That's a bit combatative for this kind of forum, don't you think? You wouldn't get in the pub with an attitude like that.
But anyway:
The three greatest beers in the world are, in no particular order:
- The one waiting for you at the bottom of the hill after a long hillwalk on a warm summer's day.
- The one you buy your best mate when he meets you in the pub to tell you his bad/good news.
- The one your best mate buys you when you meet him in the pub to tell him your bad/good news.
Or, if we're talking actual beers, there are far too many to even count, but funnilly enough, none of them are Stella Artois. I'm quite partial to William's Brothers entire range, but Midnight Sun deserves a special mention for being so dark that Vikings believe that when they burn their dead chieftans in their longboats, the ashes end up in this beer. Big Rock Brewery in Calgary did a lovely pale ale called Grasshopper which I enjoyed a summer of drinking, and whichever is the most stupidly named beer in the Maltings in York whenever we're in for a meat, especially if Manthrob's buying.
I have never been to the centre of Manchester, so I'll say that one will be a proper old man's pub with a load of original features still intact, and an interesting and constantly changing selection of real ales. The other will have good music, a decent choice of beer beyond the usual Stella and Carling guff, and a good mix of clientelle, for the thoroughly disreputable to the ridiculously pretentious.
I'm going to guess that the other colour of Newcastle Ale is red - my knowledge of the beers of that area extends only as far as knowing about dog and Double Maxim.
My favourite pub is Nice and Sleazy in Glasgow. Why? To many reasons to list, but some of them include:
It's nice.
It's sleazy.
It's got an amazing jukebox.
It has a fine and varied selection of drinks, including a small but excellent range of single malts and, um, Buckfast.
It does the Sleazyburger: the burger by which I judge all other burgers.
I've been to tons of amazing gigs, club nights, nights out, celebrations, commiserations, light sessions, heavy sessions, casual pints after work, lunches, dinners, quick sleazyburgers before heading to gigs and generally have always had amazing times.
It attracts all kinds of interesting people, and I've had all kinds of interesting conversations with them. That bit about thoroughly disreputable and ridiculously pretention up there? I was thinking of the mix of folk in Sleazys. Admittedly, I was also thinking of Manthrob who manages combine both in one svelte package.