A pub crawl (sometimes called a bar tour, bar crawl or bar-hopping) is the act of visiting multiple pubs or bars in a single session.
Background
Many European cities have public pub crawls that serve as social gatherings for local expatriates and tourists.
In the UK, pub crawls are generally spontaneous nights out in which the participants arrange to meet somewhere and decide over drinks where to drink next. Structured routes with regular stops are rare. Most drinking sessions based around a special occasion such as a birthday or a leaving celebration will involve a pub crawl, often with the group splitting up but agreeing on meeting at the next location. It is a common sight in UK towns to see several groups orbiting the various drinking locations with little apparent coherence or structure.
In the north of Spain, around the Basque Country, the tradition for groups of male friends crawling pubs and drinking a short glass of wine at each pub, and often singing traditional songs, is known as txikiteo or chiquiteo, and can be held at night or day. By the end of the 20th century, it was extended also to women, and when it involves a wider variety of drinks, it is more often called poteo.
By country
United Kingdom
In Glasgow, the Subcrawl is a pub crawl carried out using the circular Glasgow Subway line in the city. It involves having a drink at the nearest pub to each of the 15 stops on the line.
In Leeds, the Otley Run is seen as a rite of passage for students.
In London, the Monopoly board pub crawl is based around having a drink at a pub in each of the places on a British Monopoly board, set in London.
Also in London, thousands of New Zealanders take part in the annual Waitangi Day pub crawl, a crawl around the Circle Line on the London Underground. Starting at Paddington they work anti-clockwise around the line, ending at Westminster for a haka (traditional New Zealand challenge/dance). While numbers vary depending on the weather, in 2008 there were reported to be around 12,000 people involved.
In York, there is an annual charity event known as the Assize of Ale. It is based on the medieval Assize of Bread and Ale and led by the Guild of Scriveners and Sheriff and of the City.
The film The World's End starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is plotted around a group of friends embarking on a pub crawl in their home town.
Australia
In Adelaide, a pub crawl is run annually by The Adelaide University Engineering Society (AUES). The event attracts students from all over South Australia to as many as 34 local pubs and clubs. In 2015 the event had 6,000 participants while 2014 and 2013 both had 5,000 participants.
In Brisbane, the Mining and Metallurgy Association (MAMA) at the University of Queensland have been awarded the Brisbane City Council (BCC) and University of Queensland Union (UQU) Award for Social Activities of the Year due to their well-known Pub Crawl.
A pub crawl held annually in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, attracted 4,718 participants on 14 June 2009. Since the early 1990s disability advocate Des Ryan OAM has organised an annual Accessible Pub Crawl in Rockhampton during which groups of up to 40 people travel by bus from venue to venue. After visiting each pub questionnaires are filled out rating positives and negatives in terms of accessibility and information is later given to hotel management and shared in the media.
Ireland
A pub crawl in December is called the "12 pubs of Christmas" in which participants try to drink one drink in 12 pubs while wearing Christmas clothes.
Japan
In Japan, pub crawls are called hashigozake (はしご酒, literally "Ladder Alcohol") and are a part of the night-life. Events of organized pub crawls are also common in the country.
Belgium
The city of Antwerp has a tradition called "elfkroegentocht" or "eleven bars walk" where a company, often friends or work relatives, will celebrate by walking from one bar to the next and have a "bolleke" of De Koninck beer at each. The figure of "11" may refer to carnival festivities.
Finland
In Finland, Pub Crawls are a common student event, usually by the name of Appro. The best known Appro events attract students from all over the country: Hämeenkadun Appro in Tampere has roughly 10,000 participants every year, Kauppakadun Appro in Jyväskylä has c. 8000.