Stonegate Group's managed pubs and Craft Union venues served more than 796,000 drinks as football fans flocked to pubs to watch England's 2am World Cup kick-off against Mexico, with spirits sales reaching a record high across the estate.

More than 24,000 bookings were made across 717 Stonegate managed pubs and Craft Union sites showing the match, with venues pouring 355,000 more drinks than on a typical Sunday.

Spirits proved the standout category, with 145,000 drinks sold, an increase of 30,000 compared with England's previous fixture. Smirnoff Red was the single best-selling product of the night, with 59,000 shots sold, outperforming every draught line. Across the estate, customers also enjoyed more than 412,000 pints.

For the first time during the tournament, Yorkshire overtook London as Stonegate's highest-performing region, serving 126,000 drinks compared with London's 124,000. Yorkshire also led for draught sales, pouring 72,000 pints. Walkabout Newquay was the group's top-performing venue, serving 4,600 drinks, including 2,300 pints, while Craft Union pubs recorded their highest-ever sales performance after midnight.

Food sales also remained strong, with 31,000 dishes served, including 1,250 portions of fries. The busiest trading period came between midnight and 1am, as supporters arrived early to secure a seat before England's victory in the Azteca.

Stonegate's "Roar of the Nation" Louderboard, which measures crowd noise in pubs across the country, recorded London's Minories pub as the loudest venue once again. The pub reached 133 decibels when Jude Bellingham scored in the 36th and 38th minutes, producing crowd noise louder than a jet engine during take-off.

David McDowall, CEO of Stonegate Group, said: "Nights like this show exactly why the pub remains the heart of the nation when it comes to watching football. Our teams pulled out all the stops for a 2am kick-off, and the numbers speak for themselves, from record spirits sales to Yorkshire pipping London to top region for the first time. It's a brilliant reminder of the role pubs play in bringing people together for the big moments."

Stonegate has already seen bookings surge for England's quarter-final against Norway, with 32,000 bookings already made.

*Figures relate to Stonegate's managed pubs and Craft Union estate and exclude more than 3,000 leased and tenanted pubs in the company's Pub Partners estate.