Britons the most generous beer buyers

Britain's beer drinkers have been named the most generous in Europe after research conducted by one of the world's largest brewers found them to be the most likely to pay for a round of drinks.

Eighty two per cent of Britons said they were more likely to get a round in for their friends than split the bill, according to figures put together by Miller Brands (UK) Ltd's parent company SABMiller, as part of its Beer Etiquette report.

A further 77 per cent said that they would buy someone a drink regardless of whether they thought they would get one in return. The Scottish and Welsh were found to buy Britain's largest rounds, for up to 6.8 and 6.9 people per round respectively.

The biggest round in Europe went to the Belgains, who were prepared to buy a round for up to 7.1 people.

Germans were found to be less generous, with 90 per cent saying that they would prefer to split the bill and meticulously work out who had what.

Gary Whitlie, managing director of Miller Brands (UK) Ltd said: "It's good to see that Britain leads the way in areas of generosity and camaraderie when it comes to appreciating beer.

"The report has certainly highlighted some interesting idiosyncrasies about European culture and how, where and with whom we enjoy a beer."

The report surveyed 7,500 men and women across 15 countries to find out the buying and consumption habits of European beer drinkers.

Other findings included that 81 per cent of European men believe they should pay for their partner's drinks on a night out, with 43 per cent of European women saying they expected to split the bill equally and seven per cent saying they expected to pay for all drinks.