cheriegal

We're traveling to London for a week in mid-March. Our husbands like really cold beer- is that possible in the pubs or is all the beer/ale served warm???

Patrick

I have never had warm beer in London -- even in July. Most beer is kept in a cellar or somewhere and it is reasonably cold all the time.<BR>On the other hand, it will not generally be icey cold. In the last couple of years though, I have noticed a big deal about ICEY cold Guinness -- a thing they do through a special chiller and it is indeed very cold. How do the husbands feel about Guinness Stout??

ggnga

Hello, my husband tried the ales but also prefers cold beer. We usually can find Foster's served cold in a lot of pubs. Happy travels.

Snoopy

I've never had a warm beer in London or any place else in the UK. It's usually cellar temp (45-55 degrees F), not 33 degrees F like you sometimes find it in the US.

Thyra

In 20 years of going back and forth to the UK, I have never once been served a warm beer. I am also a fan of icy cold brew, but find it very easy to drink the chilled beers of the UK, especially lagers, I always ask for a lager and it's never once been remotely warm. Maybe not dripping ice.. but believe me, in the UK in mid March, you won't want a drink dripping ice...

Kate

The rumour about Brits drinking warm beer is very misleading. It's merely that traditional ales are served at cellar (not room) temperature, rather than being chilled, which merely disguises the taste.<BR><BR>However lager (both draught and bottled), Guinness and some ales such as Boddingtons ARE chilled. So your hubbies won't go thirsty.

flygirl

the reason many American beers are served so cold is b/c they taste like crap. (kind of like boxed wine - the colder it is, the more you can disguise the bad taste).<BR><BR>good beers don't have to be served ice cold, and indeed shouldn't be - you want to be able to taste them.<BR><BR>much like a good wine, red OR white, should be chilled slightly but not ice cold. (white is of course chilled more than a red would be).<BR><BR>try Belgian beers while you are there! you will never go back...

janis

The folks who tell you you'll get warm beer in London have either never been there - or think Bud Light is the best beer in the world.<BR><BR>The kinds of beers most Americans think of (lagers, pilsner, etc.) are served chilled just like at home. they are cold and refreshing but don't have much flavor.<BR><BR>Other types with more body Bitter, stout, ale) are served cellar temp so the taste isn't frozen out.

xxx30

I found some good cold beer in a can in London.On the way back from a hard day at Portobello Road I popped in to a local and yes In my hands was a ice cold BEER.I was lugging a hefty prize from the P&quot;road and this refreshment aided in our safe return to the flat.Some of the local youths even commented saying that the the brew,impressed them with the weight (%),I offered a sip but they declined. Nice chaps.

Catherine

My husband and I were in London this past August/September and believe me, as my husband is quite the beer aficionado (I misspelled that, but you get the idea) he loved the different brews from pubs. Over a 3-week period, we logged in 19 different pubs. Please tell your husbands that they will NOT be disappointed.<BR><BR>And by the way, Janis, although this is not the screen name I use on HT, you could recognize me by D's fondness for beer. I'll see you in July, won't I, in CA? I dearly hope so, anyway.<BR><BR>

Bob_C

In the US most of us drink German style beer which is a lager. So just ask for a lager and you will get a bottle of cold beer. Thats what we did until my wife and I learned to enjoy real ale.

janis

Catherine ;-)<BR><BR>Of course I'll be there. It will be terrific. (I sometimes have trouble getting on the other site but I am keeping up on things)<BR><BR>BTW Catherine's hubby REALLY knows his beer so if GB is good enough for him, it'll be good enough for anyone . . . . .

_Julie_

Just as a point of interest - The last time I was in London I came upon a Canadian pub than served mostly Canadaian beer close to the the embankment tube stop.<BR>Being Canadian I HAD to stop in. <BR>The atmosphere and the beer were good, though I must confess I drank British while there (except for one bottle of Canadian...)<BR>And all were cold!

GSteed

What is &quot;cold&quot;? Some labels suggest decanting at 45% F. English drinkers tell me that they don't like and won't drink &quot;ice cold&quot; beer. A comfortable temperature allows them to consume more. Also consider asking for a chilled mug or glass. Again it is possible to get a bowl of ice cubes and water and chill your glass of beer as you would wine. Don't be afraid to request politely what you want. Some Europeans consider chilled drinks bad for the throat and stomach.

Marz

Gsteed - where do you get your information from ? It certainly made me laugh.<BR>Cold beer is served in all pubs and bars (larger).<BR>It is very unusual to be served with a chilled glass.<BR>Asking for a bowl of water/ice to chill the beer would be a truely hillarious sight for all in the pub. <BR><BR>Cheriegal and husband will have no problem finding cold beer.