Women Drinking Beer

 We'd been in Bristol about 90 mins and in the pub for about 45 of those.  Yeah - the Barleymow.

The best beer buddy looked at the busy pub (it was about 5.30pm) and said "I love that Bristol has women drinking beer".

This is not code, it's not anything untoward, it's an observation on the pub/beer-drinking-places culture in Bristol.

In most of the places we drink beer in Bristol (not all, it has to be said) we usually see groups of women also sitting an enjoying their beer.  This evening, in Marthas, not just alcoholic beer, either.  

In Eastbourne it's a lot rarer.

We both like to drink in places where you know that anyone would feel welcome and comfortable - sometimes the vibe is overt (unisex bathrooms, notices about inclusivity) and some it just "is" (LHG brewpub is an exemplar of this).

As a White Cis Straight female with a White Cis Straight male partner our feeling of being included in pub/beer places is pretty universal.  OK, some people might be a little surprised that this short, middle-aged woman is a bit of a beer nerd, but it doesn't take long to come onside (I've only had to tut and look over the top of my glasses once at a young, male, barstaff).  

However for other people that acceptance might be harder to come by, so to see places where groups of young(ish) women choose to hang out and drink beer, or someone with a beard and skirt feels OK, or two women obviously on a date are absorbed in each other and their beer - rather than whether someone will see them as something "other"  is a fantastic sight.

 It's subtle and you might miss it if you're not alert to it. Now we've noticed it, we're seeing it more and  more in our favourite places.  

What's not to love? (no - I don't want those answers on a postcard, thanks)