The growth of breweries

During the Tudor period, commercial or 'common' brewers appeared who supplied ale to casual callers and to innkeepers. But most innkeepers made their own ale in tiny brewhouses, a habit that did not start to decline until the 18th century when the spread of vast cities created a demand for beer that innkeepers could not meet. Commercial brewing became big business and the owners bought pubs to create a captive market for their products. In spite of government efforts to stop the spread of brewery-owned pubs in the 19th century, by the turn of that century the 'tied house' system was deeply entrenched, with the biggest and wealthiest brewers building large estates of houses.

For most of the 20th century the pub scene remained largely unaltered, divided between tied houses owned by brewers and 'free houses' run by independent small businessmen. The system worked well as long as there were several hundred breweries offering choice and diversity in their houses. Choice declined rapidly from the 1970s onward as a series of mergers and takeovers created half a dozen giant national companies, each owning thousands of pubs and restricting them to a handful of beers. Efforts by successive governments in the 1980s and 1990s to break the stranglehold of the national brewers had only limited success. Rather than improve choice as a result of government diktat, the brewers sold off most of their tied estates, creating new quasi-independent pub groups. In some, the choice of beer has improved; in others, the same old national brands dominate. Under Britain's licensing laws alcohol can only be sold to people over 18. Children under 14 are not allowed in pubs unless there is a family room, a room without a bar.

Pubs always have a name, often hundreds of years old. Originally, because few people could read, pubs were identified by the picture on a sign hanging outside them. Today, in addition to a picture, pub signs often give the name of the pub and the brewery that owns it. The signs are brightly painted and attractive. As the signs are easy to see from a distance many people use the names of pubs when giving directions, saying for example: 'Turn left at The Red Lion'. The oldest pub in England is said to be The Trip to Jerusalem in Nottingham. Its name is supposed to refer to a tradition that the Crusaders set off from there for the Holy Land.

Pubs have their own character and atmosphere. Some attract young people by playing loud music or inviting live bands to perform. Others have televisions in the bars and show sports games. Some landlords organize teams to play ‘darts’ or take part in quiz nights. Theme pubs are decorated in a particular style. The most popular is the Irish pub, which sells Irish beers and plays Irish music. Many village pubs are very old and are the centre of village life. For much of the year they rely on local customers but in the summer they attract people from nearby towns. Pubs with a garden or situated by a river or canal are especially popular.

Before 1988, pubs were only allowed to open at lunchtime and in the evenings, but since then the law has been changed to allow greater flexibility in opening hours and pubs can remain open all day. Most, however, continue to open only at lunchtime and in the evening, closing finally at 11 p.m. When closing time approaches, the barman or barmaid rings a bell and calls out 'Last orders! ', to give customers time to order one more drink. After the bar person has called 'Time! ' customers are allowed ten minutes drinking-up time to finish their drinks and leave.

The late 1990s saw a rash of 'circuit pubs' and 'theme pubs' that allowed teenagers and those in their early twenties to roam the streets in search of strong alcohol and high-decibel entertainment. Deafening music, strobe lights, and bouncers on the door make a mockery of the notion of a public house open to all. But there are signs that even younger people are tiring of the excesses of circuit drinking; the public house, that most enduring of institutions, seems set to survive in the 21st century, once again providing good beer, simple food, and the opportunity for people to throw off the stresses of modern life. In the pub, heaven knows, even the English talk to one another.

(English Learner’s Digest. – 2006. – №20. – p.7)