England hardly makes any whisky. You probably meant Scotland. And yeah, the Scots do some excellent whiskies but don't underestimate the Japanese, they've done some of the absolutely best ones that are worth a fortune if unopened.
I don't go to pub often but with my limited experience I can say that this is not the case. I know for sure that during big events there is a limit on how strong alcohol can be sold. Andy would you care to shed some light on this?