The alcohol licensing laws of the United Kingdom regulate the sale and consumption of alcohol, with separate … See more

In the mid-18th century, gin became extremely popular as it was much cheaper to buy than beer. This was known as the 'gin epidemic'. By 1740, six times more gin than beer was being produced, and of the 15,000 drin… See more

On-licence describes an establishment where alcohol must be consumed at the point of sale, such as a pub, bar, nightclub or café.
The name derives from the distinction between ty… See more

In Northern Ireland, legislation is more restrictive than in Great Britain—a reaction to social problems at the beginning of the 20th century. Only a limited number of licences are available for pubs and off-licences; … See more

Scotland has had separate licensing laws dating back to the eighteenth century. The current legislation is the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, which replaced the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 on 1 September … See more

On 10 July 2003 the Licensing Act 2003 was granted royal assent and replaced the previous licensing laws for England and Wales, regulated under several different Acts, with a single unified system covering a range of "… See more

While the reforms from 2005 were intended to reduce "binge drinking", reports have variously claimed that the situation in England and Wales has not improved, or that it has become even worse. This has prompted … See more