Perfect Pint Etiquette

Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct yourself during a Pintathlon. Here are a few simple rules that will ensure your pinting behaviour is de rigeur!

1. Use a beer mat.  A must for the veteran Pintathlete. Beermats ensures that no condensation builds up on the Pint table. If no beermat is provided, ask for one. For more, see "beermat" in the glossary.
2. Avoid a sticky beer mat.  Never allow your Beer Mat to stick to the bottom of your glass more then once. How embarrassing. After the first occurrence, one should apply the Salt the Beermat Pinting technique immediately.
3. "Cheers" the first drink.  A custom that was developed early in Pintathlon and has become tradition. It is simply rude to start drinking your pint without a friendly 'cheers' to kick it off.
4. Drink beer.  Ordering something besides beer on a Pintathlon is like ordering a hamburger at a Chinese restaurant: sure, it can be done, but if you want a hamburger, go to MacDonald's! If you are not a beer drinker today but cannot resist the allure of Pintathlon, there are ways to ease into the beer world. 
5. Avoid BLECC beers.  Asking for a BLECC beer during a Pintathlon is like asking a chef for ketchup! Of course, if you are at the MacDonald's of pubs, then asking for ketchup is expected.
6. Don't complain about the establishment.  It is a Pintathlete's duty to drink a pint at every pub that has Pintent. If you don't like the establishment as you first walk in, refrain from complaining about it and get busy providing an objective rating. If the place was an utter beerhall, then it is acceptable to say something like "Ugh, what a beerhall" after you have left.
7. Wait at least a half-pint.  Like sands through the hourglass, you should wait at least a half-pint's worth of time before conducting your rating of a pub. Years of research have indicated that senses are heightened at the half-pint mark, making it the optimal time to evaluate. You must give the establishment a chance to grow on you.