I'm going to Scotland/ Southern England [hopefully including the beaches on the south coast] over spring break for 12 - 14 days and I gotta know the facts about booze over there. Shit like price, what I should get, how to get it [underage, at least I think...] and what I should do over there as well [drunk or not]. Local replies are greatly appreciated!

18 is the drinking age in England. Try everything you can get your hands on.

A few of my favorite Scotches are listed in the "Good Whisky" thread.

As for brew, be sure to try plenty of ciders - Strongbow is quite common, as is Magner's, among others. Beer - Newcastle Brown Ale is a favorite, Smithwick's (Irish Red Ale), etc. Porters are good too. Avoid Carlsberg and Carling. I'm no Stella fan either but some swear by it.

Avoid fish 'n chips shops with Asian owners, eat everything at a full English breakfast except the black pudding, and don't miss Sunday roast.

Cutty Sark has a sailboat on it. I like the way it makes me fucked up. Good luck.

Cutty Sark is terrible, and no more potent than any other 80-proof liquor.

Here in Canada we usually end up seeing someone we know in front of the liquor store and get them to buy us our booze. If that fails, we ask some random 20-something and usually they're down. Is that frowned upon over there? I don't want to sound like an idiot but I don't want to get arrested overseas on my school rugby tour. Any suggestions besides the old "hey man, can you get us a run?"

If you look mature I'm sure your Canadian accent will insure you get served.


My nights usually go like this;
At home: 2 litre of Strongbow (£3.09).
Journey into town: 1 litre of cheap cider / perry (£1).
Pubs: lots of pints of Diesel / Turbo-D (£2.40-2.75).
Bars / Clubs: Southern Comfort + Lilt / Coke (£3). More pints.
Chip shop: Full burger, cheesy chips, battered sausage, garlic mayo (£4-5).
Walk home: 2 litres of cheap cider, skunky spliff between a few of us.
Home: Southern Comfort and cider mix. Skunky buckets. Glass of water + tramadol). Sleep.


You will find that Tandoori's always make the best chips. Always.

This. Eat the black pudding though.

This. Eat the black pudding though.
You do not eat the black pudding.

You do not eat the black pudding.

I am the Englishman and iI say you eat it .

I am the Englishman and iI say you eat it .
Well.

Fine.

But I am not recommending that a fellow North American eat the black pudding.

Well.

Fine.

But I am not recommending that a fellow North American eat the black pudding.

I really want more breakfast now.

I really want more breakfast now.
Actually minus the black pudding I could go for full English myself about now.

Though that technically wouldn't be full English.

Seriously though I don't know where we, the United States, fucked up as a nation but breakfast without baked beans, mushroom and tomato is just total travesty.

Glen's is a nice cheap vodka, if you want cider don't bother with strongbow it's overrated. Go with K (black can with K written on it), its made in bath (town near bristol) and 8.4%. Avoid white cider like the plague. Oh and you can't say you've been to england until you've puked stella all over someones front door/face.

And for the record, black pudding is the best part of breakfast.

Stella: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NlhCJaAU44U

Stella is good beer. So is newcastle.

I'm american. That is all.

Avoid white cider like the plague. Oh and you can't say you've been to england until you've puked stella all over someones front door/face.

And for the record, black pudding is the best part of breakfast.

Stella: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NlhCJaAU44U

Everyone steers away from white cider because of it 'chavvy' connotations.
Personally I love a litre or 2 of cider or Lambrini, doesn't taste that bad, and considering the % it's a bloody good deal!

Stella for me, as someone who needs to be drunk to drink beer, well.. I need to be drunk before I can drink it.


As for your last statement, I whole heartedly agree.

you cant come to these fair isles without going through atleast a crate of buckfast (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buckfast_Tonic_Wine)