Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Fancy a Pint Somewhere Else First?
I was talking (separately) to two of the lads in the pub on Sunday. One remarked that he'd had an enjoyable night at a beer festival in Manchester and about the pub that he'd gone to for a drink beforehand. Later, talking to an old mate at the bar, he was telling me of a bikers meet in Manchester - minus bikes and at a pub - and describing the beers they'd had in the pub where they'd gone for a drink prior to joining the scheduled function. Now I'm no stranger to this "meeting for a drink before meeting for a drink" thing, but it is an odd thing to do when you think about it. Is it a Northern custom? Is it a peculiarly British thing?
Either way, I'm going to the Regal Moon with the boys tonight, but I'll probably meet Michael in the Baum for a drink first.
In my case, my excuse is there might just be a bad selection of beers where I am going and a better one at the one beforehand. It rarely is so.
Sounds perfectly normal and civilised to me.
ReplyDeletesounds like preloading to me
ReplyDeleteJeez, no -- I eat before going to the pub, and ration myself when I'm there, or I don't have a good time. I have a limited capacity for both boozing and socialising. (Lightweight introvert.)
ReplyDeleteBailey: I know, having met you, that you are a lot more fun than that makes you sound!
ReplyDeleteCookie. Can't be pre-loading really. That's commonly felt to be drinking before you go to a pub.
ReplyDeleteI think it's just loading.
If I'm meeting someone before we need to have a chat alone then I will meet elsewhere or if they aren't going onto the other meet up I'm going to.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise nope, I just turn up the pub everyone's decided on.
Very logical, but I take it you know of the practice?
ReplyDeleteSometimes going out for a pre-arranged drink gives the opportunity to pop into somewhere else that has recently improved/reopened to see what it is like.
ReplyDeleteNot uncommon at all, would frequently arrange to meet someone in one pub so we could both head on to another pub and meet others, or some people just stay in the first pub
ReplyDeleteNot uncommon here in the northern US.
ReplyDeleteI often used to crawl around 2 or 3pubs before reaching my destination, having a pint in each.
ReplyDeleteOn my way to meet a certain party in the late afternoon a couple of weekends ago, I stopped in at ...count 'em up... five pubs. Must be a Yank thing.
ReplyDeleteNot necessarily a yank thing - if I was meeting a group of folks who I knew didn't like my sort of beer I would "pre attend" a real ale venue where I knew I could get some fairly incredible beers prior to meeting them. That way I get to avoid disappointment and celebrate the range of decent British real ales...
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on the social dynamics of the occasion, and whether there's going to a chance for a "catching up" at the social event.
ReplyDeleteAt a work's leaving do, all will go direct from work to the allotted venue. Ahead of a rugby league game, I'll generally arrange to meet the fans I know best at a pub for a drink before catching the train. It might depend on wanting to have a feel of solidarity of arriving as part of a group..