beer.

One of my favorite things about being here is going to the pubs. They provide a relaxed, social setting where you can get food and drink and stay as long as you want without irritated waitresses waiting to turn the table staring at you. I realize this isn’t unique in Europe, but it is quite different than the U.S. I would say pubs are equivalent to coffee shops in the States.

They take beer very seriously here. Pints are relatively expensive, so people carefully choose which beer they want to invest in and there are never half-empty glasses left on the bar. I’ve tried a few different types of beer/ale and really like wheat beer for its fruity and refreshing taste. I drank Blue Moon and Hoegaarden at home before, but my favorite so far has been Vedett Extra White. I chose it at one of our local pubs, The Crown Tavern, and now I look for it every time we go out for a pint. Most of the pubs offer hard cider too, which is sweet and crisp, and some have strawberry beer, which is actually more like juice, but I still prefer my lovely Vedett.

Last night we met up with a guy who shares a mutual friend with Lydia at a nice pub—no pictures on the menu—near Russell Square. Alex spotted Delirium, the Belgian beer that is supposed to be the best in the world, for sale in the bottle, so of course I had to get it. It is very strong (above 8 percent alcohol) and yummy, but I wouldn’t say it is the best beer in the world. I have yet to try Guinness, but I think I’ll wait until St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin to tackle that one.