Last weekend I travelled home to my local pub. I met people who I hadn’t seen in years, people who I used to know well, but not anymore. Anyway the pub was great, the lads behind the bar were working away, there was great live music and the place was packed with banter.
Then a group of us ventured to the local nightclub. It played the same setlist twice, they packed what seemed like a thousand people into a small space and there was no craic.
Last night I went to a well known pub in Dublin and had a great time, the service was brilliant, the pints were smashing and the music was excellent.
These are just a few recent experiences in pubs. These are the places I know in this day and age. The home local, the nightclub, the trendy city venue.
It got me to wondering about the types of pubs that will feature in the future. 
According to the Telegraph, the future holds a lot more that what my imagination has to offer. In the pubs of the future, chip and pin technology will take your order as your foot enters the threshold, beer pumps will pull a perfect pint automatically, and technological glasses (!) will allow your drink to remain at the perfect temperature. You wont even have to walk to the bar, on your table a scanner will allow you to order.
Personally I think vending machines serving canned alcoholic drinks in clubs is a great idea. I would like to see clubs that play a wider variety of music than the latest Lady GaGa or Beyonce track, that you could vote for a track using ur phone. Maybe you could beam a holograph of yourself in to meet your mates if your late. And I wish they would bring back feeding time after the club finished!
Whether any of this happens or not, I would like my old local to remain the same forever. I know sometimes we complain about seeing the same faces over and over, but there is something comforting about it. I like waiting at the bar, you dunno who you might meet.
Happy New Year to you All!
In my hometown, the manager of my local always acknowledges the loyalty with a complimentary drink for all on Christmas Eve. Most get at least one freebie, and I think it’s a great way to show appreciation to the locals. We here at ratemypub hope that your all getting a complimentary tipple over the Christmas. Let us know here if its still a common tradition in your area.