As a beer-loving, well-travelled American, I’ve ordered a strictly 5% ABV beer at the Salt Lake City airport, tallboy cans from a dive bar in South Carolina and an expansive variety of different brews in my (famously drunk) hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. Yet, unsurprisingly, ordering a cask ale certainly distinguished itself from any American drinking experience.
As with accents and slang, the regional differences between distinct cultures within America always pale in comparison to any transatlantic dissimilarities. These contradictions are exactly why the first few months of living and travelling in England as an American are equal parts captivating and tiring. Between everyone driving on the wrong side of the road and the dearth of decent Mexican food, it seems like many of the most fundamental comforts of America are over-complicated, if not completely unavailable in England. Simply ordering a beer shouldn’t have to be one of those discomforts. Thankfully, this guide seeks to break down some of the basics of the English beer scene so that American tourists, expats and dummies can navigate their way without confusion, faux pas or disappointment.
