The Campaign for Real Ale predicts that 50 million pints worth of beer will be dumped in the United Kingdom within weeks if the country’s lockdown continues.
Source: UK lockdown could see beer flowing down the drain
Pubs
The Pubs Are Closed, but Brits Keep Quizzing
In an era of social distancing, one British institution has proven resilient.
“Which country has the longest coastline?”
“Which television characters are associated with Wimbledon?”
“Sniffled Rotten is an anagram of which famous cartoon character?”
I didn’t know any of the answers. And judging by the many bemused faces in front of me, I wasn’t alone. Some chose to confer with their partners, making sure to turn their mouths away so that no one might read their lips, before scribbling down their response. Others, seemingly resigned to their fate, took a swig of beer and leaned back in their chair. Looking down at my own paper, I knew the chances of my team—just myself and my boyfriend—winning this pub quiz was going to be slim. But hey, there was always the next round.
The questions were challenging, perhaps not unlike those that would be asked of “punters” at any of the thousands of pub quizzes that are typically held on a given night across Britain. Only this wasn’t a typical quiz night, nor was it taking place in a pub. Rather, this quiz was happening via a Zoom call at the Corona Arms, a “virtual pub” that, until a few weeks ago, had no reason to exist.
The outbreak of the coronavirus changed that. The first cases emerged in Britain earlier this year, and any semblance of normal life has since come to a grinding halt. Social-distancing measures have been put into place, and nonessential areas of congregation, including restaurants, gyms, and cinemas, are now closed. In the nationwide effort to curb the spread of the virus, not even a treasured institution like the pub—perhaps one of the most recognizable symbols of ordinary British life—was spared [ . . . ]
Continue at THE ATLANTIC: The Pubs Are Closed, but Brits Keep Quizzing
Missing your local? Why pubs mean so much to so many
Our Beerhunter points out the way our lives connect up around good times in pubs and people we meet there
I’m not sure if I’ll manage to keep a beer column going for the duration of our current exile from pubs but here’s one, inspired by Mark Gilliver, landlord of the Coach & Horses at Draycott, which he has built into a marvellous community facility.
This was Mark’s Facebook post which spurred me into action:
“Life just doesn’t seem the same without The Pub. A pub should be a cornerstone of every village, like a post office or church. It’s a place where a community knits and socialises. It’s a second front room, where you go to meet your neighbours, vent your woes, wind down after a day at work, solve all the world’s problems or join a pool team. You can have a bite to eat, watch the football and it’s the perfect place to take the in-laws when the conversation at home dries up.
“Call me old-fashioned but I think the good stereotypical English boozer has an esteemed place in our history and whether it will still be living and breathing in the future remains to be seen, but for many of us it’s an essential part of every decent community in this fine land. Looking forward to seeing all our friends and neighbours back at the Coach, hopefully sooner rather than later.”
If anyone reading this can’t agree with that then they might as well move on. Wrong article, wrong column!
33 of the best pubs in Scotland – according to the AA Good Pub Guide 2020
Scotland is blessed with a truly excellent pub scene, from old-fashioned boozers to modern bistros.
Continue at THE SOTSMAN: 33 of the best pubs in Scotland – according to the AA Good Pub Guide 2020 – The Scotsman