SUMMER is on the way, which means the return of outdoor drinking. You can't quite put your finger on it, but everyone loves a bit of ale and air mixed together.

Even a pint of lager can be palatable when supped, relaxing with the wind in your hair and bees in your lunch.

Chilled bottles of funny, foreign lagers are the dream ticket at this time of year. The Staropramens, San Miguels, Peronis and Tigers of this world will become the drink of choice as the sun burns brightly, easing away all the troubles of the winter months.

But where to go?

In the town or in the country there is a fantastic array of beer gardens and general outside areas to choose from, ranging from the tiny (Last Drop Inn and Snickleway) to the riverside (Bar 38 and King's Arms) to the rural (Stone Trough at Kirkham Priory and the Tankard, Rufforth) to the huge (Ebor, Bishopthorpe, and Three Cups, Stamford Bridge).

There is the amusing sign and friendly dog to be found in the Swan, Bishopthorpe Road, and the new-style, only-place-to-smoke beer garden at the food-friendly Golden Fleece, Pavement.

Some can offer more than just drinking outside. The Wheatsheaf, Burn, offers an outside toilet alongside its fantastic range of real ales and friendly staff.

Kennedy's, Little Stonegate, has opened up a patio area on the street and has a roof terrace (complete with heaters to aid the flagging British weather). The range of funny-coloured cocktails at reasonable prices is the solution to the drinking dilemma. Blue Moon and Snapdragon can be particularly recommended. Don't let the bright colours put you off, they taste lovely, go down like pop and somehow make an evening more fun.

The Fox, Holgate Road, offers quite a large and friendly beer garden and the Marcia, also in Bishopthorpe, is not to be ignored.

York's riverside offers Bar 38, City Screen (members and ticket-holders only at the moment), the King's Arms and, further along, the recently re-opened Ship Inn, Acaster Malbis.

- WHO said footballers were the only ones to remember St George?

Bar Talk has learned that regulars at one of York's classiest local boozers will be drinking the health of England's patron saint in style on Monday.

The Blue Bell in Fossgate is going back to the 1940s for the night - complete with blacked-out windows, war-time posters and a wind-up air raid alarm that's set to raise the roof.

Regulars will be dressing up for the occasion too - as everything from wartime spivs to army officers and nurses.

To prove this is going to be a really classy affair, says landlord Jim Hardie, anyone who sups a pint of Bombardier - which has the Cross of St George on the label - on the night could stand to win the title Lord of the Manor.

The pub is one of 50 around the country taking part in a prize draw organised by Bedfordshire brewery Charles Wells, which makes Bombardier - with the Lordship up for grabs.

Jim admits he doesn't know which Manor the winning punter will be Lord of - but who cares? A Lordship is a Lordship, after all.

"It won't entitle you to a seat in the House of Lords," he confesses. "But it could be a bit handy if you're trying to book a table at a restaurant and it's full!"

- YORK Brewery's second pub is a dump - it is official. As work continues in earnest on the Centurion Inn (provisional name) on High Petergate, a medieval dumping ground has been found by the observing archaeologists.

But we have been informed it is not significant enough to warrant an excavation, so work for the pub's end of June opening is still underway.

"It is going to be absolutely phenomenal," said James Butler, landlord of the Last Drop Inn, the brewery's first pub. "The conservatory will be incredible and it is going to be a wonderful pub offering a wide range of real ales and rustic food."

The pub will provide an extra outlet for the only brewery within the city walls' beer, and it looks like they need it.

Small and perfectly formed, the Last Drop Inn, Colliergate, is always full of punters but foot and mouth has made an extraordinary Easter week for them.

"People seemed to have come to York with a passion this last week, keeping to the city rather than the country," continued James. "I am sure it is because of foot and mouth that this has happened.

"I have never seen so many people watching the jugglers in King's Square. And a lot of them came in here too."

Bar Talk can reveal that a major local celebrity will be at the official opening of the Centurion. Watch this space for more details.