The Beer with no Pub

There are no Pubs in America. There are only Bars.

A Pub is a place where you head in the evening for a few pints, to meet a few friends, and to catch up on the crack.

Bars are barely places at all.

Bars are dank, dark places inhabited by six guys taking a break from the Militia training, where the only sound is the football game on the TV that no-one is watching, and the atmosphere rivals that of Mars.

That's unfair. There are some nice pubs here, they're just few and far between. Chicago has about the same population as London. There are maybe five places I'd feel comfortable. My favourite Pub here is called the Black Shamrock, and it's a two hour drive away, in Milwaukee. After a while, it becomes worth the drive just to enjoy a quiet pint in pleasant surroundings.

When you can't find a decent Pub, what do you do?

Well, I've stopped saying "We'll go for a few pints". Instead I now say "Let's go for a meal". The social void has been filled by Diners and Restaurants, which have their own charms.

My favorite is coffee. Free coffee with your meal is the best thing about this country. I think it's the only thing that keeps most Americans sane. According to US Statistics, in 1994 Americans spent more in Restaurants than on home made meals for the first time ever. It's a trend I expect to continue.

A different set of statistics show that Americans are the hardest working people on Earth. They work longer hours, take fewer holidays, and wait longer before retiring, than anyone else. When you're working that hard, who has time to cook. Why not just walk into a restaurant, order a coffee, and decide which steak you want to eat tonight, secure in the knowledge that until you get up to leave, the coffee will keep coming.