Corkage

While the Black-nebs wanted only the tea and sugar cheap, and a drap brandy at a reasonable rate, I was hand in glove wi' them; and ga'e them ben the house to meet in, free o' a charge—save the natural corkage.

‘Corkage’ is the peculiar vail of the superior of the establishment. You must, if you are the stranger within his gates, imbibe his very bad 18s. sherry at a charge of 36s., or his fifth-rate bottled beer, or pay the ‘corkage’ fee of 1s. 6d. per dozen on everything of your own ordering from which a cork has to be extracted, and probably also forfeit the bottles, charged, in the case of beer, at 2s. per dozen.

Five of their favorite destinations are included below and, although their wines lists are pedestrian, modest corkages are the rule.