Your shoes might stick to the floor when you walk in, and the bar might be covered in peanuts, but chances are none of that would stop you from grabbing a drink at your local dive bar.
We expect that no matter how “divey” our favorite watering hole is, that the drinks, at least, are in the clear — right?
Wrong. As reported by The Independent, a recent study conducted by independent accreditation organization Cask Marque, looked at 22,000 pubs throughout the U.K and used 220,000 smart devices to determine the cleanliness of the beer lines — the route your beer takes from the basement to the glass. The study found the lines are often neglected, meaning that your beer flows through dirty pipes on its way to your glass — right before being served to you with a smile.
Cider specifically was cited as the worst with 44% being pulled through dirty lines. Stout came in second with 36% chance of grime. Then came late at 35% and keg ale at 31%.
Some establishments might be inclined to skip these cleaning duties in attend to save money and waste less beer.
Director Paul Nunny told The Morning Advertiser: “Consumers today expect good retail standards and this has added to the demands on the pub. We have now got a lot of fast food outlets that are competing with pubs and so are coffee shops, only their standards are higher and pubs need to catch up.”
(h/t The Independent)
