(或廣為人所知的 The Pub) 「人還沒發明過哪一種事物像一個好酒館 (tavern) 或是小酒店 (inn) 一樣，能帶給人這麼多的歡樂。」~ Samuel Johnson

這種 public house酒吧，或為人熟知的 pub，是英國、愛爾蘭、澳洲、紐西蘭和一些曾受英國文化影響的國家常見的飲酒場所，酒吧如果還提供住宿，就稱為

酒店 (inn) 或旅店 (hosteltry)，一般口語常用的名稱還有 boozer 或 the local。

1393 年理查二世 (King Richard II) 下令所有酒吧在店門口懸掛招牌，在以往，圖像式的招牌比文字式的有用，因為很多顧客都不識字。現在還是有很多酒吧的招牌有十分具裝飾性的圖畫式招牌告示店名，這些圖像包括寫實物件或動物、名人或他們的盾形徽章 (coat of arms)。 酒吧的店名通常很具傳統意味，可分為幾個類別，例如：石匠徽章 (The Mason's Arms)、板球隊員 (The Cricketers)、納爾遜子爵 (The Lord Nelson)、皇家橡樹 (The Royal Oak)、國王頭 (The King's head) 和紅獅子 ( the Red Lion) 等。

近來酒吧連鎖也開始流行，其店名有半傳統味道，通常都是由釀酒公司所開的，因此這些酒吧的啤酒類選擇性較有限，通常只有該酒廠所釀造的。這樣的酒吧較有名的有：The Rat and Parrot、The Slug and Lettuce 以及 The … and Firkin 等系列酒吧。酒吧文化是英國幾百年來的重要傳統，和世界上其他地方所流行的咖啡店和酒店無論是從文化面、社會面或就傳統而言，均截然不同。在英國約有 61,000 多家酒吧，在很多地方酒吧甚至是該地的特色，通常營業的時間從早上 11 點到晚上 11 點，不過有些酒吧可能有不同的營業時間，注意看英國的連續劇，你就會發現酒吧經常是一個焦點。酒吧是酒類飲料 (啤酒、葡萄酒、蒸餾酒 spirit、添加酒精的果汁飲料 alcopop) 主要的銷售和消

費場所。啤酒種類從加壓桶裝 keg 啤酒、古法釀製的啤酒 "cask-condition" 真麥酒 (real ale)，到瓶裝啤酒都有，酒吧氣氛大多輕鬆愉快，讓人自在的與朋友聊天說笑，餐點價格也合理，還可以玩遊戲或者讀書看報。

典型英式酒吧的內部裝潢
近幾年英式酒吧流行撞球，傳統遊戲則有射飛鏢、小型桌球 (bar billiards) 及九柱遊戲 (skittles) 等。很多酒吧也舉辦特別活動，像是上述遊戲的聯賽，益智問答之夜、現場音樂表演，甚至還有卡拉 OK，也有許多酒吧會用大型螢幕播放足球賽或其他體育活動。 吃食也已經成為酒吧很重要的一環。很多酒吧以合理的價格供應午、晚餐，有些餐點精緻味美足以和最好的餐廳媲美，很多人喜歡到酒吧好好享受一頓午餐，放鬆一下，然後才開始下午的工作。

在酒吧裡
在酒吧裡點啤酒，就像是在星巴克點咖啡一樣，酒吧供應的釀酒種類繁多，像是麥芽啤酒 ale、淡啤酒 lager、烈性黑啤酒 stout、苦啤酒 bitter 等，經常多達二十餘種，多數為生啤酒，也有玻璃瓶裝或旅罐裝。酒吧大多也供應葡萄酒和烈酒，(還有非酒精性飲料，像是可樂、柳橙汁、茶和咖啡等，不過種類不是很多)。點一杯啤酒時，你說「一品脫」啤酒。因為相當於半公升多，一品脫啤酒很大一杯，所以也可以點半品脫，只要說「一半」即可。

跟傳聞不一樣的是，英國人不賣溫啤酒，客人所喝啤酒的溫度視種類而有不同，淡啤酒喝冷的，苦啤酒和烈啤酒則要非常冰。許多外來遊客會覺得在英式酒吧點酒很難，這是因為「酒」聞其名的英式酒吧自有一套學問，需要仔細觀察，才能品出道地味。

請記得下列幾件事：

• 沒有服務生，客人必須自己到吧台點酒點餐。其實有很大的優點，因為在吧台客人們會互相寒喧交談，這是非常普遍且得宜的習慣。
• 通常一群客人只由其中一兩位到吧台點酒點餐，不是一整群都去。酒吧大概是全英國唯一見不到整齊排隊的地方，不過，先來後到的順序還是存在的，而吧台服務生也很清楚整個隱形排隊狀況，客人只要很技巧的看似不經意讓服務人員注意到你在排隊，就可以了。
• 要排隊，只要用眼神和服務人員照會一下，不必發出太大聲響或手勢。 禁忌與規則：
  • 不要插隊，因為服務生和其他客人都很清楚這個排隊順序，插隊會冒犯到他們。
  • 要找到和酒吧服務人員眼神交換的最佳位置。通常是現在服務人員現在正在服務的那位客人，你可以交換個眼神，提高一下眉毛，下巴抬一下，服務人員就知道你也加入排隊了，輪到你時就會來為你服務。
  • 不要用吼叫的、用手指劈啪亂響、或揮舞鈔票。
  • 要在手中握著空杯或是鈔票，讓服務人員知道你在等他服務。但是不要揮來揮去。
  • 要保持警覺性，注意著吧台服務人員的舉動，如果你看起來太放鬆或滿足，他們可能誤以為你已經有人服務了。稍顯不安、期待的表情，可以暗示著你需要他們為你來一杯
  • 要說請和謝謝，點非常重要。
• 如果你要請你的朋友，請為他們分開付賬，如果你們是一大群人，最好由一個人負責點餐點酒。
• 在多數英式酒吧，通常很少即點即付現，如果要用信用卡，也要先留意告示牌或先詢問。點餐的話就比較沒有這個問題。
• 「你也來一杯吧」的傳統，不要給服務人員小費，習慣上是點一杯給他，酒吧是平等的地方，小費會點明對方的服務地位，而請他們喝一杯則視他們為平等地位。不過，不請也沒關係，這只是禮貌性的做法，如果你要請他們，只要在點酒時，問他們：「你也要順便來一杯嗎？」不要問：「我可以請你一杯嗎？」因為這又會突顯付錢是客服務為俾的關係。他們可能不會馬上喝，而是等到較閒下來時才喝。如果你還在附近，他們通常會和你眼神照會，並舉杯以示謝意。

一品脫英國苦啤酒

• 苦啤酒 (bitter) 是傳統英式啤酒 (也稱麥芽酒 ale)，例如 John Smiths。
• 真麥酒 (real ale) 是用天然原料 (啤酒花 hops、浸水發芽並烘乾的大麥 malted barley、酵母菌和純水) 釀製，保存在木桶 (cask) 中直至開飲，例如 Old Speckled Hen。
• 烈性黑啤酒 (stout) 是棕黑 (幾乎全黑) 色，最受歡迎的是愛爾蘭啤酒 Guinness。
• 淡啤酒 (lager) 是顏色比較淺的進口啤酒，通常喝冰的，例如 Heineken、Stella Artois 或 Becks。
• 香蒂啤酒 (shandy) 是啤酒和汽水混合飲料，點酒時就點 lager shandy 或 bitter shandy。
• 沙士 (root beer) 是美國飲料，通常英國沒有賣。
• 薑汁汽水 (ginger beer 和 ginger ale) 都是軟性飲料的名稱，不是啤酒。
• 添加酒精的果汁飲料是瓶裝飲料，喝起來像汽水，但其實含有酒精，例如 Smirnoff Ice o或Bacardi Breezer。

In 1393 King Richard II compelled all pubs to erect signs outside their premises. In the past pictures were more useful than words as many of the patrons were illiterate. Many pubs today still have very decorative signs hanging outside depicting the name of the pub, including images of real objects or animals, a famous person or their "coat of arms".

Pubs often have traditional names, reflecting various categories. Examples include: The Mason's Arms, The Cricketers, The Lord Nelson, The Royal Oak, The King's head and the Red Lion.

Recently pub chains have sprung up which use semi-traditional sounding names. These are often owned by brewing companies and there beer selection is often limited to manly those beers from that particular company. Names for these pubs include The Rat and parrot, The Slug and Lettuce, and The … and Firkin. Pubs have been an important part of the British Community for many hundreds of years. They are culturally, socially and traditionally different from places such as cafes or bars found elsewhere in the world. In the United Kingdom there are approximately 61,000 public houses. In many areas this can be the main focal point of the local community. In general they are open from 11 am to 11 pm, but times may vary with each establishment. If you watch a major British soap opera you will see that they all feature a pub as their focal point. Pubs are predominantly places for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages (beers, wines, spirits and alcopops). Beer can range from pressurized "keg" beer, "cask-condition" real ale to bottled beers. Most pubs offer a cheerful and pleasant place to sit and relax with friends, have a reasonably priced meal, play a game or even sit and read a book or the paper.

The interior of a typical English pub
In recent years pool has become popular in British pubs. Traditional games include darts, bar billiards and skittles. Many pubs also have special events from tournaments for the aforementioned games, quiz nights, live bands or even karaoke. Many also show football or other sports events on big screen televisions. Food has become a far more important as part of a pubs trade. Most pubs serve lunches and dinners at often very reasonable prices. Many serve excellent meals which can rival the best restaurants. Going for a "pub lunch" can be a real treat and a chance to relax before the afternoons' work begins.

In the Pub
Ordering "a beer" in a pub is like asking for "a coffee" in Starbucks. A pub offers a wide and varied selection of brews, perhaps as many as 20 different types of ales, lagers, stouts and bitters. Most are draught (on tap), some in bottles and a few in cans. Most pubs also serve wine and hard liquor. (They will also have non-alcoholic drinks, coke, orange juice tea and coffee, but not a large range). To order a glass of draft beer, you ask for "a pint." At more than half a liter, though, a pint is a large drink. You can also order a half pint. Just ask for "a half."

Contrary to the widespread rumor, the British do not serve their beer warm. Rather, a drinks temperature depends on its type. Lagers are served cold, while bitters and stouts will be only cool.

Many a traveler has found the whole pub experience rather bewildering. This is because this venerable British institution has its own set of unwritten etiquette rules, which you need to observe to keep on the best side of the natives.

Remember the following points:

Pint of English bitter

• Bitter is traditional British beer (also known as ale) Example John Smiths.
• Real ale is a term used for a beer which brewed from natural ingredients (hops, malted barley, yeast and pure water) and stored in a wooden barrel (a cask) until it is served. Example Old Speckled Hen.
• Stout is dark brown (almost black). The most popular example is the Irish drink called Guinness.
• Lager is a lighter-coloured type of imported beer, and is normally served cold. Examples are Heineken, Stella Artois or Becks.
• Shandy is a mixture of beer and lemonade - you should ask either a lager shandy or a bitter shandy.
• Root beer is an American drink which is not usually served in the UK.
• Ginger beer and ginger ale are the names of soft drinks - they aren't beers.
• Alcopops are bottled drinks which may taste of lemonade but are actually alcoholic. Examples are a Smirnoff Ice or a Bacardi Breezer.