Beat the recession with beer

Beer is the drink for troubled times. From the days of the Celts to the Second World War, people around here have always turned to beer for solace when the going gets rough. And it's no different now. Champagne sales may be down and the economy in collapse, but beer sales are up. And good pubs selling good beer, like the superb Princess Louise in Holborn, are as rammed as ever, with very good reason.

Rounds for the recession

Even at my splendid local, the Robin Hood, organising a round is a delicate business, full of nuances, subtlety and detailed history, with an elaborate set of rules that would baffle any lawyer. And in a downturn like this, when half the people in any pub are skint, it's even more complex. But, as for most problems, the great British pub has a solution.