Wednesday 26 August 2009

A Glass of beer

Firstly, a link. Jeff Pickthall posted a nice little amusing video done with animation of Lego figures. Now, its funny, but perhaps slightly bawdy, which makes me feel guilty especially as I've shown it to my nearly teenage offspring. As a responsible alcohol retailer I should be ashamed of my amusement at childish glorification of alcohol.

Or should I? No, of course not. I do try and run a respectable establishment and apart from the occasional mishap after 2 pints of Zippy Red1, there is very little trouble at my pub2. But every pub is different. Every publican sets their own standards and style of operation. Every location attracts a different trade and the property operator has to decide the style that works best. Town centre pubs are always going to attract a more boisterous trade. The Friday and Saturday night revellers, the people who have worked hard all week, the people who look forward to this as part of their leisure.

But, there is one thing, apart from alcohol, that links me with nearly every pub on the town centre circuit of pubs - glasses. Nobody likes to drink out of plastic if they didn't have to, every pub will serve beer in glasses and so they should. But lets look a little deeper at why the idea of plastic drinking vessels is so bizarre.

Imagine the government manages to mandate the use of plastic drinking vessels. Where will the line be drawn? Restaurants, presumably, will be fine. I'm guessing, and hoping, that nice country residential and food led pubs will be left alone. The government won't get away with every licenced property being banned from using glass. So presumably either troublesome establishments, or areas will be targeted.

It makes me wonder, does all this ring fencing of problem areas simply further divide the nice places from the rubbish? Are we going to find even more so that the no go areas become more so as stigmatised properties become even more rubbish and so need to attract the difficult trade to survive. If I'm dubious about a place, I'm going to be even more dubious about it if I know it only uses plastic glasses. After all, a pissed up nutter can probably find a weapon in nearly anything that's not screwed down.

An interesting side issue: I'm trying to find a suitable glass for serving a Witbier in. Although I can get some nice looking glasses it is almost impossible to find one that is a pint. I've got Blanche de Bruxelles draft on the bar, but serving that in a shaker makes it look boring.

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1You know who you are, although I maintain it's the gallon you had before the Zippy Red that caused the problem. I promise, your secret is safe with me.

2Which is probably the reason for quite a few of the bad reports about me out there on the Internet. If somebody behaves in an inappropriate way in my pub, they tend to get to know what I think - bad luck. More publicans should do it.

7 comments:

Cooking Lager said...

Is tale of the ale true in so far as there is no HP sauce in your gaff? Whats all that about?

Unknown said...

Yes, it's true. I'm not increasing RSI on explaining why to a lout drinker.

Brewers Union Local 180 said...

Here the equivalent is the absence of onion rings with ranch dressing.

Cooking Lager said...

How about I promise to have a pint of cask bitter this weekend and you tell me? I can understand pride in he fine produce, prepared with love and care. But HP is not a condiment for making bad food taste good (though you can use it for that), HP makes all food taste good.

I was going to visit your gaff and review it, but I've gone off the idea. I don't mind treating the missus to a nice meal but I'm not being told how to eat it.

Though I am thinking visiting with some of those plastic squeezy red tomatoes, putting cheap ketchup in them, and putting them on all the tables before running off.

Unknown said...

"But HP is not a condiment for making bad food taste good"

Well Cooking, perhaps we'll have to agree to disagree on that one.

Stonch said...

People who ask for random condiments annoy me. Why pay to eat a chef's food if you don't think he's combined the right flavours on the plate?

johnseomaven said...

Taking a responsible alcohol retailing training is really important for those who sell or retail age-restricted alcohol beverages. This is to ensure that employees and those who manage are aware of different laws and policies in retailing alcohol beverages. This training is also designed for them to identify customers who should not be served alcohol especially those minors.