Time was when pubs were simple, unfussy places, serving mainly pints, pies and packets of peanuts.

Over the past few years, however, with the rise of gastropubs, craft ale and of course, the hipster, our pub culture has been transformed.

Beer is now trendy, and showing an interest in artisan brewing has never been cooler. But how have the rules of boozing down your local changed as a result?

Now that we’re all so knowledgeable about beer (or at least pretending to be), it’s increasingly common to try samples before deciding which one to order.

But according to industry bible, one of the greatest difficulties of the moment is knowing just how many it’s acceptable to try before you buy.

No one wants to seem like a freeloader, but if you’re going to order a pint of the stuff, you understandably want to make sure you really like your choice first, right?