MMMMM...Beer. A long, fizzy drink that eventually gets you pissed? Or a cultural bastion of our way of life? The British love our beer, anyone can see that. Around the world, we're infamous for getting pissed as if we'd just discovered it. But our love affair with the pint goes a lot deeper than that.

Beer and pubs are an integral part of our culture - they help to define British society. Not just in the jolly way beloved of tourists and real ale aficionados. And not just at the other extreme either, in the tradition of the geezer in his union jack boxer shorts shouting himself hoarse after too many Stellas.

No, beer and pubs touch every part of our lives, and have done through our history. So open a tin, and come celebrate the finer aspects of beer and pub culture…