John Bittles (62) from Belfast, Northern Ireland, is a man of principle. In his pub, guests are only allowed to order alcoholic drinks, no soft drinks. “A glass of Coke isn’t really worth it to me. (…) We sell up to 700 pints of Guinness a day, we only have a small number of tables, so it’s not ideal if someone sits there with a Coke,” he told the Irish newspaper Sunday World.
The soft drink ban at Bittles Bar has not gone down well with everyone, as evidenced by some poor reviews on Trip Advisor. “Incredibly rude,” writes one user, “save yourself the trouble and go elsewhere,” another.
Strange rules in a Northern Irish pub
It’s not the only line Bittles is causing a stir with. In July of this year, he put up a sign and made it clear that he would no longer serve small Guinness glasses.
De Beizer gives a reason for the measure that is similar to that for the lemonade ban: “We are a small restaurant here and sell hundreds of pints a day, so there is no room for the sale of half pints.”
Food is also served in other pubs, which is not the case with him, the 62-year-old explains to the “Belfast Telegraph”.
Conan O’Brien visits Bittle’s Bar
When the pub reopened after a pandemic-related hiatus, unvaccinated visitors were refused drinks. A message at the counter made it clear: “No Jab No Juice”, in English “No spades, no juice”. The Irishman campaigned for the corona vaccination.
A celebrity has already got lost in the pub with the Irish-American talk show presenter Conan O’Brien (59), as a Facebook message proves.
According to his own statements, John Bittles has been running the bar for 32 years, and oddly enough he hasn’t had a drop of alcohol himself in that time. (nad)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
