How do I recognise Real Ale in a pub?
The surest method is to look on the bar and see how it is being served. The traditional hand pump handle is readily recognisable, and so far as we know, this guarantees you real ale. A few pubs will sell real ale straight from the barrel. A cask will be set up behind the bar, and a simple tap is used to serve the ale. Finally, a very small number of pubs use electric pumps to serve real ale. Here, the best course of action is to look for descriptions or ask the staff. If beer is served from a brass T-bar font or a weirdly shaped thingamajig on the bar, steer clear: it is likely to be an inferior keg beer.
