Over in the proud nation of Ireland they have a time-honoured tradition - they call it 12 pubs - a Christmas pub crawl done in cities, towns, and villages across Ireland to celebrate the Christmas season.
The mass-emigration of the Irish to Glasgow brought with it many new ideas and concepts to the cultural mixing pot of the city - but whether you hold Irish heritage or not, there's one thing we as Glaswegians all love unanimously - a good drink. 12 pubs never caught on over here, but this year we're hoping to change that with our brand new guide.
There's a whole swathe of rules associated with 12 pubs - varying depending on the friend group, area of Ireland, and just the general mood that year. Here in Glasgow we don't play by the rules - but if you want to keep everything above board, here's some suggestions:
Without further adieu, here's our list of the 12 pubs of Glasgow for the perfect Christmas pub crawl.
Don't fancy it? Take a look at our Sub Crawl article instead: Glasgow Sub Crawl 2023: The 15 best pubs to visit on your next pub crawl on Glasgow’s subway
1. Babbity Bowster
Babbity Bowsters in the Merchant City is our first stop - it's been in the city since 1985 and it's plush surroundings make for a great way to start 12 pubs in the twilight of a Glaswegian Winter's afternoon.
2. Rab Ha’s
The second pub on our 12 pubs of Christmas pub crawl is Rab Ha's in the Merchant City. Despite sounding like it was named after a Glaswegian clown, the ever popular Merchant City venue actually takes its name from Robert Hall - better known as Rab Ha' - who was dubbed the 'Glasgow Glutton'. The bar, which is now named named in his honour, is said to have been one of his favourite haunts. Rab was a Glaswegian rogue with a prodigious ability to consume vast amounts of food, it was said he could put away a stone of potatoes in one sitting or devour an entire calf turned into pies. A feat we can all hope to live up to this Christmas.
3. The Social
Usually the last thing I want to think about at Christmas are the Social, but this is an entirely different type of social all together. The Merchant Square bar is the third stop on our 12 pubs of Christmas, you can expect a relaxed atmosphere in the afternoon with a more high-energy vibe in the evenings as DJs man their podium for some incredible sets.
4. The Ivy Buchanan Street
The Ivy on Buchanan Street is our fourth stop - The Ivy offer roaring 20's / Gatsby-esque vibes in their Art-Deco inspired interior - if we're celebrating Christmas in Glasgow, we want it to be at least a little bit opulent before it descends into carnage as it so often does.