PUBS

Plus, get in the mix with a few dark beer how-to's.

By Susan LaTempa, Times Staff Writer

Don't get hung up trying to determine whether an Irish or British pub in L.A. is "authentic." Down that road lies a quagmire. Or, perhaps, a trivia quiz.

For example, fish and chips may seem like authentic English pub fare, but traditionally, fish and chips were sold in dedicated shops that were open late at night; this delectable fast food was consumed on the way home from the pub. Or you might think that a pub with a guy from Dublin behind the bar is more like the pubs in Ireland — until you learn that these days many bartenders in the auld country are Eastern Europeans.

All the Guinness you drink in L.A. is brewed in Dublin; variation in its deliciousness from pub to pub has to do with the amount sold and how well the tap system is maintained (it can sour in the lines). Several of the other imported beers available in pubs are much admired by aficionados, but nowhere here can we get English "real ales," unpasteurized local brews available on hand pump in pubs in Britain.

Meanwhile, remember that corned beef and cabbage is an Irish American dish and that although a menu listing bangers and mash and Cornish pasties sounds British, in a London pub today you're more likely to be offered hummus and kebab.

And though it's laughably true that you can order an "authentic" Irish pub-to-go online (www.irishpubcompany.com), building a pub is just the beginning. The great thing about an Irish or British pub is that the longer it's around, the better it gets. The real test of a pub's authenticity is its connection to the community around it.

Menu innovations and nods to local taste can strengthen that connection more than adherence to false nostalgia.

Half and half

Total time: 1 minute

Servings: 2

Note: Guinness Draught Bottles and Harp Lager are widely available. You may also combine the beers without "floating" the Guinness.

     1 (11.2-ounce) bottle cold

     Guinness Draught

     1 (11.2-ounce) bottle cold

     Harp Lager

Vigorously (so it develops a good head) pour half a bottle of Harp into each of the two 12-ounce or larger glasses. Slowly add the Guinness, pouring it over the back of a spoon held at an angle into the glass. The light and dark beers will stay separated for some time.

Each serving: 157 calories; 2 grams protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 20 mg. sodium.


Snakebite

Total time: 1 1/2 minutes

Servings: 2

Note: Use a high-quality imported lager such as Harp and a high-quality imported hard cider such as Blackthorne, both widely available in bottles. If you add the optional black currant liqueur (cassis), you'll have a version of a drink called Snakebite and Black. It's made in Britain and in L.A. pubs such as the Cat & Fiddle by adding a bit of Ribena, a noncarbonated British soft drink (available in some British import shops).

     1 (12-ounce) bottle cold lager

     1 (11.2-ounce) bottle cold hard cider

     2 tablespoons black currant

     liqueur (optional)

Pour half a bottle of the lager and half a bottle of the hard cider into each of two 12-ounce or larger glasses. Add a tablespoon of black currant liqueur to each drink. Stir.

Each serving: 177 calories; 0 protein; 16 grams carbohydrates; 0 fiber; 0 fat; 0 saturated fat; 0 cholesterol; 7 mg. sodium.