Irish Pub

Irish Pub in Moscow

An Irish Pub is an institution (almost always privately owned) in Ireland that is licensed to sell alcohol and provides on-site consumption. Irish pubs are common in cities in most countries of the world since the 1980s, and in Ireland itself are an important part of the national culture. They gained the greatest distribution abroad in North America, where the first such institutions were founded by Irish immigrants in the 1840s. Irish beer is a traditional alcoholic drink in such pubs, and ale and cider are also served. From snacks, chips and salted nuts are most common. Often in the evenings in such pubs live music of national styles is performed.

The history of Irish pubs as independent institutions dates back to the 19th century, when the growth of the sober lifestyle movement forced the owners of shops selling alcohol, to somehow diversify their business in order to compensate for the decline in alcohol sales. Before the appearance of supermarkets in Ireland in the 1960s, Irish pubs were often called the “grocery and alcohol shop” (English Spirit Grocery ), and the pub itself was located in the same building as a grocery store, workshop or some other main business of it the owner. Often the owners of the pubs were grave diggers, and such a tradition is partially preserved in Ireland to this day. Some Irish pubs still resemble groceries of the mid-19th century with a bar counter, shelves behind it, occupying most of the premises, and a small space for accommodating customers, which is their main difference from British pubs.

Irish pubs are often a family business for generations and are often named after its current owner or founder; sometimes, however, they are named after famous Irish figures or the streets on which they are located. Exterior decoration sometimes uses national architectural features, such as round towers . Since the 1990s, many Irish pubs in Ireland itself have been refurbished in order to make them more convenient for tourist visitors, as a result of which many of them have lost their original appearance.

Focusing on tourism has also led to the fact that in Irish pubs visitors began to actively offer food, which was not common until the 1970s. Until this time, food outside the home was quite rare for the Irish, and in every city there was at least one hotel offering food throughout the day. To this day, some rural Irish food pubs sell only alcoholic snacks.

For many decades, Irish pubs have been centers of social life in areas, small towns, and villages. They functioned not only as places of alcohol consumption, but also as places for spending free time, meetings and communication between people. In Irish pubs it is not customary to give any tips, and the communication style between the owner (usually alone or with several assistants serving clients) and visitors, who often know each other well, is often informal.