Public House aka Pubs

Today at work I had experienced a cultural shock or maybe more of a learning experience to investigate. I delivered a remote training session to a new customer service rep in the United Kingdom. We have an office in London-a place I someday WILL venture to. The training went well, but my conversation afterwards was more intriguing. The gal with her lovely British accent expressed how on this Friday night she was hitting up a pub - as she feels she deserves it for a week of training with us in the US (joking of course). Our training session ended at 5 o'clock her time, when my Friday had only begun. She expressed to me the outings to pubs, however someday she'd love to come to America and experience our "bars." So it got me thinking of what is a Pub, which is short for Public House.

Here are some of my fun fact findings...
* There are over 60,000 pubs in the UK
* Often have 2 bars-one quieter than the other and many have gardens outside for during the summer
* Many pubs belong to a brewery and serve beers in "pints" for a large glass and "halves" for a smaller serving
* The are allowed to operate for 24 hours
* Have traditional names that date back over 600 years
(Chequers, The Crown, The King's Arm, The Red Lion and The White Horse for example)
* The Legal drinking age is 18, however 16 & 17 yrs old may consume 1 glass of wine, cider or beer at the table with the licensee's permission
* Its illegal to sell alcohol to someone who appears drunk
*Bartenders are called Landlords and barmaids and do not expect frequent tipping

If any of you have experience with the UK or Pubs, I'd love to hear your story!

Cheers!
Outdoor Embellishes