Over the course of my tour, I sampled a great many very fine cask ales - step forward Harviestoun Ptarmigan, Black Sheep Bitter and Hobson Town Crier, among numerous others - receiving in the process a great reminder of why this distinctly British method of conditioning and serving ale is a brewing treasure well-worthy of the preservation efforts of the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) and others. Just as importantly, however, I was also able to experience first hand the characteristics that make the British pub a unique and highly laudable institution.

     As my learned colleague Michael Jackson notes in his 1976 book, The English Pub, a pub is "an organic part of the growth of English community life" and fills a "crucial role in society." (Jackson makes the case that the English pub is quite separate from the Scottish and Welsh versions, but since several of the finest pubs I visited were in Edinburgh and environs, I have elected to ignore this distinction.) I would add to my friend's observations that the pub also provides a welcome and welcoming home-away-from-home for travellers like myself, a base far more soul-settling that the transient confines of even the most luxurious hotel room.

     Like its signature beer, cask-conditioned and hand-drawn best bitter, the pub does not travel well. You can visit a 'British pub' in New York, Toronto or Paris, but it will be an interpretation of the genuine article rather than the real thing. It will not have hundreds of years of history behind it; it will not boast a name related to some arcane event of centuries past; it will not have a decor that has developed - oh, so slowly - over the decades; and the odds are slim that it will serve a pint of real cask ale in perfect condition. To experience a true pub and all the pleasures that go with it, you must be in Britain, pure and simple.

     Granted, not all pubs are created equal. I have visited many a less-than-ideal public house, featuring cranky landlords, sorry food and sour ale. But with a bit of planning, a copy of a recent edition of CAMRA's "Good Beer Guide" in hand and an eye for authenticity, it is not only possible but quite easy to spend a couple of weeks hopping from pub to pub with nary a misstep, as I did this trip.

     There are thousands of excellent pubs in the United Kingdom, and try as I might to visit them all, I managed but a relative handful. Here are a dozen of the jewels:

     Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grey's Inn Road, London - A true neighbourhood local not far from busy and impersonal Oxford Street. Good food, well-kept Young's ales and friendly faces all 'round.

     The Porterhouse, 21-22 Maiden Lane, London (pictured at right) - Not a British pub, granted, but a satellite branch of the great brewpub of the same name on the Temple Bar in Dublin. Worthy of a mention for more than its delicious Oyster Stout.

     The Eagle, 159 Farringdon Road, London - The original 'gastropub' still serves excellent market cuisine, though now with better ale than was available on my previous visit.

     Sanctuary House, 33 Tothill Street, London - Good food and flavourful Fullers ales right beneath the relatively inexpensive and very central brewery-owned hotel in which I was staying.

     The Lord Nelson, East Street, Southwold - Low-ceilinged and warmed by a coal and wood fire, this little seaside pub resonates with coziness and authenticity.

     The Derby Inn, 17 Derby Road, Burton-on-Trent - A basic but welcoming 'backstreet boozer' that's actually on a main thoroughfare.

     Coopers Tavern, 43 Cross Street, Burton-on-Trent - Gravity-dispensed ales, a Celtic music jam and a landlord who doesn't seem to know how to call 'time.' What more could you want?

     Coalbrookdale Inn, 12 Wellington Road, Coalbrookdale (Ironbridge) - The plethora of pump clips adorning the bar pay testament to the landlord's goal of bringing in at least three new guest beers per week.

     Johnsburn House, Johnsburn Road, Balerno - A great pub featuring inventive, delicious cuisine worthy of a Michelin-rated restaurant. Well-worth the 25-minute bus ride from Edinburgh city centre.

     Cask & Barrel, 115 Broughton Street, Edinburgh (pictured at right) - An open, airy pub with 10 casks (6 regulars and 4 guests) and a splendid collection of breweriana on its walls.

     Bow Bar, 80 West Bow, Edinburgh - A modest stand-up pub with a fine selection of cask ales and an outstanding collection of whiskies, including one 'Whisky of the Moment' on special.

     Guildford Arms, 1 West Register Street, Edinburgh - High, gilded ceilings and ornate plasterwork may give this fine pub an air of pretension, but the friendly service and excellent ales reveal its true character.

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