Knowing what to drink in pubs was simple once. A chap had a pint of ale, with perhaps a whisky if he'd just become a father, lost his job or felt a bit chesty. A lady might take a gin and tonic or something similar or, if she wasn't herself, a very delicate drink such as lager.

Those easy times are long gone and today's pubgoer is confronted with bewildering possibilities. New variations develop, fashionable combinations come and go and, at some hazy point, it became acceptable for men to drink lager. The result is that the bartender has no idea what you want and it's worth getting your ideas clear before you're at the bar looking gormless and getting in everyone's way.

A good pub will have a range of beer that will leave you baffled. As with any other food or drink, a good rule of thumb is that the smaller the producer, the better the product. So go for the ale that you've never heard of, because you might stumble on a gem. If you have the luck to come across a tap marked Vale VPA, Ranmore Ale or What the Fox's Hat, don't hesitate. But don't stop there. With 600 breweries in Britain, it's an endless and delightful pursuit.

If you're drinking lager, choose something Czech or German. Plenty make it, but only they really know what they're doing. Among the Czechs, Budvar and Pilsner Urquell are easily found and excellent, while the German labels Paulaner and Ayinger Brau also show other lagers up as pale imitations.

Publicans love a wine-drinker, because you can get plenty of £4 glasses out of a £2 bottle. Asking for red or white will get you the worst swill in the house, so be as precise as possible, specifying grape variety, style or even region. Quality varies hugely, but in general you're on safer ground with red than white, and merlot is usually a more reliable bet than cabernet sauvignon for the same price. And always stay on the safe side of sniffing the glass and declaring yourself amused by its insouciance.

Thanks to a boom-fuelled explosion in brands, spirits are a minefield. If you want to show off, ask for a Number 10 with Fever Tree. If you want to get what you want, ask for a gin and tonic.

Meanwhile, being off the turps no longer has to mean endless hours on acidic orange juice or tooth-loosening lemonade. A variety of more interesting non-alcoholic options is available, not least the Fentimans range, which includes a very good ginger beer and a dandelion and burdock for that earthy feeling.

But non-drinkers are still often treated with healthy suspicion on licensed premises, so you can cover your shame with something such as a lime and soda, which looks like a proper drink and can be incredibly cheap. It's also a standard tipple of the recovering alcoholic, so you may find your friends looking at you with new interest.

As for choice of snack, peanuts are reported to have health-giving qualities and posh crisps can seem classy. But if you really want to look a bit hard you still can't beat a good pork scratching.

Richard Brass, Pub Champion columnist for The Times on Saturday

A view from the bar at Britain's oldest pub

Lots of pubs say they are the oldest in Britain, but this is definitely the oldest building in the country that still has a pub in it. I think that says something - we're the pub that is still going. Oliver Cromwell came and watered his horses here.

The main part of the building definitely dates back to the 6th century, when it was used by the abbots of St Albans Abbey. Part of the wall has come away and you can see the catacombs the monks used.

The pub was called The Roundhouse but the name was changed to Ye Olde Fighting Cocks after it was used for cockfighting in the 19th century.

It's a stunning old building in a beautiful location and that's what's behind our success. I look out the window and can see the park, the lake and the countryside. You can come and look at the Roman ruins, Verulam Park and the abbey, and drop in here for a drink.

People take their pubs very seriously and when they see the sign outside that says we're the oldest in Britain there's a lot of interest.

What makes a great pub? It's the simple things - good staff and good beer. We have a strong local following and you have to be loyal to them in return. They wouldn't want someone to come and mess around with it. They consider it to be their pub, and I'm just looking after it for them.

Tim Brown, proprietor of Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, was speaking to Chloe Lambert

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