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Man Walks Into A Pub: A Sociable History of Beer
It's an extraordinary tale of yeast-obsessed monks and teetotal prime ministers; of how pale ale fuelled an Empire and weak bitter won a world war; of exploding breweries, a bear in a yellow nylon jacket and a Canadian bloke who changed the dringking habits of a nation. It's also the story of the rise of the pub from humble origins through an epic, thousand-year struggle to survive misunderstanding, bad government and misguided commerce. The history of beer in Britain is a social history of the nation itself, full of catastrophe, heroism and an awful lot of hangovers. 'a pleasant antidote to more po-faced histories of beer' Guardian 'Like a good drinking companion, Brown tells a remarkable a stream of fascinating facts, etymologies and pub-related urban phenomena' TLS 'Packed with bar-room bet-winning facts and entertaining digressions, this is a book into which every pub-goer will want to dip.' Express
428 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
61 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
About the author
Pete Brown
18 books62 followersThere is more than one author with this name
Pete Brown is an English writer who has written extensively on the subject of beer and drinking cultures around the world. He has written three books; Man Walks Into a Pub, Three Sheets to the Wind, and Hops and Glory. Brown was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and now lives in London.
Above bio is from Wikipedia. Photo is from Flickr user epicbeer.
Pete Brown is an English writer who has written extensively on the subject of beer and drinking cultures around the world. He has written three books; Man Walks Into a Pub, Three Sheets to the Wind, and Hops and Glory. Brown was born in Barnsley, South Yorkshire and now lives in London.
Above bio is from Wikipedia. Photo is from Flickr user epicbeer.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
December 20, 2010
I have read quite a few books on beer in the past and have found that typically they all have one thing in common: they are either monumentally dull or a total farce.
Weighty volumes that document the complete history of a particular brewery right down to what tiny changes were made to a particular recipe and when are all very well and good. No doubt they are of great interest to men with big bushy beards who wear cable knit jumpers and who carry note books around with them but they are a bit too serious and stodgy for the more casual reader.
On the flip side of the coin I don't want to read a book written by some tracksuit wearing chav who just wants to brag about how he can drink 20 pints of Stella, fight some rival football fans and still drive his barely legal Vauxhall Nova that should have been scrapped before he was born.
That is where Pete Brown has got things bang on the money, he treats the subject seriously and manages to convey a lot of useful information whilst keeping things light and smattered with humour throughout.
By choosing to focus more on the social history of beer brewing and drinking he avoids bogging the reader down with some of the useless minutiae that a lot of the more serious beer books pride themselves on.
I am also very impressed with the way that Pete Brown handles the often tricky real ale vs. lager issue. A lot of writers fall heavily on one side of the fence or the other and as such we often hear lager being decried as tasteless or a children’s drink or ale being slagged off for being a drink for fat, bearded weirdos who need to get out more.
Whilst I have my own views on the matter I realise no one really wants to hear them, and in return I don't really want to hear their views rehashed over and over again either.
So it was certainly pleasant to come across an author who wasn't using their book as a soapbox to take pot shots at their target of choice.
If you have anything more than a passing interest in beer and have ever considered reading more about beer and drinking then you could do an awful lot worse than to take this book as a starting point.
Weighty volumes that document the complete history of a particular brewery right down to what tiny changes were made to a particular recipe and when are all very well and good. No doubt they are of great interest to men with big bushy beards who wear cable knit jumpers and who carry note books around with them but they are a bit too serious and stodgy for the more casual reader.
On the flip side of the coin I don't want to read a book written by some tracksuit wearing chav who just wants to brag about how he can drink 20 pints of Stella, fight some rival football fans and still drive his barely legal Vauxhall Nova that should have been scrapped before he was born.
That is where Pete Brown has got things bang on the money, he treats the subject seriously and manages to convey a lot of useful information whilst keeping things light and smattered with humour throughout.
By choosing to focus more on the social history of beer brewing and drinking he avoids bogging the reader down with some of the useless minutiae that a lot of the more serious beer books pride themselves on.
I am also very impressed with the way that Pete Brown handles the often tricky real ale vs. lager issue. A lot of writers fall heavily on one side of the fence or the other and as such we often hear lager being decried as tasteless or a children’s drink or ale being slagged off for being a drink for fat, bearded weirdos who need to get out more.
Whilst I have my own views on the matter I realise no one really wants to hear them, and in return I don't really want to hear their views rehashed over and over again either.
So it was certainly pleasant to come across an author who wasn't using their book as a soapbox to take pot shots at their target of choice.
If you have anything more than a passing interest in beer and have ever considered reading more about beer and drinking then you could do an awful lot worse than to take this book as a starting point.
March 3, 2015
I first saw this book, fittingly, in a pub some years ago (Montreal's Burgundy Lion). Flipping through it interested me enough that I made a mental note to look for a copy. When I recently found a revised and updated second edition, that was all the incentive I needed to read it.
Man Walks into a Pub is a history of beer and pub culture in Britain (although it doesn't mention it in the title, the perspective is very UK-centric). It contains enough detail to show that it was well-researched, yet the writing is passionate and humourous enough that it never feels dry or academic. Pete Brown takes us from the origins of beer itself, to the unique role of beer and pubs in British culture, up to the modern day state of the brewing industry. Of particular interest were the last few chapters on the modern era: the author's background is in marketing and this gives him a fascinating perspective on what drove modern trends and drinking habits.
Overall, it's an enjoyable read full of interesting trivia, which I'd recommend to anyone interested in learning more about beer or British pub culture.
Man Walks into a Pub is a history of beer and pub culture in Britain (although it doesn't mention it in the title, the perspective is very UK-centric). It contains enough detail to show that it was well-researched, yet the writing is passionate and humourous enough that it never feels dry or academic. Pete Brown takes us from the origins of beer itself, to the unique role of beer and pubs in British culture, up to the modern day state of the brewing industry. Of particular interest were the last few chapters on the modern era: the author's background is in marketing and this gives him a fascinating perspective on what drove modern trends and drinking habits.
Overall, it's an enjoyable read full of interesting trivia, which I'd recommend to anyone interested in learning more about beer or British pub culture.
November 30, 2022
It's a pretty entertaining book. But as an American, I found it a tough read. It's more a history of pubs than a history of beer, which is fine. But the author apparently expected an entirely British readership because the book is full of British pop cultural references, which few outside of Britain will understand. If you're a British beer drinker, I think you'll really like the book. If not, you'll probably like it less.
Also, in this revised edition, there is an added epilogue that makes the case that the "evils of drink" are exaggerated and overstated. But, to quote another Brit: "Methinks, the lady doth protest too much." All of us have lost friends and relatives to excessive drinking (for me it was a bother-in-law). There are real health and societal risks to over-imbibing, and we shouldn't take those threats lightly. The message should simply have been to drink responsibly because drunkenness and alcoholism is a risk that should not be ignored. (I took away a star because of my objections to the imprudent epilogue.)
Also, in this revised edition, there is an added epilogue that makes the case that the "evils of drink" are exaggerated and overstated. But, to quote another Brit: "Methinks, the lady doth protest too much." All of us have lost friends and relatives to excessive drinking (for me it was a bother-in-law). There are real health and societal risks to over-imbibing, and we shouldn't take those threats lightly. The message should simply have been to drink responsibly because drunkenness and alcoholism is a risk that should not be ignored. (I took away a star because of my objections to the imprudent epilogue.)
March 11, 2024
3.5 stars? Difficult! Very accessible and engaging and comprehensive in some ways. Helpful in getting an overview of the very long history of beer & pubs in Britain. Also has some GLARING gaps, especially with regards to colonialism and race (really, no mention of the colour bar? not even once?). This can also be said of other topics such as gender, migration and queerness. This is not only problematic, it misses a vital opportunity to strengthen the point that beer and pub history is social history - that these are microcosms of society and history itself and reflect so many other trends and occurrences in our wider history. Anyway, I’ve never been an eloquent critic but this book was well written for what seemed to be the intended audience - an average fairly ignorant white man.
June 14, 2024
Excellent, in-depth (it's a Pete Brown book) and immaculately researched history of beer.
If you have anything resembling a nerdy interest in beer, then you'll enjoy this.
If you have anything resembling a nerdy interest in beer, then you'll enjoy this.
August 22, 2014
Fun book, wittily written by a British adman with an extensive background in the beer industry. The breezy copy is punctuated with delightfully loopy footnotes which I found myself looking forward to.
Despite the humorous take on the subject, the author still provides a great deal of information about the ancient history of beer, the history of beer in Great Britain and the evolution of the pub. The latter - an institution in the UK - has undergone a number of renovations over the decades, sometimes with dubious results.
How important is beer? Well, as Pete Brown explains, on D-Day in Normandy, British Spitfires flew into France . . . with barrels of beer strapped under their wings. For the lads. Churchill had said beer was a part of a British soldier's rations and he wasn't about to forget that, just because the largest military endeavor in history was underway.
Despite the humorous take on the subject, the author still provides a great deal of information about the ancient history of beer, the history of beer in Great Britain and the evolution of the pub. The latter - an institution in the UK - has undergone a number of renovations over the decades, sometimes with dubious results.
How important is beer? Well, as Pete Brown explains, on D-Day in Normandy, British Spitfires flew into France . . . with barrels of beer strapped under their wings. For the lads. Churchill had said beer was a part of a British soldier's rations and he wasn't about to forget that, just because the largest military endeavor in history was underway.
October 24, 2012
Despite Brown writing the book in a jokey, blokey style, it's actually almost academic in its scope and thesis. So the thing that frustrates me most about this edition is the lack of index. There are so many fascinating pieces of information that it'd be good to be able to look them up. Similarly, although he packs the book with footnotes, these are generally funny asides. That's all well and good, and some of them made me laugh out loud, but I'd kinda like to have proper references for his sources (rather than just a reading list at the back).
So a great book if you're happy to just enjoy it as a leisurely, humourous read, but slightly frustrating if you actually take seriously a lot of the stuff he actually takes seriously, beneath the chatting-in-the-boozer idiom.
So a great book if you're happy to just enjoy it as a leisurely, humourous read, but slightly frustrating if you actually take seriously a lot of the stuff he actually takes seriously, beneath the chatting-in-the-boozer idiom.
May 23, 2008
Enh. Brown spends way too much time denying any pretensions to expertise or intellectualism, writes a well-researched, coherent history of beer drinking amongst the English, and generally manages to be interesting or amusing about half of the time. It only actually gets really worthwhile when he starts discussing marketing and advertising, where his background in those fields makes him a little more compelling. The chapter on chain theme pubs is actually thought-provoking if you actually care about things questions like, "Why do people go to one bar, and not the other?" It's my industry. You don't have to read it. I'm just saying.
April 4, 2008
I read Pete Brown's second book first and it was a lot more fun than this one. The second book details his travels around the beer-drinking world - my kinda trip! This book is the history of beer and the pub - yawn. There were some interesting factoids - the Heineken special yeast was "kidnapped" and held hostage at one point - but mostly it was pretty boring stuff. Still, it made me want to pack up and head to England for more pub experiences. Mmmm, beer.
July 4, 2025
This was an uplifting, informative and entertaining read, with more interesting facts crammed into it than you could spill a pint over. With his chatty, informal style, Pete Brown manages to pen a history of Britain as seen through the bottom of a pint glass or as told down the pub. I found it fascinating and inspirational in that after reading a few chapters I’d find myself thinking “Time to head to the pub for a pint” because it’s our heritage, it’s in our DNA and it’s something we should be proud to support. The story of beer, and where it’s consumed, is utterly interlinked and interwoven with British history and this is a celebration of it. The thing is, I’d never even really considered how (beer) drinking and the local pub has shaped and influenced British society, but a compelling case is made here that its historical significance and continuing impact on our national psyche has been immense.
I’d forgotten how good a writer Pete Brown is, up there with Bill Bryson in terms of educational entertainment but with a passion that he wears on his sleeve. I could have done without the many footnotes, which are okay in a printed book but pretty unreadable on the Kindle - or I didn’t read them anyway. Apart from that, if I ever meet the author in a pub I’ll be buying him a beer for sure.
I’d forgotten how good a writer Pete Brown is, up there with Bill Bryson in terms of educational entertainment but with a passion that he wears on his sleeve. I could have done without the many footnotes, which are okay in a printed book but pretty unreadable on the Kindle - or I didn’t read them anyway. Apart from that, if I ever meet the author in a pub I’ll be buying him a beer for sure.
March 26, 2022
Remember the history books you were forced to read at school? The ones that covered the history of the British Isles and their involvement in various conquests and wars, with brief asides reflecting on what was going on elsewhere in the world?
Take those books, re-write them in a chatty, yet still detailed, and sometimes witty style. Then weave the events around something you are interested in (for example beer) and you get this highly entertaining and educating volume. Some of the facts I knew before (maybe not fully), others were of the "that's so obvious I can believe I hadn't realised" variety, still more had me scrambling for my nearest device and Google-provided verification.
I laughed. I read bits out to the missus. I took photos and sent them to my drinking buddy (he's from Gloucester, so one picture was particularly appropriate...) Best of all, though, I was educated both in the history of beer and its styles and, yes, I now realise that I'm a bit of a beer snob.
Take those books, re-write them in a chatty, yet still detailed, and sometimes witty style. Then weave the events around something you are interested in (for example beer) and you get this highly entertaining and educating volume. Some of the facts I knew before (maybe not fully), others were of the "that's so obvious I can believe I hadn't realised" variety, still more had me scrambling for my nearest device and Google-provided verification.
I laughed. I read bits out to the missus. I took photos and sent them to my drinking buddy (he's from Gloucester, so one picture was particularly appropriate...) Best of all, though, I was educated both in the history of beer and its styles and, yes, I now realise that I'm a bit of a beer snob.
April 18, 2024
3.5*. Some good stuff in here. Interesting to learn about just how crucial and intwined brewing beer or ale has been to British civilisation for over 1000 years. Also was funny to see quotes from different travellers to England from foreign lands from up to 700 years ago commenting on just how much the British drink, and that we'll never get anywhere because we're constantly drunk. Theres a good scope of facts from the importance of beer in WW2, to how lager was first brewed by Bavarian monks, and how advertising and big corporations took over most of the brewing by the 20th century. Its all written in quite a laid back blokey way, such as when he spoke about how early lager adds targeted women because they were lighter, easier to drink and served in lady like glasses "and the birds probably loved all that poncey European nonsense". Up there with Dostoyevsky for me, truly good stuff.
June 18, 2017
A great trawl through the history of beer in the UK, not least in terms of its production and the places that we drink them in. Brown is particularly good on beer conglomeration, the rise of lager in the UK and the sociology of drinking (one example being thus: 'There is a very serious social stigma attached to not getting your round in. "He never buys his round" is a stain on one's character which few are prepared to live with.') Perhaps he's a bit too soft on the likes of Greene King and Marston's - they're in the same category as Heineken and Molson Coors in my book - and now and again I wondered whether this was a book written by a man for other men but Brown's a great chronicler and I hope he puts something together on the craft beer revolution at some point in the future.
February 28, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this account of beer, breweries, pubs and social trends around drinking, here in the UK. I had the second edition from 2010 which is ripe for a revision, given the developments in Craft Beer, Brewpubs, Brewery Taps and the influence of the likes of the Camden Mile brewers & Brewdog etc., on 'mainstream' brewers. The impact of the thriving US beer scene on UK brewers also could be covered in greater detail but, perhaps that's s later book!!
I've moved on to another of Pete Brown's books, "Three Sheets to the Wind" and am enjoying that too.
Worth reading for its sheer social interest whether or not you like a beer or whether or not you're a CAMRA person. Niche it might be but it's a good read all the same.
I've moved on to another of Pete Brown's books, "Three Sheets to the Wind" and am enjoying that too.
Worth reading for its sheer social interest whether or not you like a beer or whether or not you're a CAMRA person. Niche it might be but it's a good read all the same.
May 20, 2021
This is a great insight into the world of pubs in the UK from the very start. Interesting to realise that I started reading this book based on Pete's latest offering without knowing that when Pete wrote this book (this is a first edition) he was a hardcore Lager drinker. So for the most part I read this book completely different to the mindset of the author when he was writing it.
Definitely worth a read but for that reason if I was you I'd get the second edition.
Definitely worth a read but for that reason if I was you I'd get the second edition.
October 14, 2018
An interesting book, and one that made me think and want to go out and try different beers; however did not like how the author jumped backwards in time for each new subject. Would have preferred if he covered the developments chronologically. This jumping back and forward in time, made me skip pages.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2018
Легке і невиснажливе, приємне чтиво, яке, щоправда, має певні тарбли з фактчекінгом. Але не такі страшні, як поширена пивна міфологія. Хороший нон-фікшн для тих,кому фактична історія пива буде нудною.
June 21, 2021
Possibly my favourite book-fiction book ever. It's such an enlightening read - I never realised how much of British culture and even language was directly connected with beer and the pub. Still entertains on the >5th read.
September 18, 2017
Reading, beer and pubs three of my favourite things. Out all together and heaven so always going to be 5 star
Very informative and funny
Very informative and funny
April 29, 2021
Entertaining and very informative. A pleasant read if you're interested in the british pub culture or just interested in beer as I am.
August 16, 2023
An interesting and enlightening read! Full of wit and humour and fascinating facts.
January 11, 2025
An easy read.
October 28, 2025
Centred heavily on the UK, nevertheless, a lot of world beer history is also covered. An informing, humorous and entertaining book. If you like a tipple, I recommend imbibing this book...
August 5, 2013
Whilst the jokey, blokey tone can wear a tad thin on occasion,some of the jokes sound a bit too much like my Grandad made them. The engaging nature of Brown's writing works as a fine counterpoint to the near academic approach applied to the subject at hand by some of his contemporaries.
I am sure there is undoubtedly a large number of heavily bearded men in cardigans who need to know the precise output of Bass Charrington for Jan-March 1989, I am not one of them.
Neither are most of the people I know.
However I do still have more than a passing interest in beer, brewing and the nature and history of the public house.
With this in mind I found Man Walks into a Pub to be an interesting, well researched and mostly well written book which deals with it's chosen topic in sufficient detail to keep the reader's attention whilst staying with the big picture view and not getting bogged down in nitty gritty details.
I just wish that Brown hadn't strayed so deeply into jingoistic, almost Clarksonian territory with such frequency.
I am sure there is undoubtedly a large number of heavily bearded men in cardigans who need to know the precise output of Bass Charrington for Jan-March 1989, I am not one of them.
Neither are most of the people I know.
However I do still have more than a passing interest in beer, brewing and the nature and history of the public house.
With this in mind I found Man Walks into a Pub to be an interesting, well researched and mostly well written book which deals with it's chosen topic in sufficient detail to keep the reader's attention whilst staying with the big picture view and not getting bogged down in nitty gritty details.
I just wish that Brown hadn't strayed so deeply into jingoistic, almost Clarksonian territory with such frequency.
March 17, 2012
A curate's egg and probably better if you do enjoy a chatty companion. His preface to the 2010 edition says how he's reined in the worst of the dad-joke footnotes, but I still found myself rolling my eyes at plenty of them (things like 'Don't ask me what that even means. Really' and 'As you do'). But they're well meant. I also got a bit wound up by the jingoism of some of the tone, which can feel a bit Clarksonian (lines like 'that's the French for you' and 'we're British, after all') - which, if you're not especially British, gets a bit tiresome.
Still, good on recent beer marketing history, hilarious booze crimes like Watney's Red Barrel and the ever-evolving, ever destructive industry. Does a valuable service too having a dig at CAMRA, and posing the question 'well, what is authentic anyway?'. Perfectly decent in its category, I suppose.
Still, good on recent beer marketing history, hilarious booze crimes like Watney's Red Barrel and the ever-evolving, ever destructive industry. Does a valuable service too having a dig at CAMRA, and posing the question 'well, what is authentic anyway?'. Perfectly decent in its category, I suppose.
February 1, 2012
This book was given to my husband for Christmas and I only picked it up because of a dire lack of anything to read at the time. Being a dyed-in-the-wool wine drinker, I have no interest whatsoever in beer, or the history of it; but it was a book, and it was the only option available at the time.
Well! I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. 90% of this book's charm is due to the author's funny and engaging style of writing, and I kept reading mostly for that; but as I found, the history of beer is actually quite fascinating. It helps that Brown brings it to life in his unique, witty way, but the story in itself is a ripper as well. If only there were one about wine (followup, Pete?) Rewarding read. Almost enough to make me want a Heineken. Almost.
Well! I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. 90% of this book's charm is due to the author's funny and engaging style of writing, and I kept reading mostly for that; but as I found, the history of beer is actually quite fascinating. It helps that Brown brings it to life in his unique, witty way, but the story in itself is a ripper as well. If only there were one about wine (followup, Pete?) Rewarding read. Almost enough to make me want a Heineken. Almost.
December 8, 2020
A fascinating history of beer. A story about the ups and downs of the beer industry, the public houses and the communities they serve. This book was thoroughly enjoyable, albeit it left me longing for a beer and a return to better and not quite so distant times. I miss the atmosphere in the pubs and just being able to meet and hang out with my friends.
I don't know if anyone would consider it a good or depressing read during these times, but don't make the same mistake like me: buy a beer or two before starting to read this!
I don't know if anyone would consider it a good or depressing read during these times, but don't make the same mistake like me: buy a beer or two before starting to read this!
September 4, 2012
The title says it all.
This is a very sociable book that explores the history of ale/beer and how we continue to consume it with relish, despite its all to evident unpleasant side effects.
Reading the introduction and the very long list of words we use for getting or being drunk brought tears of laughter to my eyes.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, although sometimes the 'laddish' commentary was sometimes a bit overused.
This is a very sociable book that explores the history of ale/beer and how we continue to consume it with relish, despite its all to evident unpleasant side effects.
Reading the introduction and the very long list of words we use for getting or being drunk brought tears of laughter to my eyes.
A thoroughly enjoyable book, although sometimes the 'laddish' commentary was sometimes a bit overused.
September 1, 2013
Not knowing quite what to expect, I found the book to be a great read, very funny and full of quotable trivia. Although beer and beer culture are the focus, the author does a great job of using the topic to shine a light on cultural shifts and tensions. The book begins in the deep past, and is quite funny, becoming more serious as the account becomes more contemporary, reflecting, I believe, the authors passion for the subject. All in all, a worthwhile and recommended read.
January 13, 2014
I love, love, love when someone writes a book that involves PhD-levels of research but presents it in an engaging way that's sort of an irreverently academic self-deprecating memoir. I especially love it when the thesis is as grandiose as: "Beer is the root cause behind the emergence of civilization." Bill Bryson-y, I guess, is the best way to describe this book. But later Bryson. After Into the Woods.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews