The Bar Towel

On the weekend I met a friend who recently returned from a vacation in England. He brought back a bottle of Coniston Bluebird Bitter and a 22 oz glass that had lines at the half pint and a full pint line. My question is: Do you think there should be a law spelling out what voulume of beer makes up a pint and if ther should be lined glasses ?

A pint is a pint is a pint (unless of course you live in the States - then it is proportional to appended things which makes it smaller and is called an american pint). A pint (imperial in our case) is a standard measure of volume on it's own.

IMHO, there is already way too many laws governing beer and liquor sales in this country without introducing anymore. Many of the European imports are served in 1/2 liter servings which is less than an imperial pint but more than an American pint. I think it's appropriate to allow each individual beer to be served as it is served in it's origin. That is all part of beer culture after all.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: dhurtubise on 2003-04-01 20:47 ]</font>

I have to disagree. While it's swell for people who like to get Hoogarden in an "authentic" glass to not be confined by stricter measures there's plenty of abuse that makes it a good idea.

These days just about anything constitutes a "pint" in Toronto. I've been in many places that offer 20 oz glasses but I've also been in many that provide only 16 oz glasses (sleeves) or even in some cases 14 oz and EVERYONE calls each a pint. Sometimes the glassware is deliberately designed to appear like it holds more beer than it actually does. This all might seem petty and penny-pinching but I do believe some regulation of DRAFT beer should be implemented for retailers so the buyer knows what they're getting for their money. Either require by law that all pints served must have a certain volume in order to comply OR (a much easier solution) require establishments to list on their menu's or on a sign above the bar what the actual volume of their glassware is. If a place isn't serving full pints they shouldn't be allowed to use the word on their menu's and signage. It is a pain in the ass for me when I visit a new place, order a "pint" for $7 and the waitress returns with a dodgy 14oz glass.

Imagine if gas stations could sell "litres" of gas in varying measurements...

I agree with Jon. A bar should state what size of glassware is used if for no other reason than to help us keep tabs on our actual consumption.