ENGLISH PUBS

One of the things I miss about England is pubs. Yes, the beer is warm rather than cold; yes, it is flat rather than fizzy; and yes, it is bitter rather than malty. But I like all of those things, and I like drinking beer in a public place, often situated in a very pleasant part of the world. I am not saying that if I lived in the U.K., I would always be in the pub. But I do like going there when I am visiting.

I have often wondered why Britain has pubs and Denmark, on the whole, does not (and not just Denmark, all of Scandinavia). Both have northern climates too cold for wine, grow a lot of wheat and barley, and like beer. However, whereas the combination in the U.K. resulted in a pub in every village, Danes tend to drink mainly at home. Yes, there are pubs in the larger cities. But there are hardly any village pubs, which are the ones I like most.

Last week I had some great pints of beer in some great English pubs. In chronological order, there was the Perch in Oxford, situated on the far side of Port Meadow (and which I hadn't visited for 30 years or so); the King's Head in Gunnerside, in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales; and the Bounty, in Cookham. The last, situated right on the Thames opposite Bourne End, can only be reached on foot or by bicycle, and has a great bitter called Rebellion. I had two pints of it on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and can highly recommend it.

Walter Blotscher