So, 11 p.m. is the old standard, but it’s not dead. It’s like a pub zombie. You’ll still find plenty of boozers—especially in the suburbs or the old-man pubs in the City—that say, “Right, love, get out at eleven, we’ve got to count the peanuts.”
Surprising fact: That 11 p.m. rule came from World War I, when the government wanted to stop factory workers from getting drunk before morning shifts. The pubs never really recovered, and the British psyche still thinks 11 p.m. is the “witching hour” for beer.
But in central London, the rules are a bit like a drunk octopus: flexible, confusing, and occasionally aggressive. Many pubs now have “24-hour” or “late” licenses, but they rarely use them because… well, have you met anyone who wants to drink warm ale at 6 a.m.?
