"ordinary" people buy a pint of real ale out of curiosity. If their first reaction isn't one of "get that the fuck out of my mouth and get me a Carlsberg now I'm gonna throw up" then you have a Real Ale Drinker"
The above is a quote from a (Belfast based) site I stumbled across. Having said in an earlier post here, how you spot beer tickers, I was pleased it includes this rather handy guide to spotting real ale drinkers, complete with accompanying stereotypical photo. It is rather funny and has, like all good yarns, more than just a smidgen of truth in it.
PS. Does anyone use the term "real ale" as a matter of course any more? I always use "cask" as my preferred descriptor.
11 comments:
As a fussy, bearded, green-corduroy-wearing real ale drinker, I'd like to disagree, but can't.
And yes, I do tend to ask "what do you have on cask?", although quite often the barstaff have no idea what I mean. I have to resort to doing the little "you know - handpull?" mime to get a straight answer.
all tongue in (hairy) cheek stuff.......cheers for the linky........
Trouble is that you seem to rub shoulders with so many stereotypes when out drinking. Perhaps being a stereotype is enough to drive you to drink.
I love stereotypes. Makes drinking even more fun!
I know this item was posted as a piece of fun, but I don't recognise anything about the guide to spotting real ale drinkers that hasn't also been applied to stereotypes of bird watchers, train spotters, morris dancers, or indeed anyone whose lifestyle is slightly different from the norm. Some people feel threatened by anyone whose interests they don't share, so they mock them in this way.
It's just like saying all lager drinkers are foul-mouthed, racist football hooligans. There are some who fit such a stereotype, but most don't.
His comments about the fussiness of many real ale drinkers are funny and based on a lot of truth - for some reason so many of them think they know something about pubs and beer simply because they favour cask ale, when in fact nothing could be further from the truth.
In answer to Tandleman's question, I regularly use the term "real ale", especially when dealing with pub staff and anyone who doesn't know much about cask beer. This is because I usually find the term "cask beer" needs more explanation than "real ale", and I'd rather be drinking than explaining.
I say real ale.
I switched to "cask" as well, the real in real ale comes across snobby to often.
Nice find on guide to real ale drinkers - it was great!
I drink exclusively fake ale.
I drink real ale. I never have to ask if it is cask or real ale.The handpump and the name of the brewer are good clues.AHH the advantages of being a Scooper
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