Still do.
I've been alcohol free since 7th April 2023 but it's a stop on the way home to see mates that don't game online.
UK pub that's part of the community. We organise canal cleans / litter picks / quiz nights / charity events etc..
Pubs can be good and you don't HAVE to drink booze. Bars now..... They are a different story I feel.
On a side note I feel the ability to 'legally' drink (without a meal) from the age of 18 stops a lot of the idiotic drinking stuff I always hear about from over the pond.

Some. Not all.
Not all pubs are drink first. Food and socialising are also important things.
In rural areas it might be the only 'communal' space.