Teams:

www.thunderheadbrewing.com

Have you ever heard about Pub Quizzes? They are very common in Britain, but this activity is expanding to other countries. Here, in Valencia, we have several pubs that organize this.

The format:

Pub quizzes are weekly events and will have an advertised start time, most often in the evening. While specific formats vary, most pub quizzes depend on answers being written in response to questions which are announced by a quizmaster. Generally, the person running the quiz, will come around with pens and quiz papers, which are blank sheets for writing the answers down.

Teams are generally based on tables. Some pubs insist on a maximum team size (usually eight people). The team members decide on a team name, which must be written on all papers handed in.

Entry Fee:

People often have to pay to participate (1€ per person). This is often used as prize money.

Rounds:

There are usually 4 rounds (40 questions). The common topics are:

o General knowledge and topics such as history, geography, science and nature.

o Sports

o Entertainment, movies, TV shows and music

o Picture round: printed pictures to be identified, such as photos of famous people or logos of companies, famous places, film photograms…

o Music round: these questions consist of songs played and teams must identify the song and also the singer or band

o True or false questions.

Bonuses:

A single answer is required with one or more clues given each round making the answer progressively easier to solve. Either the first team to hand in the correct answer wins either a spot prize (drink-related promotional items sent by a brewery, such as t-shirts and beer glasses advertising their products, films in DVD or even in VHS format…)

Prizes:

Prizes are awarded to the highest scoring team. As money was charged for entry into the quiz, this is joined to form prize money.

Quiz Pubs in Valencia:

1. Sally O´Brien: On Sunday at 19:00 (8, Aragon Avenue)
2. Sinpi Jo´s: On Sunday at 19:00 (43, Cádiz Street)
3. The Black Sheep: On Wednesday at 20:00 (6, Porta del Mar Square)
4. St. Patrick´s Irish Pub: On Wednesday and Sunday at 22.00 (69, Marqués del Turia Great Street)
5. The Lounge: On Monday at night (2, Estameñeria Vieja Street, between El Negrito Square and the Lounge)
6. Café Dublín: On Sunday at 19:00 (51, Sueca Street)

My personal experience:

I have been in Sally O´Brien twice and it has been very amusing. It´s an Irish pub famous for selling Guiness beer. I have never won because there are “experts” who attend there almost every week! The first time, I went there with two friends and our score was more or less in the middle, but the last time, we were seven people and if we had answered seven questions more (in fact, not seven questions more, seven questions more correctly), we would have won!

This time, the jackpot was 100€, we could have won 100€! Well… 100€ shared among 7 people is not that much, but… you feel very well when you win this kind of things! The  pub was crowded  because it was Halloween´s weekend. They asked us about horror films, urban myths and so on.

Question samples:

1. What is the name of the character Sacha Baron Cohen played in the 2006 film of the same name?
2. Which land mammal has the largest mouth?
3. Whis US president´s signature is on a plaque on the moon?
4. How many carats are there in pure gold?
5. In media, what does the letter C stand for in CNN?
6. Name the 2 of 3 musketeers from the Dumas novel.
7. What nationality was Madame Tussaud?
8. What was the name of Madonna´s 2008 world tour?
9. True or false? You could get tipsy, or possibly even drunk if you took a bath in fine single malt whisky.
Who first celebrated Halloween: The Romans, the Druids, the Jews or the Christians?

(1. Borat – 2. Hippopotamus – 3. Richard Nixon – 4. 24 – 5. Cable – 6. Athos, Portos and Aramis – 7. French (Strasbourg) – 8. Sticky & Sweet – 9. False – 10. The Druids)

see the pubs in the map