Celebrate Canada’s First National Tartan Day at the Bard & Banker, on Wednesday April 6th, from 8pm.

Here are a few facts to get you all ready for the day…

The Declaration of Arbroath is a declaration of Scottish independence. It is in the form of a letter submitted to Pope John XXII, dated 6 April 1320, intended to confirm Scotland’s status as an independent, sovereign state and defending Scotland’s right to use military action when unjustly attacked. With the official seals of fifty-one magnates and nobles, the letter is the sole survivor of three created at the time. The others were a letter from the King of Scots – Robert Bruce, and a letter from four Scottish bishops which all presumably made similar pleas.

Like the American Declaration of Independence, which is partially based on the Arbroath Treaty, it is seen by many as the founding document of the Scottish nation. It is also interesting to note that almost half of the signers of the American Declaration of Independence were of Scottish descent. Shawn Connery aka (James Bond) marches in the Tartan Day Parade in New York every year proudly wearing his Clan Tartan.

A quote from the Declaration of Arbroath:

“As long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with his life itself”.

TARTAN FACT SHEET

• Tartan in Gaelic is “breacan” meaning – checkered.

• The earliest Tartan was the Shepherds Tartan made into a checkered pattern with black and white sheep wool (no dyes).

• The early Highland Shepherds would gather and wrap one large square piece of wool around them leaving a pouch to carry lambs.

• Roman writers wrote about Celtic Tribes who were expert weavers of woollen cloth and their love for color in it.

• The early Scots used roots, berries or leaves to dye the white sheep wool to create various clan or family Tartans or sets.

• Tartans throughout history have been used for many different purposes including: hunting, military service, ceremonies and clan affiliation.

• Clan or “Clanna” means children and each tribe or families Tartan was a symbol of kinship connecting them to their community and ancestors.

• 1747 Disarming Act – the English outlawed the wearing of Tartan. An offender could be fined, jailed or sent to a criminal work colony for up to 7 years.

• There are over 8,000 Tartans worldwide and the registration office for Tartans is the Lyon Court Scotland.

• The Canadian Maple Leaf is soon to be our National Tartan and Victoria has its own “City of Gardens Tartan”.  Every province in Canada also has a Provincial Tartan except for Quebec and Nunavut.

The Maple Leaf Tartan, inspired by the shifting hues of autumn leaves, was announced this month to have become Canada’s national tartan and also an “official symbol” of the nation itself.

The Canadian government has pre-empted a Liberal senator’s crusade to have Maple Leaf Tartan declared the country’s official Scottish cloth, announcing Wednesday that the distinctive green-and-red pattern — inspired by the shifting hues of autumn leaves — has not only been made the national tartan but also an “official symbol” of the nation itself.

The designation means the tartan — designed in 1964 by Toronto garment maker David Weiser ahead of Canada’s centennial celebrations — will join the flag, the coat of arms, the beaver and a handful of other objects as state-sanctioned emblems of Canada, according to a statement issued by Heritage Minister James Moore.

“The Maple Leaf Tartan has been worn proudly and enjoyed by Canadians for decades, but has never been elevated to the level of an official symbol — until now,” said Moore. “Our national symbols express our identity and define our history. The Maple Leaf Tartan represents the contributions that the more than four million Canadians of Scottish heritage continue to make to our country.”

The Conservative government’s declaration comes less than a week after Liberal Senator Elizabeth Hubley, of P.E.I., gave a speech urging support for her proposed legislation, Bill S-226, to make Maple Leaf Tartan the official national tartan.

“The Maple Leaf Tartan has been Canada’s unofficial national tartan for many years,” she said last Thursday. “It is time to recognize the rich contribution Canadians of Scottish descent have made to this country by adopting a national tartan for Canada, which can be worn by every Canadian, regardless of their ancestry, as a symbol of national pride.”

Hubley’s office initially expressed “shock” at Wednesday’s announcement. And in comments to Postmedia News following the government’s statement, Hubley pointed to “eerie similarities” between Moore’s declaration and her own expressions of support for the Maple Leaf Tartan last week in the Senate.

“I am pleased the government has been listening,” she said. “And if you read the wording of the press release, there are eerie similarities to my second-reading speech from last Thursday.”

She also raised doubts about whether a simple announcement from the government had the weight of legislation — duly passed by Parliament — to declare the Maple Leaf Tartan an official emblem of Canada. “A press release from a cabinet minister is not sufficient to create a national symbol.”

Wednesday’s announcement by the government made no mention of Hubley’s bill, but included comments from Conservative Senator John Wallace, of New Brunswick, who recently spearheaded an effort to have the government formally recognize April 6 as National Tartan Day.

“The tartan is one of the most visual expressions of Scottish heritage and culture,” Wallace said in Wednesday’s statement. “Making the Maple Leaf Tartan an official symbol of Canada highlights the many significant contributions that people of Scottish heritage have made to the founding of Canada.”

While the Maple Leaf Tartan appears to have become an unexpected symbol of political partisanship, both the Liberals and Conservatives do have legitimate prior claims to being champions of the patriotic plaid.

In 2006, former Liberal MP John Matheson — a key player in the political battle that led to the adoption of Canada’s Maple Leaf flag in 1965 — urged that the government adopt a national tartan as a readily recognized “signal” to be displayed by Canadians of all ethnic stripes to show that they “care about a united Canada.”

In 2008, Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney (who has since added immigration to his cabinet portfolio) announced that he had officially registered the Maple Leaf Tartan with the Scottish Tartan Authority in Edinburgh to secure exclusive rights for the pattern for the Canadian government.

“The Government of Canada recognizes the many ways in which Scottish culture and tradition have contributed to the strength of our communities,” Kenney said at the time. “Scottish tartans are a wonderful symbol of cohesion: each plaid, with its blend of different colours and patterns represents a family, a region, an organization, or a nation.”

In 2006, after Matheson had launched his campaign for a national tartan, the Globe and Mail reported that documents released under Access to Information showed federal Heritage officials were giving the proposal serious consideration.

One memo noted that Weiser’s Maple Leaf Tartan had been “greeted with wide acclaim” in the 1960s and was already considered an unofficial national tartan by many Canadians.

Briefing notes indicated that “the use of tartan by non-Scottish or Celtic peoples has dramatically expanded around the world” and reflected a “more multicultural reality.”

But the documents also contained a caution that “the notion of a national tartan might have little resonance with Canada’s multicultural communities, given its traditional association with Scottish and British heritage.”

According to the website of Canadian Heritage, 11 of the 13 provinces and territories have their own official tartans, while Quebec has popular design that is widely — though unofficially — used to symbolize the province. Nunavut is not mentioned on the site.

The Canadian government also recognizes the maple tree as the country’s “national arboreal emblem,” the beaver as its official animal symbol and red and white as Canada’s official colours.

Here’s more info on what to expect at the Vic Pub Co this Thursday:

IRISH TIMES

Live Music All Day!
11am – 1pm: Bobby Smith
1.30pm – 4pm: Qristina & Quinn Bachand
5pm – 7pm: Jeremy Walsh
8pm – Midnight: Black Angus

Irish Dancing with the O’Brien School of Dance
Irish Food & Drink

BARD & BANKER

Live Music All Day!
11.30am – 2.30pm, 4.30pm – 7.30pm: The Slow Pokes
8pm – Midnight: Tom Hooper & Matt Johnson

Irish Dancing with the O’Brien School of Dance
Traditional Pub Fayre

PENNY FARTHING PUB

Irish Dancing with the O’Brien School of Dance
Traditional Pub Fayre

Hooray, hooray!  In a couple of weeks it’ll be St. Paddy’s Day!!  Just so you can get ready for the craic here’s a few great Irish oddities to get you going!

Green Beer…
Ok, let’s start with the easy & perhaps obvious…just add a drop of green food colouring to your beer.  Watch out though, chances are you’ll get a green tongue, eeeugh!  Add a drop to Guinness or your favourite stout for a green head to your pint, nice.  Or add some crème de menthe to your martini to give it a green glow.

What’s with the 4 leaf clover/Shamrock?
Luck!  That’s it really. A Shamrock is basically any kind of clover, and finding one with four leaves is pretty rare and magical when you do.  Although I did find one in Dingle (County Kerry, West Coast Ireland) a few years back and very excitedly made a wish…it hasn’t come true yet mind you, but I’m still in hope!

Leprechauns…
You know, those old little green guys with the ginger beard & buckled shoes?  Well, they’re a big symbol of Irish Folklore making and mending shoes, and stashing their gold coins in bags at the bottom of rainbows.  The Leprechaun legend is linked waaay back to medieval Irish mythology written about the Tuatha De Dannan; a race of people that derived from the pre-Christian deities of Ireland.  If you’re lucky enough to meet one of the mischievous little guys, try capturing him and he should grant you three wishes for his release, haha!

Guide to the good stuff…
Just a few of the traditional Irish drinks that are available at the Vic Pub co:
-          Guinness (stout)
-          Kilkenny (Irish cream ale)
-          Smithwicks (red ale)
-          Harp (lager)
-          Jameson’s (whisky)
-          Black Bush (whisky)
-          Bushmills (whisky)
-          Connemara Peated (whisky)
-          Powers (whisky)
-          Red Breast (whisky)
-          Tullamore Dew (whisky)
-          Bailey’s (Irish Cream)

Drink ideas to try…
-          BLACK SMITH – Guinness & Smithwick’s
-          HALF & HALF – Harp Lager & Guinness
-          IRISH RICKEY – Jameson’s whisky, fresh lime juice, soda
-          SNEAKY PETE - Jameson’s Whiskey, Kahlua & milk
-          BABY GUINNESS/BLACK & TINI – Bailey’s on Kahlua

End your St. Patrick’s Day toast off with a hearty ‘Sláinte!’ (pronounced ‘slawn-cha’), which means Health! and is the equivalent to ‘Cheers!’

The Vic Pub Co sure do LOVE craft beer, especially that of the ‘locally brewed within 2 miles’ variety.  Phillips Brewery, located in the heart of Victoria, is just one of those places and we were invited to be shown around where it’s being created!

On arrival…

We’re drawn straight through main doors to the Phillips Brewery Gallery, brimming full with local artistic talent.  Obviously noticing we’ve gotten a little side-tracked friendly brewery PR guy Bill Stuart shouts us over to the front bar, where we’re greeted with a smile and a sample of Ginger Ale.  Perfect!

“The Ginger Ale has undergone a facelift and is now a full time player” Bill tells us as we sip away contently.  And wow, what great timing for our tour!  A whole slew of exciting new products have just been launched:

Hoperation Belgian IPA – big hop taste

Double Dragon Imperial Red Ale – a big ale that is both malty and hoppy.  Inspired and launched in time with Chinese New Year, to which Bill adds, “we like to bring out beers that correspond to events that are happening in town, like we have with the Double Dragon that was launched in time for the Chinese New Year celebrations”

He then shimmies over to the newest of the new promotions…The Hop Box!  To those of you that are in the know, the Hop Box is similar in theme to the Showcase mixed box, but includes a bunch of hoppier beers:
Skookum Cascadian Brown Ale
Krypton RyePA
Hop Circle IPA
plus rotating surprise/seasonal 4^th. Ooooo, well who doesn’t like a surprise!

Whether it’s your thing or not, there’s no way of escaping the fact that there are distinctively hoppy beers in this wonderful area of the world.  For instance, the Phillips Hop Circle IPA includes adding dry hops at the end of the brewing process to bring out even more flavour.  Bill confirms to us that it’s definitely a Pacific NW thing; “It’s the style of beer that wakes up your palette!”

And that Pacific NW pride in innovative brewing goes even further with Phillips.  Their much loved Black Toque India Dark Ale was renamed Skookum Cascadian Brown Ale, making it more regionally specific, as well as representative of this emerging style of beer. The Cascadian flag is proudly stamped on the Phillips 6-pack boxes.

Innovative Brewing…

Have you ever noticed that some of the local breweries will bring out a similar style of beer around the same time?  “There’s friendly competition with the other breweries on the Island, it’s a small town – but there’s room for innovation!”

It’s part of Bills job, together with the rest of ‘Team Phillips’ to check new brewing trends regularly.   “Beer excites us.  We know that it’ll get boring if we keep to the same.  We like to educate people through different tastes.”    Otherwise new brews are crafted to pair with the seasons and really follow inspiration. As it is a craft artisan process, the guys are always challenging themselves with new products; “its part of the freedom that a smaller craft operation allows”.

Keeping it local…

Phillips has a great relationship with local business and the community here in Victoria.  A great example is the partnership between Phillips & the Vic Pub Co to brew the Phillips Service 1904 Ale – which is only available on tap at the Vic Pub Co. The ale is brewed by adding heated stones to the kettle where sugars caramelise on the stones, resulting in a slight sweetness with a dry finish and it’s currently the second best selling beer at the Bard & Banker.  “There’s a great partnership between us and the Vic Pub Co.  We’re so pleased it’s going down so well.  We get enquiries about it all the time with people asking where they can buy it and if they can stock it too! ” Cheers to that!

The company is also very aware of the limited resources on the planet, for example; they heat their own water and building through a heat exchange system fuelled by the heat produced by the brewing kettle  and all spent grains go daily to a farmer as feed for livestock as part of their commitment to “working local”.   Last summer they introduced the 24 Mile Blueberry Pail Ale as a seasonal brew.  Everything, including the ingredients and the delivery boundary was kept within 24 Miles.  The barley, hops and blueberries were all from farms on the Saanich Peninsula.  For optimal flavour, they only have 24 hours to use the fresh hops once they are harvested.  Guess how long it took to sell out…hmmmm?

Exciting Times…

Phillips is growing.  There are 25 employed at the brewery in Victoria and they’re all great at working at multiple jobs if needed.  GO multitasking brewers GO!  They’ve also just installed a new bottling machine that can do up to 220 bottles per minute!

Out soon…

The Coffee Stout -  brewed with specially roasted beans from 2% Jazz local coffee bar.

The Double Barrel Scotch Ale is currently aging away in whisky barrels.  It’s be out sometime in the spring.  Personally it sounds so good, I can’t wait!

Now for something completely different…Local animation guy Russell Papp is currently hiding away at Phillips filming a new animated film for Phillips. Check some of Papp’s earlier work in Phillips video section.

Cheers to Bill and team at Phillips Brewery!   Check out their website for more details on new brews and news:  www.phillipsbeer.com

The Penny Farthing Liquor Store are expecting an exiting delivery this afternoon from Driftwood Brewery.  Cuvée D’Hiver (“winter batch”) is the newest ale from the Victoria-based craft brewers and is described as a pale, golden effervescent beer with a fruity nose balanced with a sweet malt profile and tangy finish.  Sounds too delicious eh!?

It’s brewed entirely with barley grown and malted on the Saanich Peninsula by artisan maltster Mike Doehnel. This “winter batch” is revealed by one of the most unique Belgian yeast strains in existence.   It is the flavor of the sun, the rain and the earth of Vancouver Island…and we can’t wait to try it!

Available @ The Penny Farthing Liquor Store – from 22nd February (afternoon delivery).

Price: $6.45/bottle

Call the Penny Farthing Liquor Store: 250-592-9463

or see the Dritwood Brewery website for more details.

Are you up for the Craic?  Canadian Celt punk band The Mahones sure are!

Their 20th Anniversary St Patrick’s Day tour kicks off on 17th February taking them to venues across the country and will be stopping by the Irish Times Pub on March 6 to rock us with their paddy-punk.  Last time they came by Victoria, they had the crowd in a dancing frenzy…and there’s no doubt in our minds that they’ll do it again, especially as their album ‘The Black Irish’ has just been re-released and the band’s classic track “Paint The Town Red” has been featured in a big-time scene in the new Mark Wahlberg movie “The Fighter.”

Check out their official Myspace page for more about the band and the tour: http://www.myspace.com/themahones

So, as they say, hide your drinks and lock up your daughters…The Mahones are on their way!!

Dine Around…

It’s that lovely time of the year again, when we get to take advantage of Victoria’s culinary excellence at bargain prices!  From the 17th February to 6th March, participating restaurants will be offering three-course menus for $20, $30, $40 CND per person and are all paired with BC VQA wine suggestions.

The Vic Pub Co Executive Chefs Richard Luttman (Bard & Banker), Jason Ducklow (Irish Times) and Kevin Tahouney (Penny Farthing) have been busy creating their specialty menus for the event and we’ll be giving you a chance to sneak a peek at them on our website & blog very soon!

Stay in Town…

World-class accommodation is available at great rates to compliment the Dine Around experience. These accommodation options will allow food lovers to pamper themselves with an overnight stay. Accommodations are priced at $69, $79, $99, and $129. Check the Tourism Victoria website for further details of the Dine Around & Stay in Town Event.

Sneak Peek…

There’s also the chance to try this year’s fabulous food offerings in advance, along with VQA wine tasting, at the Dine Around Menu Launch.  The event is held on Wednesday February 16^th from 5pm – 8pm at the Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites.

*Tickets are available for $35 at the Tourism Victoria’s Visitor Centre (812 wharf street/250-953-2033) and VQA wine stores.  Check the Tourism Victoria website for further details.

And as if that wasn’t enough to get your taste buds dreaming…

Culinaire, “Victoria’s Premier Food Tasting Experience” is being held on 10 March at the Crystal Garden @ The Victoria Conference Centre.  The Vic Pub co Chefs will be among other great local establishments serving their inspired creations at the event!  Tickets are $28 (price includes HST) and are available @ the Bard & Banker Pub, the Save of Foods Memorial Centre ticket office , Select Tickets Online and by calling 250 220 7777.  See the Culinaire 2011 website for further details.

Are you ready to don your best kilt for the Robbie Burns Day on 25th January!?

The Vic Pub Co is celebrating in its usual traditional style, with plenty of pipers, scotch & haggis.  So just to get you in the mood for the famous Scottish poet’s birthday bash and  here are a couple of small  things you may want to know about the day…

Quick background…

Robert Burns was born 25^th January 1759 in Ayrshire Scotland.  Known as the ‘Scottish Bard’ he was famous for writing poems and folk songs such as  A Red, Red Rose; A Man’s A Man for A’ That; The Battle of Sherramuir; Tam o’ Shanter, and Auld Lang Syne to sing when we’re drunk at midnight on New Year’s Eve!

A Day for the Scots…

You’d think that the Scottish Patriot ,William Wallace, would have won the title of ‘Best Scot’,  but a public vote in 2009 ensured that the title went to the people’s poet! The celebrations on 25^th January act as both a memorial to Robbie Burn’s work and as the official Scottish National Day (Saint Andrew’s Day), hooray!

Traditional Burn’s Supper…

Here are just some of the things to expect at a traditional supper:

Haggis isn’t for the fainthearted. It contains onion, oatmeal, suet, spices and salt mixed with stock and a sheep’s heart, liver and lungs in its stomach (although some haggis is prepared in casing rather than the stomach).

Neeps n’ Tatties are swede (yellow turnip/rutabaga) and potatoes that are boiled and mashed up separately.

A wee dram…well, you can’t go out on the jolly without a small Scotch whisky can you now!? The flavours are released when you add just a little water to the measure.

At the beginning of the traditional supper the “Address to a Haggis”, one of Robbie Burns’ poems, is read while the haggis is lovingly cut open…then you eat away.  At the end of the meal Auld Lang Syne is usually sung together.

The Vic Pub Co pubs are all serving the traditional supper on Robbie Burns Day, and there will be copios amounts of Scotch available too.  Also, pipers will be roaming from pub to pub on Saturday 22nd…watch this space (and the facebook page) for the full details!

For a festive treat we’re posting a few of our favourite festive cocktail recipes…Enjoy!

CHRISTMAS PUNCH Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:
4 Parts Cognac
1 Part Apricot Brandy
2 Parts Cordial Medoc
1 Part Lime Juice
Boiling Water

How to mix this cocktail:
Add apricot brandy, cognac, cordial medoc and lime juice into a chilled wine glass. Topup with boiling water.

RUM & EGGNOG Cocktail Recipe

Ingredients:
1.5 oz. spiced rum
6 oz. whole milk
2 tsp. powdered sugar
1 raw egg
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Martini shaker
Ice
Whipped cream

How to mix this cocktail:
Fill the martini shaker roughly half full of ice.Add the milk, spiced rum, powdered sugar and egg to the martini shaker.  Place the shaker’s lid firmly on top and shake the mixture vigorously for 30 to 45 seconds.Strain the rum egg nog mixture out of the shaker and into the cocktail glass of your choice.  Top the drink with whipped cream.Sprinkle the top of the whipped cream liberally with nutmeg.  Serve immediately.

CANDY CANE Martini Recipe

Ingredients:
Mini candy canes
2 saucers
1 tbsp. water
Martini glass
Martini shaker
Ice
1.5 oz vodka
0.5 oz peppermint schnapps
Green ribbon
How to mix this cocktail:
Crush two mini candy canes by pounding them with a rolling pin or other heavy object. You could put the candy canes in a small plastic bag first to cut down on the mess. Aim for the texture and size of sugar crystals with some slightly bigger chunks of cane. Place the candy cane powder and chunks in a shallow layer on a saucer.Place 1 tbsp of water on the other saucer. Dip the rim of your martini glass in the water to wet it. Then dip the rim of the glass into the candy cane powder. Set in the refrigerator to chill.Fill a martini shaker with ice. Measure 1.5 oz of vodka and 0.5 oz of peppermint schnapps into the martini shaker. ShakeRemove the glass from the refrigerator. Strain the mixed martini into the glass. Do not disturb the candy cane powder on the rim.  Garnish with one whole candy cane hooked over the rim. Tie a green ribbon in a bow around the stem of the martini glass for an added holiday touch. Serve. Yum.

Local Photographer Mark Nicol dropped by Penny Farthing Pub to catch regulars “Jordy and the Boys” taking part in Darts Night; a weekly Tuesday evening event where you can challenge your friends to a game and win prizes!

Pub games in the UK are a totally fun and social tradition. Every pub in the land will have at least one of the following games listed, and as a super-bonus we’ve even added a festive present idea for each!

Snooker (pronounced “Snooooka” – not “snukker”,eh!) is generally regarded as the gentleman’s cue game with the massive table and many coloured balls.  You’ll usually find the guys who play are pro and they’ll have the snazzy waistcoat & bow tie to prove it…oh how jolly of them!  The game is thought to have been invented in India by the British Army in the latter half of the 19^th Century.

Try this online game: click here or if you happen to be minted you can buy an authentic table through: Billiards Plus Canada

Pool – the cue game we all know well with the eight-ball, usually played in pubs instead of snooker.  It was originally known as “pocket billiards” and probably got its reference as “pool” from the poolrooms where gamblers “pooled” their money to bet remotely (“off-track”) on horse races. You’ll most certainly find you get better at playing this game the more beers you have.

Here’s a cool mini table available to buy: mini pool table It says it’s for kids but it looks like fun!

Darts – There is speculation that the game originated among soldiers throwing short arrows at the bottom of the cask or at the bottom of trunks of trees. Now, there are standardised boards and rules – England is the only country in the world that recognises it as an official sport you know!  As a general rule, the more you drink whilst playing generally means the more rubbish you’ll get.  You not only have to throw three darts and a time, hit the score you need from a good distance, and minus your score from 501 every time, and if you go over that score you’re a looser.  More importantly, precision is key. I’ve seen a few darts mistakenly thrown at things other than the target, although the more dangerous aspect may be to do with the mullets and perms that are associated with the game.  Please note: this happens only in England.  I assure you that The Penny Farthing Pub has its Darts Nights (and hairdos) in control.

Here’s a good looking darts set to buy online: dartboard and a perfect Andy Fordham style mullet wig to go with it: mullet wig

Quiz Nights – The origins of the pub quiz are unclear but there is little evidence of them existing before 1970 in the UK.  They’re a great way to entice more people to the pub that would not usually go there during the working week.  Wikipedia mentions that in 2009 there were 22,445 pub quizzes in the UK (wow) and they can get really REALLY competitive.  I totally suck at trivia and have never come close to winning – it’s usually the obscure questions I have the answers to, for instance “what is the capital of Burkina Faso” and “where did the last public hanging in England take place”.  As a general rule, it’s usually those nerds with thick rimmed glasses in the corner huddling around their table whispering their answers and drinking weak shandy that run away with the prize money every week.

Undoubtedly the most fun thing about any pub quiz is hearing the “Quizmaster General” announce your team name over the microphone.  Some teams spend more time deciding how to incorporate dirty words, current events, or a characteristic about a team member (or the Quizmaster) into their name, than they do on some of their answers.   I wish I could list some I’ve heard – but they’re far too rude and it would probably lose me my job.

This is probably the best comparison available: Trivial Pursuit and why not think up a clever team name while you’re drinking a pint!

Skittles – the cute and quaint equivalent to ten pin bowling, using balls and skittles made of English hardwood.   You’ll find this game hiding in the corner of most olde-worlde village pubs and variations exist up and down the country.  It was called “Cheeses” in the village I grew up in, probably because the bowling ball was flat and yellow and resembled a big lump of Edam.  Odd.

Here are some traditional ideas for skittles

Cards – there would be a pack of cards at every pub, although it’s died out a bit because of “gambling restrictions”.  Saying that, for some unknown reason games of Cribbage can still be played for money.   FYI: Cards have been around for over 600 years and Cribbage was created by the English poet Sir John Suckling in the early 17th century, so there (put that up your pub quiz)!  Regular card games can be played on licensed game nights…or when there’s a lock-in at the local, shhhh.

You’ve most probably got a pack of cards lying around so here are some nicely crafted Cribbage board for you: nice cribbage board

Table Football / Foosball – a totally fun and socially silly game.  The concept was conceived by Harold Searles Thornton in 1922, after he went to a footy match and wanted to replicate the game so it could be played at home.  Only rival footy fans will get serious about it.  Plus you can trust the fact that it doesn’t matter how many beers you’ve had to play this – precision won’t count!  You just have to get good at distracting the opposition (usually by shouting nonsensical abuse) and spin those odd looking guys on the sticks as much and as fast as possible…not a quiet or skilled game by any standards but oh so much fun.

Here’s a cool table one that’s on sale: foosball!!

…and if there are any other traditional pub games that you think we should highlight on the blog, please let us know by contacting us at blog@vicpubco.ca. Cheers!