The King's Arms.
Probably the largest numbers of original signs were those stemming from heraldry by coats of arms. Tenants of inns centuries back were often former stewards or retainers of great families, and apart from the fact that the premises stood on the patron's land, it was natural that they should want to boast of there close association. This they did by painting the coat of arms on their sign board. Emblems of royalty are at the head of heraldic signs and the King's Arms are among the most prominent. There are more than fifty pubs of this name in London alone.
Free House. Pubs can be "tied" or "free." One aspect of pubs that is still in place and still important is their ownership or trading arrangements. One may notice, in England, that some pubs advertise that they are a "Free House." This does not mean the drinks are free! What it does mean is that the pub is not a "tied house." A tied house is bound to a brewery, and is most likely owned by the brewery and then leased to or managed by the landlord. In a tied house, the landlord or manager must sell what the brewery the pub is tied to offers and markets. On the other hand, a free house is typically privately owned by the landlord or a firm that probably owns a chain of pubs. These free houses are “free” to sell whatever beers and alcohol they like. So they frequently have several competing bitters, stouts and lagers, to cater to their customers' varied tastes.
Cask Ales. Cask-conditioned beer, often referred to as 'real ale', is brewed from only traditional ingredients and allowed to mature naturally. The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (known as 'secondary fermentation'); this process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg ('brewery-conditioned') beers. Real ale is always served without any extraneous gas, usually by manually pulling it up from the cellar with a hand pump (also known as a 'beer engine'). This is the traditional way of brewing and serving beer; only a few decades ago did filtered, pasteurized, chilled beer served by gas become normal. The only place in the world where cask-conditioned beer is still commonly available is Britain.
The King's Arms (No. PS383). Dimensions: 48.5"H x 32.5"W x 2.25"D. Shipping: $120.
