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Date Hookup Spots On FreeHookups.com!

Trying to find a local date? Looking for travel hookups? FreeHookups.com's list of Best Date Hookup Spots Around The World can help you wherever you are! Here at FreeHookups.com, we have done years of research on date hookup spots and have compiled here your complete guide to Defining Date Hookup Spots, The History of Hookup Bars & Clubs, and—of course—The Best Date Hookup Spots Around The World. Check it all out below and dive into our date hookup spots directory to find the best hookup bars, clubs, and more in your city.

Defining Date Hookup Spots

So, what exactly are we referring to when talk about "date hookup spots"? Well, most often when this is said, it is referring to hookup bars, clubs, restaurants… generally anywhere where you will find single people and alcohol together in great quantities.

You may find yourself asking, "Bar… Club… Tavern… Pub… Saloon…Restaurant... What is the difference between these date hookup spots?" You may wonder, "Are they simply synonyms for the same establishments, or do they all have their own special meaning?" Well, wonder no more! We’ve dug up the answers for you so that we can all put the confusion to rest.

Let’s Talk Semantics

Bar:

The word "bar" has been around since the late 1500s and comes from the Latin "barra" meaning "barrier". The term actually refers to the countertop area where drinks are served by a bartender and where you will often find a line of stools arranged for sitting. This definition is why you will hear "bar" used in combination with non-alcoholic food and drinks, such as snack bars, sushi bars, juice bars salad bars, and the like. Over time, this term became synonymous with the drinking establishments they were found within, hence why we use the term "hookup bars" when referring to drinking establishments with good potential for finding singles and sex.

Club:

The word "club" has been around since the late 1300s and originally referred to groups of people gathering together to dine and drink with each other and who "clubbed" together to pay for the cost of these gatherings. Sometime between the 18th and 19th centuries, "club" took on a second meaning, being the short form for "clubhouse," or a building used by clubs for their gatherings. In modern usage, "club" has come to refer to date hookup spots where singles meet to drink and dance.

Tavern:

The word "tavern" has been in use since sometime between 1250 and 1300 and derives from the Old French "taverne" meaning "wine shop" and the Latin "taberna" meaning "a shed or hut". The term "tavern" was most often used to refer to any English establishment where alcohol and food could be purchased and enjoyed by the public. Over time, the words "inn" and "tavern" became interchangeable in England, but originally taverns were places which served wine and inns were places which served beer and ale and which also offered lodging to travellers. Up until the late 18th century, the only places for the public to eat out were inns and taverns because there were not restuarants. Today, "tavern" is synonymous with our use of the word "bar," so you could easily use the term "hookup taverns" instead of "hookup bars" if you wanted to.

Pub:

The word "pub" dates back to 17th century and is the shortened slang version of the term "public house". At the time, a "public house" referred to any building that was open to the public that served food and was licensed to sell ale, wine, and/or spirits. Now, when someone uses the term "pub" they are almost always referring to a place with exactly the same meaning, which makes it different from most of the date hookup spots listed here.

Saloon:

The word "saloon" has been in use since 1728 and comes from the Italian "salone" meaning "large hall" and the French "salon" meaning "large public hall for entertainment". At first, "saloon" was mostly used to describe private railway cars, deluxe cabins on passenger boats, and extravagantly large automobiles, but by 1841 it had developed into a term to describe the area of large pubs with tables and chairs where drinks were served, as opposed to the bar area. It is a term that is very rarely used today, as most date hookup spots are not divided into "bar" and "saloon" areas.

Restaurant:

The word "restaurant" has been around since the late 18th century and derives from the French "restaurer" meaning "to restore". In 1765, the very first soup shop was opened in Paris with a sign that read "Venite Ad Me Vos Qui Stomacho Laboratis Et Ego Restaurabo Vos" which translates to "Come To Me, All Who Labor In The Stomach, And I Will Restore You—this is where the use of "restaurant" to describe food shops came from. Throughout its entire existence, "restaurant" has been used to describe any establishment where food is served to patrons at tables, whether or not alcohol is also served. Of all the definitions featured here, "restaurant" is the least likely to be synonymous with "hookup bars".

So, what does this all mean? Well, in terms of date hookup spots… not a whole heck of a lot! As long as you are putting yourself in venues where singles mingle and alcohol flows… it’s really all the same! Some of the terms you just learned may come in handy to understand for The History Of The Hookup Bars Scene found below, but for our purposes in this guide, however, we will mostly just stick with the simple and easy "date hookup spots" or "date hookup bars".

The History Of The Hookup Bars Scene

Anytime you can arrange for alcohol and people to be in the same space, you are bound to increase hookups, so it makes complete sense that bars became the #1 date hookup spots around. But, how did it all start? A lot of history ended up inadvertently being discussed in the definitions above, but there’s still more to know, believe it or not! Read on to find out...

People have been drinking ale since the Bronze Age, but it was the rise of the Roman Empire (and its construction of road networks between cities) in the 1st century that really brought on the beginning of the hookup bars scene. It was at this time that the world’s first inns (although they were not called that at the time) began to appear. Passing travellers could stop into these inns and obtain food, enjoy refreshments, and have a place to sleep. With alcohol flowing and strangers crossing paths at regular intervals, it was no surprise that these inns became the best date hookup spots of early civilization.

In the 5th century, the Roman Empire fell and the Anglo-Saxons rose to prominence and began to establish taverns all over the place. At these establishments, you could tell if the house ale was ready or not by whether there was a green bush hoisted up on a pole outside. While the Roman inns were places for weary travellers and the Anglo-Saxon taverns were places for communities to congregate for social gatherings, gossiping, and celebrations, they both quickly became hot date hookup spots because of their ability to bring people and alcohol together.

By the year 965, taverns and pubs were so popular that King Edgar of England decreed that every village could have no more than one of these establishments. That declaration broke down over time, however, because by the year 1577, there was one bar for every 187 in all of England and Wales. Talk about having your pick of date hookup spots!

In the 18th century, the Dutch introduced gin to England. The English government, in turn, imposed heavy duty fees on imported gins and other spirits and began allowing unlicensed gin and beer production within the country. This move led to thousands of gin-shops (making their own gin) being established and the popularity of gin increasing enormously. By 1740, gin was being produced six times faster than that of beer and over half of all the hookup bars in London were now gin-shops.

The 1830 Beer Act

With gin being readily available and much cheaper than beer at the time, there was an enormous rise in consumption known as the Gin Craze. At this time, London’s gin consumption was as much as two pints per week per resident. Politicians and other public figures argued for decades that this hard liquor was causing an epidemic of laziness and crime. In 1830, the English government enacted "The Beer Act of 1830" in hopes of reducing public drunkenness by weaning the population off of more alcoholic drinks, like gin. At the time, beer was considered harmless, nutritious, healthy, and was even given to children! The act resulted in even MORE hookup bars, taverns, and pubs opening up all over the country—over 46,000 in right year, to be precise. The point being… there was a lot of mixing, mingling, and sex going down all over England thanks to all these new wonderful date hook spots!

Prohibition

The term "Prohibition" refers to the time at which the manufacturing, storing, transportation, sale, possession, and consumption were all made illegal. Although the UK has never had a prohibition period, both the US and Canada have, as well as many other countries around the world.

In the US, prohibition lasted from nationwide from 1920 to 1933. In Canada, prohibition took place between 1900 and 1930, although the start and end varied by province. Although it might seem like prohibition would be a huge blow to the hookup bars scene, in actuality it introduced a whole new layer. Prohibition laws in North America were widely ignored by the public and speakeasies (what they called the illegal hookup bars at the time) were attended regularly. Finding themselves engaged in illegal activity, single men and women began feeling more and more free, adventurous, and daring. Just imagine your regular night out at your favorite hookup bars. Now, imagine that that is a highly illegal activity and that any moment you could be on the run. It really gets your blood pumping, huh? Many of these speakeasies also became brothels! You can imagine what all that did for the success of these date hookup spots!

The Best Date Hookup Spots Around The World

Every country in the world has its own rich history of hookup bars and date hookup spots, but here at FreeHookups.com we have focused on three in particular: the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

US Date Hookup Spots

The first US hookup bars began to pop up starting in 1609 with the brewery at the Jamestown Settlement. Now, there are over 65,000 bars and hookup spots around the country. As of 2014, the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania had the most hookup bars per capita with one per every 833 residents.

Notable US date hookup spots and hookup bars include The Carousel Bar & Lounge in New Orleans, Louisiana; Red Square in Las Vegas, Nevada; Tiki-Ti in Los Angeles, California; The Esquire in San Antonio, Texas; Crystal Palace in Tombstone, Arizona; ‘21’ Club in New York City, New York; The Frolic Room in Hollywood, California; The Tavern in Austin, Texas; Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada; El Chapultepec in Denver, Colorado; and Green Mill in Chicago, Illinois.

Click here to read more about date hookup spots in the US. See below to explore date hookup spots in your city:

UK Date Hookup Spots

As of 2012, there are over 52,000 bars and hookup spots around the country, with Scarborough leading as the hookup bar capital of the UK. No one knows exactly which existing pub in the UK is the oldest, but Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Hertfordshire, holds the Guinness World Record for The Oldest Pub in England.

Notable UK date hookup spots and hookup bars include The Lion Inn in Winchcombe, England; The Grenadier in London, England; Red Lion in East Chisenbury, England; The Horse Guards in Tillington, England; The Bank House in King's Lynn in England; Applecross Inn in Strathcarron, Scotland; The Sligachan Hotel on the Isle of Skye, Scotland; The Plough & Harrow in Monknash, Wales; The Ship & Castle in Aberystwyth, Wales; and Peadar O' Donnell's in Derry, Northern Ireland.

Click here to read more about date hookup spots in the UK. See below to explore date hookup spots in your city:

Canada Date Hookup Spots

There were hookup bars operating in Canada since before Canada even became Canada! The oldest Canadian bar on record is The Split Crow, which opened in 1749 and was the first date hookup spot to be issued a liquor license in what was then New Scotland. Halifax, Nova Scotia has held the #1 spot for most hookup bars per capita (one per every 435 residents) for decades.

Notable Canada date hookup spots and hookup bars include Noble in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Little Jumbo in Victoria, British Columbia; The Roost Social House in Winnipeg, Manitoba; NWT Brewing Company in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories; Big in Japan in Montreal, Quebec; The Shameful Tiki Room in Toronto, Ontario; The Blackbird in Vancouver, British Columbia; The Bothy in Calgary, Alberta; Olde Angel Inn in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario; and Prince George Hotel in Kingston, Ontario.

Click here to read more about date hookup spots in Canada. See below to explore date hookup spots in your city: