Is it illigal to serve snakebite?

[kangoo]

This confuses me! I'm from Newcastle where I worked in a bar and every 2nd pint I'd serve would be a snakebite. For years we went to the student union and ordered diesel, they even had an offer on it at one point

However, now I live in Cardiff and people seem to freak out at the whole concept! I'll have half a snakebite in the bar after work and they're all like OMG YOU'LL BE STEAMING :shocking:

But what's worse is they won't let me sell it, or drink it in the pub I work in! I asked for a pint of diesel the other night and my manager said no you can't have it because its illigal. She said I'll do you two halves. I said come on I work here you know I'm not gonna get pissed or rowdy and she refused

So is it illigal?? And whats the point of serving two halves and a glass to put it in? Argh it does my head in :banghead:

ETA: my boyfriend reckons its illigal because you need a cocktail licence to mix drinks?m Hmm

[lea_uk]

I got this The traditional Snakebite loved by hard drinkers throughout the world can be difficult to purchase as some publicans refuse to serve it, presumably believing that it was responsible for the Stock Market Crash of the 1980s.
from http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A322318

[Dinted]

I heard its the cordial in it that makes it potent.

I dont see how that works though.

:heart: for snakey B's.

Btw i have no idea if its legal but places in derby sell it. Walkabout's is by far the best yummy

[H-face]

in wetherspoons they wont serve it, they do it in two halves. very odd indeed

[kangoo]

I heard its the cordial in it that makes it potent.


There's so many stupid myths like that. Blatantly the cordial makes it easier to drink.

Oh yeah when I said loads of places in Newcastle serve it she said then its a different law for wales. I think she's talking shite, but I can't find any actual laws on it

[FireyFirenze]

I've been wondering this for ages too! why some places will do it and some wont...i know they wont do it in wetherspoons pubs but in this club i used to go every wednesday we would always drink diesels! although that place also does cocktails so maybe it is something to do with the cocktail license? hmm.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

how strange.

[Thunderstruck]

It's not illegal but loads of places refuse to serve it as it's strong and gets you pissed very quickly and in this day and age, a lot of places, especially student unions, don't want to be seen condoning binge drinking.

Incidentally, a snakebite is just cider and beer. Adding cordial is a snakebite and black. People used to get so pissed off in my pub when people would ask for a snakebite and I wouldn't put the cordial in.

[Sa-ra-ra-ra]

Also, if someone gets horrifically drunk and gets arrested for doing anything, the police can now hold the bar and barstaff responsible - you can be fined up to about £1000. It's not that surprising that people are reluctant to serve something as potent as snakebite.

I personally prefer Green Goblins :)

[kangoo]

Isn't that to do with serving someone who is drunk though, not what you serve them? Surely its just as bad to keep serving someone triple vodkas as it is to serve snakebite?

And I don't get how its 'potent'. Surely its just the same as drinking a pint of larger and a pint of cider? I certainly don't get more drunk off it than any other pint :confused:

[Replicant]

how is a pint of half cider + half beer (Assuming both to be of the same alcoholic strength) any stronger than a whole pint of cider, or a whole pint of beer?

in fact, beer (lager) often has less alcoholic content than cider, so a snakebite would actually contain less alcohol than a whole pint of cider...

perhaps they are only frowned upon because they are perhaps easier (?) to drink than just beer or just cider. (adding cordial definitely makes that the case)

[Calvin]

It's not illegal but loads of places refuse to serve it as it's strong and gets you pissed very quickly and in this day and age, a lot of places, especially student unions, don't want to be seen condoning binge drinking.

:yes: What he said.

But Geordie's are hard and they can handle it. :thumb:

[Sa-ra-ra-ra]

Yeah, it's just because snakebite and black is much more drinkable than anything else - you don't get more drunk, but it's easier to drink.

It's just as bad to serve triple vodka, (which, incidentally, is the most you're allowed to serve - you're not allowed to do quadruples) because they're likely to get people very drunk - i think it's just them covering their backs.

[kangoo]

It's just as bad to serve triple vodka

So why is it legal to serve triple vodka but everyone seems to think its illigal to serve snakebite? :confused: I don't get it!

[Sa-ra-ra-ra]

I don't know. Mental people.

They won't make up a green goblin either, you have to buy the different parts seperately.

[amnesia]

how is a pint of half cider + half beer (Assuming both to be of the same alcoholic strength) any stronger than a whole pint of cider, or a whole pint of beer?

in fact, beer (lager) often has less alcoholic content than cider, so a snakebite would actually contain less alcohol than a whole pint of cider...

perhaps they are only frowned upon because they are perhaps easier (?) to drink than just beer or just cider. (adding cordial definitely makes that the case)


I think it's because beer is made from grain and cider is made from fruit. It's the old addage 'never mix grape and grain'. Drinking beer and wine can have a similar effect.

The manager of the pub I worked in last summer told me it's not illegal to serve snakebite, it's at the publican's discretion. When I was serving I was told I could serve it to a few regulars, but that I should refuse to serve any more if I thought they'd had enough, as with anything. I was also told to use my judgement serving snakebite to non regular customers, and only to serve one or two pints to any one person.

[katralla]

The first pub I worked in would serve snakey b's. What's a green goblin then? We used to do my special, which had it's own button on the till with my initial that had a double vodka, small glass of white wine, shoe of archers and a top up of lemonade or soda water in a tall glass for £2.60. Now they would get you hammered!

[I'm With Stupid]

I think it's just a case of certain pubs taking existing laws too seriously. Everything legally has to be measured in pubs (with the exception of cocktails - defined loosely as anything with 3 or more ingredients). So they think they'll get into trouble for free-pouring something even though you still know what the total will be. Though technically, if this is the policy of the pub, they should technically be doing the same thing with shandy, lager tops, anything served in pints with a cordial shot in it, but I suspect they don't.

[Lacy]

I've never had any probs getting Snakebite, although some of the other ones (fuck knows their names) i have to order each bit separately and mix myself cos they won't/don't know how to do it.

[luvmeright]

the other night i had 2 pints of it and it did nothing and im normally a light weight lol :S it mustnt of been made right lol ive found clubs dont do it though but it you ask for itat small local pubs then they wil

[Sa-ra-ra-ra]

What's a green goblin then?

It's a half of cider and a wkd blue. I don't like beer, so it's a good drink to drink if you're out cos you can down shorts too quickly. Plus it gets you a little wasted :)

[katralla]

blurgh! those blue wicked's have too much sugar in them, the hurt my teeth on the way down, then hurt my head when I crash.

[matty281k]

Think there is many different versions of snake bits
cider + larger + blackcurrant
cider + larger + shot of perno
cider + blue wicked
cider + larger + shot of vodka

I have a power drink
the five allies = rum + brandy + vodka + whisky
england jamacia russia america
server with coke and ice
copright matty281k ahha
haha

[Renzo]

I dont think its illegal. My union wont sell it but the Walkabout in town does.

[Joolyknockers]

Some of the pubs I worked in won't serve it because of the image that goes with it - they didn't think Snakebite was a very classy drink, and generally it was underage drinkers that would ask for it. In my book, snakebite is half cider & half lager.

One of my landlords didn't like it as he was really tight on measurements, with him - if you were going to serve it you had to pour two separate halves and give the customer a pint glass to mix it in themselves.

Theres nowt to say it's illegal though.

[Whowhere]

Technically it is illegal to serve it as a pint, you're meant to serve exactly 1 whole pint, or 2 exact halves when serving. By mixing 2 drinks by eye alone you're not doing that, hence why 2 half pints are used.

[kangoo]

Technically it is illegal to serve it as a pint, you're meant to serve exactly 1 whole pint, or 2 exact halves when serving. By mixing 2 drinks by eye alone you're not doing that, hence why 2 half pints are used.

But then shandy would also be illigal?

[Monserrat]

My old students' union at Staffs Uni serves it. If the venue has a cocktail license (as Kangoo originally stated), then it can serve that drink.

Fruit machines - requires a gambling license
Dancing (yes, dancing!!) - requires an entertainment license

[VinylVicky]

I heard its the cordial in it that makes it potent.

I dont see how that works though.

:heart: for snakey B's.

Btw i have no idea if its legal but places in derby sell it. Walkabout's is by far the best yummy

that's confusing as Walkabout will never do it for my friends - they point blank refuse :confused:

[I'm With Stupid]

My old students' union at Staffs Uni serves it. If the venue has a cocktail license (as Kangoo originally stated), then it can serve that drink.

Fruit machines - requires a gambling license
Dancing (yes, dancing!!) - requires an entertainment license

There's no such thing as a cocktail licence, they're covered by existing licencing laws. Cocktails refer to anything containing 3 or more different liquids, and don't legally require measuring no matter what is in them, though most places do for stock control purposes.

[Whowhere]

But then shandy would also be illigal?



No, because you're only using one alcoholic drink, and the person buying the shandy will decide how much of a ratio alcohol/lemonade there will be.

[pill 'ed]

It is not illegal. I never have any problems getting served it in some pubs, they make it half lager, half cider and a tiny bit of blackcurrent cordial.
There is another, smaller pub that I go to, and when I asked the land lady about Snakebite, she said it's not illegal, but she wouldn't serve it to me and my mates because it would make us too rowdy. lol

No one has ever asked for it at the bar where I work, although if they did then yeah, I'd serve it. No one has ever told me that I can't so fuck it.

[I'm With Stupid]

No, because you're only using one alcoholic drink, and the person buying the shandy will decide how much of a ratio alcohol/lemonade there will be.

But the law clearly states that lager must be served in multiples of half pints. So when that "half pint" in the shandy isn't measured seperately, it's just as "illegal" as snakebite.

Oh and I find the idea that a pint of snakebite is any more potent than a pint of each drink individually rather stupid. Two pints of snakebite are no different from having a pint of lager, then a pint of cider. I served loads of them the other night, and to a football teams end of season night out as well, and they couldn't have been more civil.

[DG]

I heard its the cordial in it that makes it potent.

I remember years ago getting a snake bite and black and the guy was a bit stingy with the black currant and asking for a bit more - he asked for an extra 40p - WTF .. :eek2:

[I'm With Stupid]

I remember years ago getting a snake bite and black and the guy was a bit stingy with the black currant and asking for a bit more - he asked for an extra 40p - WTF .. :eek2:

Now I'm pretty sure that is illegal. Trading standards laws state that a customer is allowed to ask for anything served in a pint glass to be topped up, and the person serving must do so with good grace (in their words, not mine). It's generally to stop pints with massive heads, but only applies to glasses with a brim measure rather than a line measure. But 40p for a bit of blackcurrent? What a fucking ripoff.

[z-]

There is another, smaller pub that I go to, and when I asked the land lady about Snakebite, she said it's not illegal, but she wouldn't serve it to me and my mates because it would make us too rowdy. lol

pffft, hope they don't serve pints of stella!

the idea of it being illegal is pretty daft imo

[JamesZero]

I have only ever drunk snakebite properly once at a primal scream gig at Brixton academy which they were fine with selling there...

I got battered that night and was wearing a white top... which was half pink the next day from spillage! :rolleyes:

[I'm With Stupid]

pffft, hope they don't serve pints of stella!

the idea of it being illegal is pretty daft imo

It is to anyone with half a brain. Unfortunately, in this world we have people who are known as jobsworths and feel the need to follow every rule to the letter no matter what the original intention of it was.