Well, we’re all used to that familiar phrase of popping to the pub for a pint (or two or three), but could that become a thing of the past with the new measure of two thirds of a pint - otherwise known as a “twother”? Well if the National Weights and Measures Laboratory get their way, we could be drinking twothers in bars and restaurants as soon as next year if their proposal is accepted.
Some of us may already be accustomed to the third pint measure, as we often quaffe down samples at beer festivals in this size. But now, perhaps the two thirds of a pint measure could become the standard across Britain.
In fact, those Aussies down under have beat us to it, as they already drink twothers, only over there they are called “schooners”! The drinks trade had to cave in after a lot of pressure from consumers, who were sick of their full pint becoming too warm in that Aussie heat. Hmm, probably not a problem us Brits will have to deal with anytime soon!
The British Beer and Pubs Association came up with the idea, and suggest that it would make the perfect size for more high strength ales and beers.
Their chief executive, Rob Hayward, said: “I don’t know what we’ll call a two-thirds pint but we see it as a way of increasing consumer choice, especially for speciality beers. Some of these beers are higher strength in alcohol and it may be more appropriate to drink less than a pint.
“The new measure is also aimed at women who think a half is too small and a pint too big. Some popular fruit and wheat beers also leave a slight aftertaste and many people prefer a smaller volume.”
However, not everyone thinks it is a great idea. Jonathan Mail, from the Campaign for Real Ale said,
“I am not aware of any demand for this extra measure. We think the Government would do better to tackle the problem of drinkers who are getting short pints. There are still many pubs who serve pints 10 per cent short. The head should be on the top of the pint but the rule is so vague trading standards won’t bring prosecutions.”
On top of that, he thinks that the new measures would be too confusing for British punters in order for us to keep track of how many units we are consuming. Currently, a normal pint of beer/lager has two units, a high strength ale has three and a strong half contains one and a half.
The huge chain, JD Wetherspoon also does not feel the new measure is necessary. Eddie Gershon of Wetherspoons advises that the chain already offer third pint measures, and unsurprisingly, most still opt for a full pint. He said,
“If the purpose is to combat the issue of binge drinking then we believe, as responsible pub operators, that this change would be unnecessary.”
The decision of whether to introduce the new measure will not be made until January. Included in the proposal is for draught beer and cider to be offered in twothers, as well as for pubs, supermarkets and wine merchants to sell small measures of wine at under 75ml for tasting purposes. The abolition of the 250ml being banned in place of the 175ml as a maximum measure for wine has also been put forward.
October 31st, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I’d rather we switched to metric measures personally.