A closer look
Cutting off the beer taps early is not an effort to sober you up for the drive home, but a desperate move to save the company from bankruptcy. Venues are terrified of 'dram shop' laws, which hold them legally liable if an intoxicated attendee causes a fatal wreck after leaving the premises. By enforcing a hard cutoff long before the event actually concludes, organizers create a buffer window where you process the alcohol on your own time, effectively shifting the legal blame back onto you.
