clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk   
Pint of beer
The British retain their status as Europe's most dedicated buyers of rounds, but what lies behind this piece of pub etiquette?
For many people the only socially acceptable way to do things is to get a round in.
No-one knows when the practice became popular, but Linnane suggests the idea of keeping up with a certain level of drinking goes back at least to the arrival of the Vikings.

Who has not had the feeling that having bought a round for a group of five, you should really drink five pints to get your money's worth?

The answer could be to return to the tokens available in pubs in the 17th and 18th Century, says Mr Loe. Then you could keep the token and use it next time.

Away from the round, beer drinking etiquette differs in other countries. In the UK, only 28% of people think it is acceptable to have a beer in a business meeting. In laidback Sweden it's 47%. It's easy to imagine the Viking spirit lives on.