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competition" and lowly jostling can occur. Waiting is good. Waiting for the drink increases its anticipation, drinking beer is not a race. When in a queue situation simply chat to the people around you, it is called been sociable, make new friends, maybe even buy someone else a drink, which will cut down the queues and spread the friendship. The very best beer server knows who is next, but sometimes a little help wouldn't go amiss. One last thing, sending an attractive female to the bar in order to get served more quickly is way below the belt.

4 Empty glasses and clean tables: The etiquette of serving beer is not just about the drink, it is about the environment too. Good servers will ensure that tables are cleaned at regular intervals and empty glasses are collected. But drinkers can play their own part in this by taking back the empties. It is not a competition to see which table can accrue the most empties. There are no prizes for the biggest beer guzzler. And the beer mats should be left alone, they have an important role to play, ripping them up or doodling on them is the pits.

5 The pool table and the loo roll: As has been already said beer-serving etiquette is not just about the beer itself, it is about the whole pub experience. A top class server is in control of all his/her environment. It is not acceptable if the chalk is missing from the pool table or the loo roll hangs on one shred. Just remember it is those little touches that make all the difference. All it takes is a quick check every so often to ensure full customer satisfaction. We can all help in this by ensuring things are left as we found them.

There we go, just five simple things that will improve the etiquette of the beer-server. If you wish to be an advanced student then there are two more toughies to crack that will make you a legend in your local community.

1 A beer memory: matching the customer to their particular beer drinking preferences is the first hurdle. Anticipating the customers needs will really stand you out from the amateurs in the crowd. I was once in a pub where the server knew what drink I required on each trip to the bar, even though I wanted a different one on each occasion. Genius.

2 Food: wine accompanies food right? Yes, but so can beer. Knowing what beer goes with a particular dish and offering such advice will show that you really care about the customer's pub experience. A light ale will go very well with a salad dish, a porter goes hand-in-hand with a pie all it takes is a little research.

So let us unite in our fight for the correct beer-serving etiquette, and together we can make the world just that little bit better.

Learn more about this author, John Gray.
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