Oregon Makes Sure a Pint is a Pint
The lawmakers in Oregon are an officious bunch. They’re the ones that came up with the idea that no one should be permitted to pump their own gas as a means to create more employment among gas pumpers.
But they may have gotten this one right. When I pub crawl in jolly old England, it seems like the pints are bigger than here in the U.S. Never really gave it much thought; probably assumed it was one of those Brit things, with their pints being bigger than ours.
Turns out, we’re just being ripped off. Between the thick bottom glass and the beer head, that 16 ounce pint you order may only deliver 12 ounces of beer. That apparently stuck in the craw of Oregon lawmakers. But rather than to create a new government agency to monitor beer glasses, they are proposing (it still needs to pass the Senate) a sticker system. If the establishment pours a true 16-ounce pint, they get to put the special stickers on their glasses certifying that fact.
Yes, it’s a little silly, and I can’t picture how the stickers will hold up on the frequently washed beer glasses, but the theory is good. As it is now, I have to bring my own measuring cup and the constant arguments with the bartender about whether the head counts towards the 16 ounces is always an embarrassment to my wife.
Posted on May 10th, 2009 by Aaron Morris
Filed under: Beer, Beer Facts
A lighter beer will give you less head but alas, less taste as well.