The Rumsey Wells and Christmas Drinking

Ah, the work Christmas party. Some people look forward to going, others make their excuses, some (like me) feel like they should go and hope it’s not too much of a disaster. I generally try to avoid drinking in city pubs during December – too many part-time drinkers who can’t handle it and either get aggro or paralytic, taking up space at the bar usually reserved for all-weather beer lovers like myself. I digress. We were in the Underbelly of the Rumsey Wells with music, a festive quiz and many work colleagues dancing in a way that they would regret come Monday. I chose Adnams ‘Jack Brand’ Dry Hopped lager to see me through the evening, one of the few lagers I can drink without gagging. The Jack Brand has been a good move for Adnams, tapping into the younger market, and Dry Hopped is a lager with flavour rather than chemical preservatives, although still gassy. After chatting to some random guys for a while, one of them ostensibly handed me his number. Turns out he was giving me his friend’s number as a joke. After conversations with other drunk and annoying blokes I ended up in a bar on Queen St (not Brewdog) watching colleagues stumble around, listening to overly loud music and drinking Estrella (bleurgh). I stumbled home wishing I’d worn my ‘I have a boyfriend’ badge and looked forward to January when the pubs would be the domain of beer drinkers again rather than pissheads.