Pub Scene

by Jane Peyton

The pub scene across the world is characterised by its casual warmth and conviviality. It has none of the pretences or formality of a restaurant or cocktail bar. It is the relaxed setting in which friends and strangers alike can choose to meet. The pub is where we go to celebrate a special occasion with a group of chums, but also where we might go to flirt intimately with a prospective lover. It is a comfortable destination for seeking out the company of others. Whether located on a street corner in the Scottish Highlands, Munich or New Zealand, a favourite pub is defined by its own distinct atmosphere and character. Pubs are distinguished as much by their interior décor, as by the beer and liquor they sell and the customers that mingle around the bar. These qualities combine to give a 'local' its particular appeal, with a draw far beyond its immediate locality. These very unique, idiosyncratic attributes of pubs, which were once taken for granted, are now in real danger of extinction, as bar chains with standardised  designs and drinks' menus are rolled out across city centres and main streets. Turning its back on the trend towards homogeneity of today's watering holes,  Pub Scene celebrates the often exuberant, sometimes elegant décor, and always singular, wow factor of public drinking places, whether they are big or small, traditional or contemporary. In her engaging and anecdotal style, author Jane Peyton describes some of the world's best looking pubs, including British Victorian Gin Palaces, classic Art Nouveau Belgian café bars, Germany's  Beloved bierkellers, Australia's amazing beachside beer-gardens and  America's notable brew-pubs.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2006

About the author

Jane Peyton writes non-fiction under her own name and has published books about alcoholic drinks, architecture & design, and British traditions.

She writes fiction under her pen name B.A. Summer and is the author of the magical realism romp 'Sole Brethren: If The Shoe Fits’ (to be published February 2023).

Jane was the UK’s first accredited Pommelier (cider sommelier) and Britain's first Beer Sommelier of the Year. She is a former Imbibe Magazine Drinks Educator of the Year. Jane is the instigator and driving force of the UK’s annual national beer day, Beer Day Britain (June 15th). For her beer work she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement from Britain’s Parliamentary Beer Group, and has won several other professional awards. She has won gold and silver medals for her beer writing. Although she never earned a Blue Peter badge, she is a Guinness World Records holder for hosting the world’s largest beer tasting tutorial in 2016 when 1, 256 people took part at a venue in London, UK.

She is the founder of the School of Booze – a training, education, events company, and consultancy specializing in alcoholic drinks and their no & low alcohol equivalents.

Jane loves pubs and considers herself very fortunate that her profession means she spends a lot of time in them!