The consumption of alcohol goes back to ancient times, with drinks like mead made from honey. Later when barley was grown ale was brewed from it and flavoured with different herbs. The places where people have traditionally come together to drink alcohol and socialise are known by many names in the British Isles.

When the Romans invaded they built new roads. Mansios appeared at regular intervals to serve travellers with food and drink, while tabernae (taverns) sprang up in Roman towns. Alehouses, called public houses after 1600, were originally in private dwellings. Brewing was part of food preparation by women and surplus ale was sold to customers. Ale and beer were drunk by most people as the brewing process boiled the water and made it safer to drink, especially in built-up areas. Inns were larger premises, developed in the middle ages, often by religious houses. They had better facilities and accommodation for people, horses and carriages, and became more important as the coaching trade grew from the seventeenth century. Inns were at the top of the social scale with the local pub at the bottom. The church and drinking places were key fixtures in any community.

As towns and cities expanded more taverns opened to serve the growing population. Over time professional brewing became big business and many brewers developed estates of pubs and taverns to serve their beer. The coming of the railways from the 1830s saw new pubs open to serve passengers, while the inn declined in importance as people moved from stagecoach to train. Some establishments served general customers while others were used by particular workers, trades or professions. The architecture of the pub changed in the nineteenth century, creating many fine new buildings with ornate fixtures and fittings.

The pub is still an important community asset with a mixture of eateries, sports and music venues and the traditional boozer. Popular pub names, including variations of Crown, King, Queen, Duke etc. are a familiar sight. However, the pub trade has been under threat for some time. There were over 3,500 pubs listed in London in 2018 but the UK has lost over 13,600 pubs since 2001. The 2020-21 COVID pandemic and lockdowns have caused further problems to the licensed trade and the full impact remains to be seen.