Barley wine (old ale) is a rich fruity beer, occasionally matured for up to eighteen months and drunk in small glasses. Real ale has not been pasteurized and comes in barrels in which fermentation is still taking place.
Lagers are the light beers to which Americans are accustomed. Lager and lime is a popular drink, lager with a splash of Rose’s Lime Juice added.
The visitor should not expect the beers heavily laden with alcohol as in days past. Brewers are taxed on the amount of alcohol contained in their beer. The bitters contain about 4 percent. Stout and strong ale contain around 5.5 percent and barley wine up to 8 percent.
Traditionalists deplore the good old days when pub food was premise-prepared. Today the sausages, pork pies, sausage rolls, and cornish pastries are mass produced.
Some think the English tea time an inspired custom, designed to lower the blood pressure, hasten tooth decay and assure equanimity. Teas are served in all manner of places, from truly homestyle places to the elite hotel sitting rooms. The teapot often appears wrapped in a cozy towel, accompanied by a pot of boiling water for second and third helpings from the same tea leaves. A pitcher of warm milk, scones, crumpets, or biscuits may also show up. Clotted cream and scones are the trademark of the Devonshire teas.
