LONDON, June 15 (Xinhua) -- Customers in pubs and bars toasted the Britain's national drink Saturday to celebrate the country's National Beer Day.
It comes on the anniversary of one of the most important documents in British history, the Magna Carta, signed in 1215.
The great charter mentions ale in its Article 35, saying: "Let there be throughout our kingdom a single measure for wine and a single measure for ale and a single measure for corn."
Organisers Beer Day Britain said: "Today beer and pubs are still central to British life and 7 out of 10 drinks sold in a pub are beer."
"Britain has a dynamic brewing scene and an unmatched heritage in spreading the love and knowledge of beer around the world."
Beer writer and sommelier Jane Peyton, who came up with the idea of a special day to celebrate the national drink, said: "Beer tastes better when it is consumed with friends down the pub."
Pubs across the country marked the special day hosting special events including beer festivals, beer and food banquets and fancy-dress parties.
Beer has been the national drink of Britain for millennia, before it existed as the UK.
Heather ale is most likely to have been the first beer consumed, first brewed in Scotland from at least 4,000 years ago by a pugnacious warrior tribe known as the Picts.
Tom Stainer, CEO of CAMRA, the campaign for real ale group, said: "Beer Day Britain has been a staple in the CAMRA calendar for many years now, and I'm delighted that we've been able to extend our support this year with the Summer of Pub campaign.
"Both Beer Day Britain and Summer of Pub have the same main objective, to get the people of Britain down to the pub to celebrate their favourite pint."
A poll by personal loan provider, Hitachi Personal Finance, has revealed that despite its high prices London isn't the most expensive place to buy a pint of lager or craft beer.
A pint of standard beer is most expensive in Northern Ireland at 5.22 pounds, followed by London at 5.16 pounds.
The cheapest pint, at 3.41 pounds, is in South West England. But when it comes to craft beer Londoners expect to pay the most at 6.57 a pint, according to the survey.
