David Horne, _the_ chancellor (*) wrote:

>Graham > wrote:
>
>> "James Silverton" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Hello All!
>> >
>> > I just read an article in a popular science magazine from Britain,
>> > "Chemistry World", where it was stated "Little beats a cool, crisp pint of
>> > beer on a hot summer's day". I thoroughly agree with that sentiment but
>> > the article was illustrated by a picture of beer in the usual 12oz bottle.
>> > Is "pint" just a name for a glass of beer in Britain or does it commonly
>> > come in 20oz (British pint) bottles? I suspect that the use of "pint" for
>> > a glassful is common in Ireland too and I'm aware that the British and
>> > American fl ozs are very slightly different.
>> >
>> > --
>> I think that when you "go for a pint" it is not only 20floz but it also
>> tends to imply that it will be draught beer.
>> Here, in Calgary, a pint is sometimes the Imp 20floz but some bars use the
>> US 16floz pint glasses.
>> Graham
>
>A pint here is a pint (British pint)- no exception. Indeed, if it's
>draught beer, you'll be liable to prosecution if you serve it in, say, a
>half litre glass. There was such a case in the news recently.

When you buy a pint (or a half) in a public house in the UK you
typically get it in a brim measure glass which has a crown marked on
it to show it complies with the weights and measures act. By custom a
pint is said to be the beer and any head on it. You can and should ask
for your drink to be topped up if you feel there is too much head on
it. Some establishments use metered dispense systems that give a pint
of liquid into unmarked glasses and some use lined glasses to serve a
pint of liquid. These are often irked when you ask them to "top it up
please." Indeed one of the major pub chains (Wetherspoons) attempted
to force a change on the whole industry by running a big trial of
lined glasses and gave up because of the constant requests of, "top it
up please." Given the cost of new glasses across the whole industry
you can perhaps see why the other chains and independents dragged
their heels on this. What it really needed was top down measure
(sorry) from the government so that a pint was a pint of beer.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"