Pub Drinks

Four of us will be in Southampton in October and looking forward to an evening in a pub. The two husbands don't drink at all and my cousin & I don't drink beer. Will eyebrows be raised when we order wine?

I have been watching Inspector Morse (love to hear him with that beautiful accent) and often see Lewis order an orange drink that looks like orange juice. I know the show is ancient, but is this something the husbands might like?

I am also hooked on Midsomer Murders, Rosemary & Thyme, Vicar of Dibley, etc. If it's British, I'm watching.

Nancy

Will eyebrows be raised when we order wine?

No raised eyebrows at all with ordering wine. It may be cheaper to order a bottle if you plan to have more than one glass each.

It would be an orange juice that Lewis drank.

However if your husbands would like it could depend on the pub you go to, a high end pub may well use a freshly squeezed orange juice, some will use orange made from concentrate or from a bottle. These last two are not as nice if you are used to freshly squeezed juices.

The orange drink could be a bottle of J2O or a St Clements - orange juice mixed with lemonade - quite refreshing in hot weather.

I have never been in a pub that served freshly squeezed juice, although I am sure that they exist somewhere.

The point of a 'proper' pub is somewhere to go to meet people and to talk. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is certainly not compulsory. With the draconian drink/drive laws these days, it is quite usual to find several people in any group in a pub who are abstaining.

...

 

I am also hooked on Midsomer Murders, Rosemary & Thyme, Vicar of Dibley, etc. If it's British, I'm watching.

 

Nancy

Hi Nancy, we're on the TA with you. I just wanted to pop in here and recommend the British series Vera, in case you haven't seen it, about Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope. She's a really well-written character played by the very talented Brenda Blethyn. It's a great show; we discovered it this summer and have been binge-watching via Acorn TV.

See you in October!

we usualy go for a curry at the Corriander lounge then across the road to the wethersoons (between the dolphin and star hotel)

Depending on the night( Fri/sat will be crazy busy) it is OK,

loads of other places not to far

all handy for the main hotels.

plenty of wine drinkers :) bottles are reasonable but a basic list.

(coldwater creek is from the box on tap)

http://www.jdwetherspoon.co.uk/home/drink/wine

The prosseco is £10 bottle in my local.

They should have apple cranberry and orange juices, will be carton, they are also pepsi.

I have never been in a pub that served freshly squeezed juice, although I am sure that they exist somewhere.

 

The point of a 'proper' pub is somewhere to go to meet people and to talk. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is certainly not compulsory. With the draconian drink/drive laws these days, it is quite usual to find several people in any group in a pub who are abstaining.

I guess it depends on the pub you go to.:)

You are correct there are not many proper pubs that serve fresh orange juice, but there are some gastro pubs near me, one owned by a Michelin starred chef that do. I am not familiar with Southhampton but there must be some variability in the types of pub found there.

Batoryfirst and their husband come from Florida, and may be used to a higher quality of orange juice than we are.

If your husbands don't drink alcohol they could try a "Lime and soda" that is lime cordial and soda water ( plain carbonated water) or a "Ginger Beer and lime" - Ginger Beer is non alcoholic or a "Blackcurrant and soda". They will be like "pop" in the US but have a more British "flavour"

Hmm - Pink Panther comes from Scotland, where they do things differently:)

In the South of England, common, non alcoholic drinks would be: the ubiquitous Coca Cola and Pepsi (note that we do NOT call these drinks 'soda', that is just carbonated water), various flavours of fruit juice in bottles, the best being J2o, lemonade (sweetened soda water) and even some non alcoholic beers. My wife likes orange juice and lemonade mixed. This is a palatable and refreshing drink.

Any place that sells drinks will give you a glass of water. If you just ask for 'water' they will bring you an expensive bottle (still or fizzy). If you ask for 'tap water' that's what you will get, free of charge. When we eat out, we usually have wine with our meal. We always ask for a jug of tap water as well, and in the better places, it will come with ice and a slice of lemon.

Hmm - Pink Panther comes from Scotland, where they do things differently:)

 

In the South of England, common, non alcoholic drinks would be: the ubiquitous Coca Cola and Pepsi (note that we do NOT call these drinks 'soda', that is just carbonated water), various flavours of fruit juice in bottles, the best being J2o, lemonade (sweetened soda water) and even some non alcoholic beers. My wife likes orange juice and lemonade mixed. This is a palatable and refreshing drink.

 

Any place that sells drinks will give you a glass of water. If you just ask for 'water' they will bring you an expensive bottle (still or fizzy). If you ask for 'tap water' that's what you will get, free of charge. When we eat out, we usually have wine with our meal. We always ask for a jug of tap water as well, and in the better places, it will come with ice and a slice of lemon.

WHAT!!! You can't get lime or black and soda in the South 😃 Now you wil be telling me you put vinegar instead of brown sauce on you fish and chips 😱 😀😀

Hmm - Pink Panther comes from Scotland, where they do things differently:)

 

In the South of England, common, non alcoholic drinks would be: the ubiquitous Coca Cola and Pepsi (note that we do NOT call these drinks 'soda', that is just carbonated water), various flavours of fruit juice in bottles, the best being J2o, lemonade (sweetened soda water) and even some non alcoholic beers. My wife likes orange juice and lemonade mixed. This is a palatable and refreshing drink.

 

Any place that sells drinks will give you a glass of water. If you just ask for 'water' they will bring you an expensive bottle (still or fizzy). If you ask for 'tap water' that's what you will get, free of charge. When we eat out, we usually have wine with our meal. We always ask for a jug of tap water as well, and in the better places, it will come with ice and a slice of lemon.

Yep.:D

I have never been in a pub that served freshly squeezed juice, although I am sure that they exist somewhere.

I guess it depends on the pub you go to. :)

Now I am glad to have a reason for suggesting that a move to the big city instead.

For me, the mark of a sophisticated pub is the availability of lemon, lime and bitters without my having to give specific instructions. (No, wait - as the random appearance of any Aussie barman/woman would guarantee that, perhaps some not-so-sophisticated pubs might manage it too.)

John Bull is always telling me to move out of the city and live in the countryside.

 

Now I am glad to have a reason for suggesting that a move to the big city instead.

 

For me, the mark of a sophisticated pub is the availability of lemon, lime and bitters without my having to give specific instructions. (No, wait - as the random appearance of any Aussie barman/woman would guarantee that, perhaps some not-so-sophisticated pubs might manage it too.)

Can't make a LL&B, oh boy.:eek:

John Bull is always telling me to move out of the city and live in the countryside.

 

Now I am glad to have a reason for suggesting that a move to the big city instead.

 

For me, the mark of a sophisticated pub is the availability of lemon, lime and bitters without my having to give specific instructions. (No, wait - as the random appearance of any Aussie barman/woman would guarantee that, perhaps some not-so-sophisticated pubs might manage it too.)

So if you had to move out of the big bad city, G., where would you prefer to live -

- out here in the sticks, where those who've even heard of Angostura bitters would probably order it by the pint - and then complain that it's more bland than the local cider ? :)

- or in Scotland, where those who've even heard of vinegar would probably ask for it as a chaser for a ginger beer instead of sprinkling it on their deep-fried Mars Bars? :D

JB :)

Let me think about that and get back to you. ;)

Hi Nancy, we're on the TA with you. I just wanted to pop in here and recommend the British series Vera, in case you haven't seen it, about Detective Chief Inspector Vera Stanhope. She's a really well-written character played by the very talented Brenda Blethyn. It's a great show; we discovered it this summer and have been binge-watching via Acorn TV.

 

See you in October![/quote

 

Haven't heard of that one, Judith. I'll look for it.

 

See you SOON!

 

Nancy

Thanks for all the replies.

We are staying at the Blue Keys. Is there a pub nearby?

Nancy

Thanks for all the replies.

 

We are staying at the Blue Keys. Is there a pub nearby?

 

Nancy

Blue Keys, Northlands Road, is a small private hotel in a residential area north of the city centre. Clients will likely be a mix of business people & cruisers.

Being a residential area, there's not a lot nearby.

Nearest well-known pub is The Cowherds, on Southampton Common near the far end of Northlands Road, about a 15 minute walk. Popular family pub & restaurant, especially in the summer months because it's on the Common.

Pleasant pub, we often have sunday lunches & evening meals at a couple of out-of-town pubs in the same small chain, the menu & prices are good & the Cowherd's will be identical. Long time since we dined at the Cowherd's but the dining there seems to be getting some poor recent reviews.

Also about 15 mins away in a different direction are a clutch of pubs, bars & restaurants between Bedford Place and London Road.

And city centre pubs are not much further.

Probably there's a pub or two closer to Blue Keys, but they'll be "local" pubs. Probably quiet & uninspiring, but perhaps a chance to chat with the regulars.

JB :)

Can I just mention that the whole point of a pub is not drinking but conversation. Some will have music that makes this impossible; some will have screens showing sport and some, especially those in hotels, positively discourage it. But if you do go to one of those "uninspiring local pubs", it is likely that someone, hearing a foreign accent, will ask where you are from.

That enquiry can lead anywhere, and as we all know, a little alcohol oils the wheels nicely. Pubs are generally democratic (with a small d) and the old guy with holes in his jumper might well be the CEO of a corporation; or he may be eeking out a tiny pension. You will likely never know.

Did the Cowherds nice enough place inside and out if a nice day worth the walk.

Closer is the Winston

http://thewinstonhotel.co.uk

Stayed there one cruise very much a basic place and gets contractors.

I don't remember seeing anywhere else close on our walk into town.

When going into a pub for the first time, the tradition is to go to the bar, and shout ''Everyone have a drink on me''. You will immediately be the focus of attention and find lots of new friends.

When going into a pub for the first time, the tradition is to go to the bar, and shout ''Everyone have a drink on me''. You will immediately be the focus of attention and find lots of new friends.

You are too funny.

Nancy

Thanks to all of y'all, I'm now ready to take on the pub scene.

Off topic - now watching Doc Martin on Netflix. Is Port Isaac, Cornwall really that gorgeous?

Nancy