Most visitors to the UK have witnessed drunken scenes on Friday and Saturday nights with ambulances arriving to remove unconscious people from public places. Foreign students are often surprised to find that at most parties young people are often legless by about 7 o’clock.
THE GOOD NEWS
If all that makes you want to change the destination of your next weekend city break, or student exchange, here is some really good news: new research suggests that more and more young people in Britain are swapping pints for soft drinks. Moreover, Brits aged 16-24 drink less than any other age group in the UK, and a fifth of British adults under 25 are now teetotal and numbers are increasing. Believe it or not, this new trend will not only have a positive effect on the health of young Brits, but also on the future of that great British institution, the pub!
LAST ORDERS?
Pubs are closing – about 29 per week across the UK according to The Campaign for Real Ale. Some of the reasons for this include the limitless choice of digital TV at home and the increasing price of alcohol in difficult economic times. But apart from the social stigma, the appeal of digital TV and a lack of cash, many young people are also avoiding pubs because of a desire to improve their health and a very competitive careers market. You simply cannot perform well at work if you are nursing a hangover. Some young people even have a simple desire to find greater meaning in life and well-being.
A CHANGE IN CULTURE
Fortunately, there is now help for young people who want to socialize and enjoy themselves without feeling like party-poopers if they’re not drinking heavily. The Mindful 13 Drinking Movement – a.k.a. Club Soda–aims to “create a world where nobody has to feel out of place if they are not drinking alcohol.” Its website rates British pubs and clubs based on their non-alcoholic drinks and its guide lists approximately two hundred pubs and bars that have tried to improve their range of non-alcoholic options. And this is where the good news for pubs comes in – those businesses that offer alternatives to people who don’t want to booze could be in a good position to survive the current challenging business conditions.
HEALTHY OPTIONS
Club Soda also organizes Mindful Pub Crawls, so people can have the classic British evening out going from pub to pub, without destroying their health. They can still drink of course, but they are encouraged to do so in a mindful way. The movement also organizes the Mindful Drinking Festival, an event with talks, stand-up comedians, non-alcoholic beer tasting and mocktail mixing. In other words, all the fun of a beer festival, without the hangover.
GREAT LANGUAGE TIPS FOR MINDFUL DRINKERS!
What to say at the bar
- A pint of lager, please.
- A glass of white wine and half a bitter.
- Have you got any low-alcohol beer?
- Do you do any mocktails?
Remember, you need to be quick at the bar, so don’t waste time with formal language. ‘Please’, and then ‘Thanks’ or ‘Cheers’ when you get your drinks is enough.
What to say at the restaurant
- Can I see the wine list?
- A bottle of house red, please.
- Do you have any alcohol-free drinks?
- What’s the alcohol content of that?
You can be a little more formal here, but forget really long sentences like ‘I would like a bottle of wine, please.’ No one says it!
What to say to your friends when they are encouraging you to drink
- No, I can’t, mate, I’m on the wagon. (driving)
- No, I can’t, mate, I’m on antibiotics. (this could be a lie, but who cares)
- No, I’ve really had enough.
- No, you don’t want to see me drunk.
- Too busy dancing mate! (Then get up and dance!)
curiosities about English pubs
- ‘The usual’ is the drink you always order in the same place.
- ‘Mates’ is a colloquial term for 'friends'.
- Some pubs allow you to start a tab instead of paying cash. The bartender keeps count of what you order and you settle the bill at the end of the night.
- House red refers to the standard red wine held in stock by the pub, usually the cheapest on the list.
- Beer is served by the pint or half pintin the UK, roughly 500 or 250ml.
- Bitter is a British kind of ale made with top-fermenting yeast which is dark amber in colour. It has a balanced taste of hops and malt and a medium to high bitterness.
- Lager is a crisp, clean kind of beer, brewed using bottom-fermenting yeasts which is yellow in colour and has a strong taste of hops.
- Pubs in Britain typically ring a bell in the bar to indicate when the last orders for drinks can be placed before it closes.
- Dry roasted peanuts are a very typical snack in British pubs and sometimes the only food served, along with a variety of crisps. Cheers can be used for a toast or, like here, to say 'thanks'