Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2001/03/02/eleven_oclock_indeed/

Eleven o'clock indeed!

Yank incredulity at UK licencing laws

By Lester Haines

Posted in Bootnotes, 2nd March 2001 13:11 GMT

Lastorders.com downs pint and leaves pub

Poor old CrazyCurt (the self-proclaimed 'King of Curtopia') is having a bit of trouble swallowing our pub licencing laws. He's right, of course, but it pains us to be reminded of this outrage:

Re: "For our American readers, "Last orders" is what barmen call over this side of the Atlantic at 10 minutes to 11 (or 20 past 10 on Sundays). You then get a coupla pints before they stop serving and have twenty minutes to sink them before they start telling you to get out."

I'm a Register reader in the USA and I'm astounded that bars in England close at eleven o'clock at night. In most counties of states in the USA bars close somewhere around two or three in the morning. There are parts of the United States where bars must close at earlier times or there are no bars at all but these places are usually located in the dreaded Bible Belt.

I've taken all the barbs and jokes from The Reg scribes about American food and beer in stride. After all I'd rather eat a burger, made of delicious American beef, than English spotted dick any day. Our beers have become a lot better since the microbrewery craze ensued. So I'm not bothered by you cats trouncing McDonald's or Coors. But I am perplexed by the closing time of bars at eleven o'clock. Are you telling me England has alcohol laws on a par with the most ignorant, backwoods, religiously brainwashed stick-in-the-bum counties in the USA?

Well that does it! Next time you chaps start knocking American beer I shall do my best to remind you that we, at least in most counties, have more time to enjoy drinking. Eleven o'clock indeed!

Oh, come on - I reckon you'd find an English spotted dick more than fills the spot. It gives you something to chew on when you can't get a beer.