Its ingredient combination is extremely rich. The commonly used spirits include gin, whisky, brandy, tequila, rum, vermouth and vodka, etc.; juices include orange juice, lemon juice, ginger juice, etc.; sodas include cola, 7up, sparkling water, Tonic water and ginger ale, etc.

Manhattan: Known as the “Queen of Cocktails,” it is one of the six must-learn cocktails and is said to evaluate a bartender’s basic skills. If you prefer a dry taste, ask your bartender to mix sweet vermouth and dry vermouth in a 50/50 ratio.
Sex on the Beach: A sweet cocktail made with vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, pineapple juice and orange juice.
Mojito: A cocktail made by blending crushed mint leaves, white rum, and lime with club soda. It has a refreshing sweet-and-sour flavour with hints of mint.

Wine

There are specialist wine bars, but most bars will only have one or two kinds of wine and serve them by the glass. Most British pubs and bars will mainly serve beer and cocktails.

Other fruit wines

Some bars also serve fruit wines, such as cider or pear wine, which are usually mild and sweet.

Non-alcoholic

Most bars also serve soft drinks, both carbonated and non-carbonated. Common non-carbonated drinks include water, juice, etc.; while carbonated drinks include cola, lemonade, etc. In addition, you can sometimes order tea or coffee at a bar. Some fancy places even offer non-alcoholic wine.

Tips for Ordering Beer in a British Pub

Beer is usually served in cups or bottles. Cup-served beers are usually served from the tap of a beer barrel and are often draft beers such as Bitter or Pale Ale, while Lager is often sold in bottles.
When ordering beer, please specify the type of beer or the name of a specific brand. Also, please specify a pint or half a pint. Otherwise, it will default to a pint.
Bitter is a more intense flavour, suitable for mixed with juice, Boddingtons, Josh Smith and Guinness, and has a unique characteristic.

If you’re thinking about studying in the UK, it’s crucial to find the right student accommodation. That’s where uhomes comes in. It’s a reliable platform that helps students like you find the perfect place to live in London, Manchester, Glasgow, Cardiff, Birmingham and many other cities. So far, they’ve helped more than 55,000 students successfully find their dream homes.

Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem – Nottingham (1189)
Ye Olde Salutation Inn – Nottingham (1240)
The Bell Inn – Nottingham (1437)
The Old Ferry Boat – Holywell, Cambridgeshire (560)
The Ye Olde Fighting Cocks – St. Albans, Hertfordshire (793)
The Porch House – Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire (947)
Ye Olde Man & Scythe – Bolton, Greater Manchester (1251)
The George Inn – Norton St. Philip, Somerset (1383)
The Red Lion – Avebury, Wiltshire (1604, though there may have been an earlier structure)
The Royal Standard of England – Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire (1620)

What are pubs in the UK?

Pubs, short for public houses, are not just places to drink in the UK. They are social hubs of communities with a long history and a strong personality.