The great British pub is not just a place to drink beer, wine, cider or even something a little bit stronger. It is also a unique social centre, very often the focus of community life in villages, towns and cities.
  It appears that the British pub actually started life as a great Italian wine bar, and dates back almost 2,000 years. It was ale, however, that was the native British brew. The native British brew of ‘ale’ was originally made without hops, and it appears that these taberna quickly adapted to provide the locals with their favourite tipple, with the word eventually being corrupted to tavern.