Pint/Real Ale

Beer has been a staple part of the English diet for centuries, so it is no surprise that the pint - known in its traditional form as real ale - has made it into the list of English icons. It has been drunk by people from all walks of life including Queen Elizabeth I who was reported to have drank it with her breakfast every day.

The differentiation between ale and beer came about in the fifteenth century - hops were introduced into the process as it helped to preserve ale for longer and gave it a more bitter, complex flavour. This 'hopped' ale became known as beer.

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) coined the term 'real ale' in the 1970s to counteract the competition from large breweries.  The processed beer they were selling was posing a threat to the livelihood of small local breweries selling traditional beers and ale.

Real ale is still very popular today with a vast number of societies and web sites dedicated to one of Britain's favourite pastimes...drinking!

This stamp is from the British Pub Signs stamp issue released in August 2003. You can see another stamp from this set on our icon page dedicated to the Pub.

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