The Train Beer
A humble concept, a beer alone or with a group sets up days out across the country every week- and it is usually always a good time for all
Having a beer on the train is a pre-event activity that plenty of people enjoy. They are most popular on the weekends, particularly with music lovers and sports fans making journeys across the country to stadiums and arenas alike. A date drink on a train is a simple idea, and while some take it too far, plenty of others enjoy the moment to a moderate extent.
The drinking culture of football fans is usually under the microscope, and there is an ease at which some people look down their noses at it. The problem is that these people constantly think the worst and like with everything in society in 2024, the troublesome minority makes it so everyone is tarnished by this same brush.
Having a couple of beers on the way to an away match is for me one of the finer moments of the day. It’s the start of the day, and the hope and expectation of whatever lies ahead for your team is as fresh as the morning sunrise (some of these away days do start early, most football fans out there will get where I’m coming from).
Beers on the way to a gig is another institute I’ve enjoyed over the years, and at least with a gig, there’s less chance of the event ruining your entire mood, unlike the way football so often threatens to do. My latest edition of the train beer was on the way to a gig. Blossoms at Nottingham’s Rock City was a midweek date on their much anticipated ‘Gary’ tour, and I was able to crack open a beer while sitting on a table to myself for the final leg of my trip from Derby into Nottingham. With the autumnal sun setting in the sky, my evening out was underway with removing that bottle top.
A friend told me once that train beers just ‘hit differently’, and he was spot on. The alcohol level aside, I think he was right because they are drinks that you enjoy on your way to a big event. Music fans often buy tickets to shows and festivals months in advance and the the countdown to the big day might feel like an eternity. What better way to start that day than by having a drink or two on the journey with the people who have joined you in the countdown?
My next edition of train beers, which will likely be my last of the year but who knows, will be on my way to a Sunderland game with a mate I’ve not seen a Sunderland game within nearly 14 months- a suitable time for a train beer or two if ever there was one.
Enjoying these beers, or whatever your train drink beverage choice is, responsibly is what adds to the enjoyment. You don’t want to ruin anyone else’s journey, being able to relax and enjoy the quiet contentment of this is what it’s all about.
The humble enjoyment of a nice cold beer on a train chugging along the UK rail network is in many ways quaint. I hope that your next train beer is as crisp and refreshing as your first.
