What happened to the days when after an honest day’s work, a man barged into his local pub and demanded a tankard of the finest ale? Well, they’ve gone. There’s no such thing as an honest day’s work, and if you barge into a pub, you’re likely to be shamefully sent outside. It was during the late seventies and early eighties that drinkers rebelled against tankards. Customers wanted their drinks served in a straight glass, and not a ‘jug’.
But trendy pubs throughout Britain’s major cities are now looking to revive the tankard. There’s been a resurgence in the popularity of ale recently, and urban haunts are looking more and more like village pubs. So as well as wanting to sit in front of a cosy fire, surrounded by authentic antiques, punters want to drink ‘real’ ale out of ‘real’ tankards.
Andrew Ford, manager of the Young’s-owned Hand in Hand pub on London’s Wimbledon Common, agrees with his customers. ‘There is definitely an element of nostalgia about a proper pint jug,’ he says, because ‘they are seen as retro-cool yet comforting and traditional, reflecting the return to more traditional pub values.’ Andrew also believes that the practical considerations are great, as ‘Tankards are easier to hold if you are standing in a pub and chatting. A pint jug also keeps the beer cooler for longer, because you are not holding the actual glass in your hand.’ (source)
But why stop at drinking out of a tankard in the pub? Get your very own personalised number, and extend tradition to the home. You never know, you might even set a trend if you flaunt it next weekend. For tankards of all shapes, sizes and designs, just browse through our categories.
