The Real Reason Wisconsin Bar Clocks Are 10 Minutes Fast

It's one of those weird things that we just accept when we go out to the bar. You can never trust the time. Sure, a few minutes isn't a huge deal, and I'd rather have it be fast than slow. If the clock is slow, it could make you late for your next appointment. (I'll be home by 10, honey.)

My wife and I were out grabbing a drink when she looked at me and said, "Look at that, a bar clock that's actually correct." I looked at my phone for the time and confirmed, this must be the only bar I've been in that actually had a correct time.

Why Do Bars Set Their Clocks 10 Minutes Fast?

So most of the time, a bar or tavern will have its clock be about 10 minutes fast. Why do they do this? It's simple: they want you to leave.

No, they don't want you to leave right away, but at the end of the night, they give themselves a bit of a buffer when they do last call. They aren't allowed to serve alcohol after 2 AM on weekdays and after 2:30 AM on weekends.

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Also, let's be real. If you're a bartender and your shift is over, you want people out of there so you can finish up cleaning and finally get home.

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Not Every Bar Goes By "Bar Time."

So here's where the confusion can happen. Most bars go by "bar time," which is set a few minutes faster. But it's not universally practiced, so you can't trust any bar clock anywhere. Like I said before, if you go by bar time, you'll always be early for your next destination when you leave.