I have the gotten the same impression from my wife, who is British. While the typical Brit doesn't go through the same sort of binge period in college, they tend to get drunk much more often throughout life. It's pretty much the norm to go to a family social gathering where everyone gets drunk or near drunk (including the 60+ year old grandfather). In fact, it's considered very odd (even anti-social) to not drink.
I just moved to London, and I was initially shocked at how early the pubs outside the office (Carnaby Street) start to fill up. Wed-Fri there are people drinking at 11am, and it starts to get downright crowded by 2-3pm. If the weather is nice it gets insane to the point of the street becoming impassable. Later on, say past midnight it looks like there's a palpable increase in the homeless population until you look closer and realize that a surprising number of non-homeless people are just passed out in the street. Okay, this is Soho, so it hardly represents the UK at large, but it's clear that the drinking culture is far more widespread.
I've also found myself drinking more, like having a pint or two several times a week. One reason is because there are so many good ales here, but also the weather and winter darkness makes it more appealing. It makes you feel warm and cozy somehow, where by contrast, drinking on a sunny beach makes you feel light-headed and exhausted.
