A Glass Half Full

So the Gummint is hastening along the introduction of the two thirds of a pint measure. Some will welcome this, but for me it is somewhat of a gimmick disguised as broadening choice. It's a non event; a distraction, though I if I try very, very hard, I can see the odd time when it might be attractive. Maybe when your last bus is in 10 minutes? Not enough times to make it worthwhile anyhow and there is potentially a more sinister down side. You can see in your minds eye places where this will be welcomed for less than wholesome reasons. Think night clubs, outside events such as football matches, racecourses, concerts etc. and of course, the new wave of specialist bar where I can easily foresee that the pint will be supplanted by a two thirds measure at the same price. So to me, at best it is a tinkering irrelevance and at worst a Trojan Horse whereby the unscrupulous may deceive, or use it as an excuse to charge more for less.

Of course the ordinary pub is likely to be unaffected some will say. They haven't the space, time, inclination or demand for it. It will remain like the third of a pint, a legal curiosity which is rarely observed or used. It's harmless. Maybe. But to those that think this is a brilliant innovation, I'd just warn of the law of unintended consequences and that other law. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I see BrewDog claim the credit for this and say also "If we weren’t so busy brewing, we would probably be able to solve most of the world’s problems." They probably believe both things to be true!

Measure for Measure

Weights and Measures Act 1985

It comes up every so often doesn't it, these arguments about pub measures and whether they should be standardised or not? We had this many years ago on Usenet where it got rather heated. More recently, Mark Dredge was on about it, though his concerns seem more to do with with needing smaller measures for his beloved strong beer. (In fairness, he would I think be happy to see wider use of the legal third pint measure.) Beer Nut too seemingly has a leaning towards metric rather than imperial and is keen to urge his Irish compatriots to abandon their traditional pints and half pints for more European measures. (He'll correct me if I'm wrong). I doubt if they will though, as European subsidies for such trivialities are no longer available. Woolly Dave also dabbles in this subject on the side of the reformists.

So what are the arguments? Well on one side you have a certainty with standardised measures. It enables direct comparison, allows you to know what to expect and to have redress if you feel cheated in some way. You can clearly measure your alcohol intake without tedious addition. It commands in the UK, considerable public support and you have valuable protection in law. On the other hand why shouldn't a pub be able to decide how much it charges for a measure it decides? Well, nailing my colours firmly to the mast, for the answer, see above and below.

One mustn't forget why measures were brought in in the first place. They were to prevent exploitation by the unscrupulous. If you go to many medieval German towns you will often see on the market place, iron sets against which a loaf could be measured, because bakers cheated their customers.These date back many hundreds of years and weren't brought in because of a love of regulation, but rather, because people were being being short changed and made a fuss about it. It isn't for reasons of altruism that in America, where no such regulation exists, that when the standard 16oz US pint is eschewed, it is usually in favour of a 14oz pour. These aren't known as "cheater pints" for nothing and are made with thicker glass bottoms to give a contrary impression to what they actually are.

My problem with this is I don't see where the advantage to me as a drinker would come in change, so, having put my position clearly, I'll throw it open and ask this basic question:

What advantage would changing the current regulations on liquid measure have and for whom?"

Another Two Thirds Anyone?

I see that the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) are proposing in a consultation document that two third of a pint measures be made a legal measure for the dispense of draught beer in the UK. The NWML said the plan for two-thirds of a pint measures “has been proposed by the beer and pub trade to allow greater flexibility in the service of draught beers, especially those with a higher alcohol content”. It would be in addition to current legal measures of a pint, half-pint and third of a pint.

A spokesman for the British Beer and Pub Association said: "It would be a small change in the law, but a useful one – it won’t be for every venue or every customer, but it’s about giving customers more choice."Third pints are a legal measure, so why not make the law consistent and make two third legal as well? For some customers, some styles of beer will just seem right for a two thirds pint. So let’s allow the choice."

Well I didn't know that we had a National Weights and Measures Laboratory, but it is certainly an interesting proposal though I feel if the trade want it, then they must feel that there is something in it for them that isn't, to me at least, immediately obvious. That of course isn't a bad thing if there is something in it for the customer too, but it would mean buying a stocking different glasses and pricing would be an issue too. I haven't seen the trade rushing to supply the already legal third pint measure.

I'm not against this, but wonder what the driver really is. No-one has ever said to me that they would like this, but the trade obviously think there is some kind of advantage. What do you lot think?