The social drinker

Now that we can’t go to bars any more, we must rely on memories. While there are many pubs that I miss dearly, I have found, to my surprise, that I miss German bars even more. To my way of thinking, the Germans have the world’s best drinking culture. Setting up a bar in Germany is a relatively easy and unbureaucratic affair. It requires a lot of money to open a pub in Ireland and this reduces competition and stops people from taking risks. The opposite is the case in Germany, which encourages people to try something different and stand out from competition.

The result is that German bars range from Berlin’s cool and informal bars to more traditional places in more conservative cities such as Munich. There’s a bar for every mood and type. Then there’s the quality and variety of the booze itself.

It is not an exaggeration to say that you never get a bad

beer in Germany. The craft beer movement hasn’t really caught on there because it is unnecessary; almost all beer is made by small- and medium-sized breweries local to their area. German wine is excellent; spirits are also good and cost less than half the price charged here.

Perhaps the clincher is the food. Most German bars serve simple, filling meals that are designed to go well with beer or wine. This is not to criticise publicans here who are subject to endless red tape and regular and demonising attacks by health officials. No German government would dare to wage the sort of anti-drink campaigns that are part and parcel of Irish life.

Irish pub culture is a little like Guinness. It does one

thing very well — creating a convivial atmosphere for an evening drink with friends — but this is not enough. Bars were closing at the rate of two a week even before the pandemic began.

The formula hasn’t been working for years because it was devised for a homogenous society that no longer exists. Publicans have been victims of absurd regulation, but they are not wholly innocent. They have conspired in the past to keep prices high and rip off their customers.

They have also lacked the imagination to take risks. Our pubs are world famous for good reason but too many have been resting on their laurels. When this pandemic ends, both government and publicans need to consider how best to serve the needs of drinkers in the

21st century.