Cow Tips One Back In Pub

Did you hear the one about the cow that bellied up to the bar and drank a pint and a half of strong ale?

There's no punch line, though a runaway cow certainly got some laughs when it did just that at a pub in southwestern England recently.

The thirsty brown-and-white cow wandered away from the town cattle market in Newton Abbot and onto the grounds of Porter Black's pub nearby. It clip-clopped through the outdoor beer garden and into the bar, announcing its presence with a startling moo.

Perhaps it was looking to forget its fate or trying to hide out unnoticed under the hazy eyes of those who'd been enjoying some drinks. Only the cow knows for sure.

Demonstrating traditional English reserve, Pub manager Tom Donoghue didn't hesitate in extending hospitality toward his unusual patron. Exchanging a slop bucket for a pint glass, he drew some Wadsworth 6X ale and offered it up.

"It sucked it up like a suckling calf. It drank about a pint and a half," Donoghue says. "There were about five or six people in the pub when it came in and it was a bit of a shock."

How the drink affected the cow is unknown, though it displayed a little rowdiness that suggested a familiarity with pub life. "It knocked over four chairs and we had to clean up the floor, but I don't mind," Donoghue says. "It was a great laugh."