I'm sure we're in agreement that, at least in UK, there's been better pubs for 200+ years. I don't know why to go to a chain-pub with some mega-factory beer when the old-local serves a fine bitter from the same county. Am I old?
Yes it's a bit of a generayional shift. In the 2000s when I moved the UK it was all real ale. If you wanted to drink a pinecone of an IPA the Utobeer option above seemed like the only option.
But I'm a millenial. Liking IPAs is a millennial trope and younger people like less intense flavours.
I'm not sure how old you are, but I understand that that UK beer culture is in a great place now compared to the 80s, partly due to CAMRA.