Why the Brits love drinking

The nation has a historic reputation for liking a drink – but is this a tired stereotype? For the final part of the Myths of Britain series, Alastair Sooke finds out.

The British are known for their drinking habits – an image that some are proud of, but many would like to disappear.

In the final part of the Myths of Britain series, Alastair Sooke makes a case for this idea to stay. “That irreverence, that boisterous, irrepressible spirit is part of what makes Britain so robust,” he argues.

In a simple sense the reputation reflects reality – but at the same time, the stories that a nation tells itself have to originate from somewhere.

Alastair Sooke argues that nobody has done more to shape the tale of ‘boozy Britain’ than the 18th-Century artist William Hogarth.