Ordering etiquette in UK pubs

Places serving cocktails would tend to be table service, expect £7-£10. Cheap cocktails are rarely good ones. I paid £16 in the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge... But it was the best cocktail i'd ever had. 2 for 1 deals are usually two bad cocktails.

You can specify a gin if you want something better, assuming they have it, or you'll just get the basic one... Like London Dry or Gordon's. Expect £2.50 for the shot, £4 for a double shot (shot being 25ml when dispensed from Optix, upsidedown bottles) plus the mixer, a tonic, at about £1.50. Optix would indicate basic drinks, free pour would be better. A better gin like Bombay Saphire or Tanquaray maybe £3 a shot, a top gin like Tanquaray 10, maybe £3.50.

Don't buy cocktails in places that have Optix.

Though of course you can buy a G&T in a pub. The etiquette is exactly the same as for beer--you order & pay and don't leave a tip. You can specify which gin you want. They might ask if you don't, or just give you the bog-standard one. The price depends on the pub, part of the UK you're in and gin. Could be anything from about £3.75-ish to £6.00.

Yes, the optics serve exact measures. They aren't very big, so if you want a good slug, ask for a double.

Gin, rum, vodka and whisky have to be sold in standard quantities of either 25ml or 35ml and their multiples. Any individual pub has to make a choice between the two sizes; they aren't allowed to mix and match or offer both. This is a weights and measures law, hence no free pour is allowable.

Similarly draught beer maybe served in third, half, two-thirds of a pint and multiples of half a pint although the thirds are fairly rare (although my local does so as part of a set of tasters).

Basic gin and vodka in pubs tends to be Gordons and Smirnoff respectively. Sometimes in very basic local pubs there may be something no-name as the standard. Many pubs nowadays will have other brands available for a higher price, often some assortment of Beefeater, Tanqueray, Bombay Sapphire or Hendricks' gin, and Absolut or Russian Standard vodka.

How do you know what a good local beer or ale is? Just ask? On our Best of London tour, our guide (Roy) offered an optional South Bank walking tour. DH and I were the only takers (it was a very small group, and a cold, rainy day). Roy took us, among other places, to the George, where he bought us a lovely ale. I don't remember what it was called; I do remember it was his second choice, the pub being out of Roy's first choice. We like both beer and wine; we love to sample the local specialties.

For a half-century the Campaign for Real Ale has lobbied to preserve traditional beers in traditional pubs. "Real" means beer pumped by hand (or an electric motor) rather than gas-propelled and emphasizing the basic ingredients of malt and hops and water. Lots of hops, which is why it may be nicknamed "best bitter". Any pub that really cares about real ale is worth a try, although its décor may be old too and the menu maybe not up to gastro ambitions. Or maybe it will; the big breweries discovered that preserving craft beers meant they could charge a premium price. To see the CAMRA guide, http://whatpub.com/

You can ask 'what's good' but the barmans tastes may not match yours... For example, i like strong, non hoppy beers... You could ask for the taste you like, you may get varying levels of advice according to how busy they are... Or just buy a different 'half' each and keep trying different ones... See how many of the hundreds available you can sample... Nothing is likely to be horrible and even if its terrible, at £2ish for a half... No big loss.

I like that idea: sample by the "half." Is it true that the beers and ales served from taps (spigots?) with the longest pull handles are stored in casks in the cellar, and are more likely to be "authentic?"

Bottled beers could be just as 'authentic' imo. Just try whatever presents itself... After a few you'll be beyond caring about authenticity lol. I love my country and London is my soul... But i prefer Belgian beers anyway 😃

When we travel we make a point to try any local beers we haven't had before, so between the two of us we'll order halves of anything that is new to us. Then follow up with a full pint of something we especially like.

It helps to know what styles you like. E.g. if you know you like bitter you can get info from the bartender about which beers are bitters. If you're a fan of American IPAs you won't find anything in England to match the aggressive hoppiness you're used to in an IPA, but there are still really really good IPAs to be had. That's the beauty of the half - you haven't committed to a full pint!

And the suggestion of seeking our real ales and checking the CAMRA guide is a good one. "Real ale" in the US is often referred to as "on cask" or "cask conditioned." Lots of really tasty things to drink! Though real ale sometimes provokes a histamine reaction for me & my rosacea will flare up suddenly, but I won't let flaming pink cheeks stand between me & great beer.

Enjoy!!!

Jane - the cask beers are not more "authentic" than bottled beers, or those dispensed via CO2/nitrogen, but it will be smoother with smaller bubbles, usually not as cold, and quite often "live" meaning it hasn't been pasteurized. A different experience from non-cask kegged beer or bottled beer but not better or worse, just a matter of personal preference.

Thanks, Mike J and Motorgirl. We sampled a number of beers and ales when we were in London last year, and enjoyed them all. Mike, we drink Belgian ales here at home, too. There are some local "craft" beers that are supposed to be good, but we've been underwhelmed when we've tried them.. So back to the Belgian ales for us!

Jane - totally off topic for this thread, but... I'll be in OKC in May - what local beers might you recommend?

Motorgirl, let me get back to you on that. I'm in the Tulsa area, and we have several local breweries that are generally well thought of. Marshall Brewery is one. Let me check. I know there are more.

Edit: Motorgirl, I just PM'ed you.

If in London... Utobeer in Borough Market has a huge selection of bottled beers from all over... Esp Belgian ones. I pop in most weeks to get a couple of my favs... Kasteel Triple 11% alc. and Bush Ambre 12% alc. They arnt cheap at £3-4 for 330ml but totally worth it as a treat. Could get a couple of bottles when passing, stuff them in the hotel room minibar and have a nightcap... Or even sat in the park or by the river with a nice summers picnic... You wont need many. Carluccios do 'picnics to go', or borrow a coolbag from the hotel and fill it up at M&S Food... Who specialise in snacky/picnic type treats... Geez summer already! Make sure the beer is super cold.

Thanks, Mike J! We like Chimay (when someone else pays for it) and Leffe. Thanks for the tips.

Leffe is fairly readily available in many pubs here, and supermarkets like Waitrose sometimes have Chimay. Both, and all variations of, are certainly available in Borough Market.

Yes, look for the New Forest Cider Company towards the edge of the market furthest away from London Bridge.

As Philip said... And most supermarkets (bigger stores) do a good range of ciders now, esp Waitrose but even Sainsburys. Look for Aspall, and Westons Vintage is nice too. Avoid cider in a can. Good cider in a bottle should be around £2.50 in Waitrose. The BM cider place Philip mentioned also do mulled cider, hot cider with spices... Nice in the winter... Can be harsh though, i havent tried the BM cider place, but it smells nice.