There’s nothing quite like a pub crawl—the sticky floors, the spontaneous karaoke and the last-minute scramble for a ride home.

Picture: iStock
Pub crawling… the sacred rite of passage for the young and adventurous.
There’s something uniquely thrilling about spending an evening hopping from bar to bar, armed with a wallet full of questionable decisions and a liver that hasn’t yet learned to say: “Enough.”
First and foremost, pub crawling offers the illusion of adventure.
To a 23 year old, it feels like an epic journey.
Each pub is a new “level” to conquer, complete with its own unique challenges: navigating sticky floors, deciphering cryptic bathroom signs and deciding whether or not to risk the mystery cocktail that’s on special.
Then there’s the social aspect.
Young people love pub crawling because it’s a group activity – a bonding experience forged in the fires of shared poor choices.
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And let’s not forget the drunken debates that inevitably arise, such as whether it’s worth walking two extra blocks for a place that has “really good nachos”.
These moments build lifelong friendships – or at least create enough Instagram stories to make it seem that way.
Pub crawls are also fuelled by the thrill of variety.
Why settle for one bar when you can sample six?
It’s like speed dating, but with alcohol.
The sports bar, the dive bar, the fancy cocktail lounge where you immediately feel out of place because you’re wearing sneakers – each stop offers its own flavour of chaos.
And let’s be honest: half the fun is finding out which place has the worst karaoke.
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Of course, the real draw of the pub crawl is the stories.
Every outing becomes a treasure trove of anecdotes.
Remember when your friend tried to pay for a drink with their library card?
Or when someone “accidentally” stole a pint glass as a souvenir?
These are the tales you’ll tell for years, often embellished but always cherished.
But let’s not sugarcoat it: pub crawling isn’t without its challenges.
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There’s always the one friend who insists on keeping a strict itinerary, turning the whole evening into a booze-fuelled military operation.
There’s the inevitable “wall hit” moment when someone realises they’ve had one too many tequila shots and begins questioning their life choices.
And, of course, there’s the universal truth that the night will end with everyone desperately trying to order an Uber while pretending they’re not drunk.
So why do youngsters enjoy pub crawling?
Because it’s messy, ridiculous and utterly unforgettable.
It’s a celebration of youth, a defiance of tomorrow’s hangover and a chance to embrace the chaos of life.
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