Pintathlon Criteria - How We Rate Pubs

The Perfect Pint Experience springs from a combination of three elements: Taps, Service, and Atmosphere. The relative weighting for each criterion is given in the table on the right. Let's discuss each:

Taps It's appropriate that we put the "pint" in Pintathlon, and focus first on taps. You can't have a Perfect Pint Experience at a pub that doesn't offer anything you like. As a result, we give 8 points to each of three categories under taps:

• Quantity - this is about sheer volume. We've found that the average pub carries a dozen beers on tap, so we built a sliding scale around that average: - One point for three taps or fewer - Two points for 4-9 taps - Three points for 10 or 11 taps - Four points for a dozen taps - Five points for 13 or 14 taps - Six points for 15-19 taps - Seven points for 20-25 taps - Eight points for 26 and higher
• Quality - this is the counterbalance to quantity. We've been to plenty of pubs that offer over a dozen taps, but most of them are BLECC beers. It's critical to flesh out your selection with craft and premium taps.
• Diversity - this is about offering a variety of beers. For example, Irish pubs often score well on quality and quantity, but offer only the traditional creamy-style Irish beers. To score well on diversity, you need a mixture of darks and lights, ales, lagers and pilseners.

Service This criterion is often disputed as a "point-in-time" measurement. That is, you might just come across the one crabby waitperson on staff or catch the pub at the wrong time, therefore penalizing an otherwise excellent pub. True enough, but every pub is subject to the same rating system, and a true Jewel never has an off night. Like Taps, the Service criterion is scored on three categories:

• Capability - you know capable service when you see it. The waitstaff know their taps, their menu, and they remember your orders. They don't get overwhelmed on a busy night. If you'd say "This person has a good head on his/her shoulders", you've got a capable waiter/waitress, and it makes a difference to your Pint Experience.
• Timeliness - nobody likes to wait. So if it takes a while for anyone to realize that you've sat down, or you're experiencing two-pint service, you'll score the pub low on this category. A timely waiter/waitress also knows when to ask if you'd like another - which is not when your glass is 2/3 full or when you've been empty for 10 minutes.
• Attitude - a waiter/waitress with good attitude makes you feel welcome. We've seen waitstaff that score well on capability and timeliness, but make you feel like they'd be just as happy (or miserable) if you got up and left. The easiest way to score well on Attitude is to smile. Easy, huh?

Atmosphere The weighting given to Atmosphere has been the subject of much controversy among Pintathletes. Why give more than half the points to Atmosphere? Because our experience shows that the most memorable spots don't necessarily have the best service or taps. Jewels draw you in and make you want to stay all night. Put it this way: if you had perfect scores on both taps and service, but were drinking your pint in a food court, how high should that score out of 100? Rating a pub's Atmosphere is a bit more subjective than rating Service or Taps, but there is still a framework to keep in mind. If Atmosphere is good, it will appeal to the five senses:

• Sight - lighting is one of the major elements of a pub's visual appeal. Too bright, and you could have a beer hall on your hands. Layouts that create cosy sitting areas while not blocking off sitelines also build Atmosphere. Layouts must be tight enough to be cosy, but not so spacious as to make the place look empty. Pubs will score points with decor choices like dark wood, rich fabrics and interesting artwork. Strangely enough, Atmosphere is also built (or destroyed) by the other patrons who frequent the pub.
• Sound - the most obvious sound attribute is choice of music. Country & Western or speedmetal may draw in a paying clientele, but don't contribute to the Perfect Pint Experience. To score well on sound, a pub should be comfortably loud.
• Smell - generally speaking, there are no points to be gained on smell. You're unlikely to leave a pub saying "That was the best smelling pub yet!" But a pub can certainly lose points on smell, where an overzealous kitchen or poorly kept bathroom contribute more than they should.
• Touch - this is the comfort factor, and mostly in terms of seating. If you can't get a seat, that's a problem. When you do sit, you know comfort when you get it. There's no formula for comfortable seating, but generally speaking, padding is better than hard wood, and backrests are better than none. The penalty for lack of comfort is that patrons just don't stay as long.
• Taste - we're not treading on Taps territory here. Whatever the tap selection may be, pubs can alter the taste of beer according to the temperature they serve at, and everyone has a different preference on that. Taste is affected by the shape of the glass, as beer afficionados know all too well. We even find that getting your beer served in a brand-name glass affects taste, however psychological that effect may be.

Gut Feel Factor Every Pintathlete can, at his or her discretion, apply the Gut Feel Factor (GFF, pronounced "giff") to improved a pub's score when the numbers don't seem to add up. Atfer the scoring has taken place, Pintathletes should ask themselves "does this total score make sense?" If the score seems wrong, the first step is to revisit each of the sub-scores to detect any errors. If after this second examination, the sub-scores are all correct, then the GFF can be applied. Pintathletes may add (or subtract) points to adjust the pub's score to a level that feels more appropriate. Note that the GFF should be used infrequently, so if you're applying the GFF to every other pub, you need to adjust your scoring technique.