TMT - Thank You + Resources + Questions

Wrapping it all up.

Welp, The Morning Tipple is officially over. There’s more to come on the topic, but consider this the last TMT you'll get.

First and foremost, I want to thank all the people who took the time to sit down and chat with me along the way. All these folks were instrumental in providing such interesting and valuable context and were eager to refer/introduce me to others along the way. And for that, I am forever grateful.

Dave Law (The Eagle Ale House)

Elliot Jay Stocks (Typographic and Sporadic)

Greg Pilley (Stroud Brewery)

Mark Turner (Hook Norton Brewery)

Henry Allsop (The Woolpack)

Dan Chadwick (The Woolpack)

Peter (Y Gwydyr)

Paul Crossman (The Swan/The Slip/The Volunteer Arms)

Greg Mullholand (Campaign for Pubs)

And, of course, thanks to all you folks who came along for this pub journey. Honestly, it was one of the most challenging projects I've done. It was my first foray into this type of pop-up newsletter and the first time I had so many interviews/talks scheduled in such a short time frame. After a couple of days, I realized it was both a mental and physical challenge.

The mental challenge was learning all this information, making sense of it, and attempting to craft a story on the same day. The same-day part didn't quite make it past the first week, as the physical challenges of travel, jet lag, and getting sick definitely caught up with me. But in the end, we got there, and I'm a little proud.

In hindsight, I'd do quite a few things differently, especially for a topic like this. But it's all a learning experience, right? We create, we put things out there, we learn, and hopefully, we grow.

Anyway, I hope at least some of this was useful and interesting.

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Glossary

Some brief/simplified definitions of some of the terms thrown around over the last few days. If you know these, you’ll be ready to talk all things pubs on your next trip to England.

1989 Beer Orders: A Margaret Thatcher era law that banned breweries from owning more than 2,000 tied pubs. This forced large breweries to sell off many of their tied pubs, often to pub companies (pubcos).

Beer Engine: The device used to pump beer from the cask ale.

Beer Tie/Pub Tie: An 1800s-era legal framework where pubs would be "tied" to a brewery, requiring the pub to buy beer from that brewery in exchange for cheaper rent and pub support and maintenance. The tie can include beer, food, wine, and hard alcohol.

Cask Ale (Real Ale): Beer that is unfiltered, naturally carbonated, and stored in a cask. Because it's natural, the shelf life is typically 3-5 days once the cask is open.

Pub Companies (pubcos): Private businesses that own pubs, often hundreds or thousands of pubs. Like breweries, they often maintain the beer tie arrangement with the pubs they own.

Public Bar: The area in the pub where the working class were expected to congregate and drink.

Publican/Licensee: The individual who is permitted to sell beer and food on the premises.

Free House: Pubs that are not tied to a particular pubco or brewery through the beer tie; however, a larger company can still own the underlying land/pub itself. Example: The Swan

Freehold: Pubs that are owned and operated by individuals, including the pub's property. Example: The Woolpack

Keg Beer: Beer that is filtered, force carbonated, and stored in a keg. They typically have a longer shelf life and are served colder.

Parlour: A small room in the pub with better furnishing, often reserved for the publican's regulars.

Pubs Code Regulations 2016: A law passed allowing pubs to apply for the "Market Rent Option" when certain conditions are met. If granted, the MRO prevents the pubco/brewery from enforcing the beer tie for the remainder of the lease.

Saloon: A room in the pub where you used to pay an admission fee or a higher price of drinks for entertainment and table service.

Snug: A small room or area in a pub where only a few people can sit. It was often a place where people who didn't want to be seen drinking in public would go.

Tied House: A pub that is tied to a pubco or brewery through the beer tie. Example: The Fox Inn (Broadwell)

Wet Rent: The profit the pubco or breweries make from over-charging their publicans/tenants, specifically on beer.

Wetherspoons/'Spoons: A large pub chain with over 900 locations in the U.K. and Ireland.

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Pub Tracker

At the onset of TMT, I had a goal of visiting at least one pub daily. Well, below are 32 pubs I went to over the 16-day trip, meaning I averaged two pubs a day. Are we proud? Alarmed? Both?

Since many of these were curated by all the fine people I talked to, I'd say most are exceptional. So if you're planning a trip to England/Wales and want to follow along or just want a damn good pub, do consider this as an excellent starting point.

Also, if you're at a pub and want to tip the bartender (which isn't obligatory), say "and one for yourself," which means they'll add either the cost of a half or a full pint of cask-ale to the bill (they should tell you which). This is maybe the most practical thing I learned after 32 pub visits.

*I tried to track the prices of a pint at each of these pubs, but the fidelity and record keeping didn't quite keep up - oops.

London

• Ye Old Mitre

• Ye Cheshire Cheese

• The Liberty Bounds - JD Wetherspoon

• The Eagle Ale House

• Exmouth Arms

• The Carlton Tavern

• Chesham Arms

Bristol

• The Open Arms

• Highbury Vaults

• Small Bar

Cotswolds

• The Porch House

• Stroud Brewery

• The Bell - Morten

• The Fox Inn (Broadwell)

• The Kings Head

• The Crown

• The Woolpack

Wales (Snowdonia)

• Tanronnen Inn

• Y Gwydyr

• Y Manod

• King's Head

York

• The Swan

• The Slip

• The Golden Ball

• The Blue Bell

• House of Trembling Madness

Otley

• The Royalty

• The Black Horse Hotel

• The Bay Horse

• The Old Cock

• Rose & Crown

• The Junction Inn

Other Resources

And here are a few resources/stray links if you want to learn or read more.

Patrons Want Straight Answers in Crooked House Pub’s Demise

Their London Pub Was Reduced to Rubble. They Fought to Bring It Back.

A History of Drink and the English, 1500-2000 (Perspectives in Economic and Social History)

RPI: Ave price - Draught lager, per pint

Economies of ale: small pubs close as chains focus on big bars

Pub Statistics - House of Commons Library

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Of course, if you have any questions, please reply to this email and ask away.

Cheers,

Skylar