Beverage Selection for the Olympic Game Themed Meal

Newcastle Brown Ale is an English beer which was introduced in 1927.  Newcastle Brown Ale was originally created by Lt. Col. James ('Jim') Herbert Porter (b. 1892, Burton upon Trent), a third generation brewer, in 1925. 

Boddington Brewery was a regional brewing company that owned public houses throughout the North West of England around Manchester, England. It was famous for a bitter beer, Boddingtons Bitter. With its distinctive straw-golden body and hoppy aroma, it was one of the first beers to be packaged in cans containing a widget, giving it a creamy, draught-style head.

Pimm's Cup made with ginger ale:

Pimm's is a liqueur first produced in 1823 by James Pimm.  Pimm, a farmer's son from Kent, became the owner of an oyster bar in London.  He offered the tonic (a gin-based drink containing quinine  and a secret mixture of herbs) as an aid to digestion, serving it in a small tankard known as a "No. 1 Cup", hence its subsequent name.  Pimm's No. 1 Cup is based on gin and can be served both on ice or in cocktails.  It has a dark-tea colour with a reddish tint, and tastes subtly of spice and citrus fruit.  It is often taken with "English-style" (clear and carbonated) with lemonade. Ginger ale is a common substitute for lemonade.  Pimm's can also be mixed with Champagne (or a sparkling white wine), called a "Pimm's Royal Cup".   Garnish with a cucumber slice or lemon wedge.  It's also famously served at Napoleon House in New Orleans.

Gin and Tonic

This cocktail was introduced by the army of the British East India Company in India.  In India and other tropical regions, malaria was a persistent problem.  In the 1700s it was discovered that quinine could be used to treat the disease, although the bitter taste was unpleasant.  British officers in India in the early 19th century took to adding a mixture of water, sugar, lime and gin to the quinine in order to make the drink more palatable. Since it is no longer used as an antimalarial, tonic water today contains much less quinine, is usually sweetened, and is consequently much less bitter. 

Thanks to Wikipedia for our beverage history lesson.