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A huge, gaudy, distinctive pump-clip is the speculative pub-explorer’s friend.

For benefit of readers from Mars, pump-clips are the badges displayed on*handles in pubs. They*barely existed until about 50 years ago but now they’re ubiquitous, increasingly ornate, and increasingly huge.
Which, though some may scoff, is great for people like us whose favourite way of finding pubs is wandering about with feelers twitching.
In Topsham the other week, researching our Devon Life column, we saw a pleasant looking pub*but with only limited time before our train had to make a snap decision about whether to pop in. From the street, through glass, across several metres of floor-space, we could recognise the brands on offer and see that they weren’t terribly exciting. Without stopping, we were able to make a quick*decision to push on somewhere else instead.
Equally, though, there are times when we’ve slammed the brakes on because one of us has subconsciously registered a hit in the database: wait —*was that the clip for Rooster’s Yankee back there in The Union? (They’ve never had it on again since; it was glorious.)
In lieu of pubs displaying a list outside, which is ideal, a bank of pumps visible from the street, with bold clips on display, is the next best thing.
And brewers: if your pump-clips are generic, or inconsistent within the range, or lack a visual hook, you might want to bear that in mind next time you*review the designs.
QUICK ONE: One Function of a Pump-Clip originally posted at Boak & Bailey's Beer Blog


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