Although we’ve been covering the unpleasant phenomenon of the grocery shrink ray for a while, we’ve been slightly relieved that the shrinking products were things like soap, gum, and orange juice—not crucial staples of our existence. Not anymore, according to the Wall Street Journal: Bars and restaurants are shrinking their beers. The horror!
According to the Journal, some establishments are subtly reducing their “pint” glasses to 14 ounces, rather than the full 16 ounces that comprise a pint, either by using smaller glasses or using heavy-bottomed pint glasses (called “falsies”) that have reduced capacity. Other bars are giving patrons extra head on their pours in order to fill up the glass. When confronted, restaurateurs were alarmingly frank: A representative for Hooters (which, really, should understand that its patrons value size) explained, “We can get 20 more beers out of a keg that way.” Another defended the decision to switch to the 14 ounce glasses: “Someone who comes in and wants a beer doesn’t want a huge glass. Fourteen ounces is enough.” As a connoisseur of forties, mug nights, and gallon daiquiri Sundays, we must stress how wrongheaded a sentiment that is. Some pint fans have begun outing the faux-pint establishments and the Oregon legislature is considering having the state agriculture department monitor violations, but in the meantime, might we suggest a flask?
A Pint-Size Problem (Thanks to Gwen!)
(Photo: Getty)
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It makes more sense to patronize places that pour a proper 20oz pint. Go to an Irish pub that’s run by Irishmen If you go to a crappy sports bar or the like then oh well. If was I was a bar owner I’d happily separate the sort that hangs out at a sports bar or club from their hard earned cash more efficiently.
Well, now it’s time to start a violent revolution. Hike gas prices? Ok, I can live with that I knew I’d probably be paying a lot by living so far from work. Shrink the size of my ice cream? Meh, at least it will help me from eating too much. Shrink my beer? Now it’s time to get out the automatic weapons.
I dont know where you people live, but were I live bars dont sell “pints” of beer. They sell a glass of beer that happens to be about the amount in a pint. So even if there WAS a measurements law they would NOT be violating it since they arent advertising as a pint.
I know that there are problems with the hops and barley supplies (plus the rising cost of actually transporting beer), but really, if you’re going to reduce the amount served, you need to post a notice!
“Due to rising costs, beers are now served in 14 oz glasses. If this makes you unhappy, vote for better fiscal and energy policy.”
@linbey: It’s the same around me (Philadelphia). I never heard of ordering a pint of beer until my sister moved to England. Everyone around here just orders “a ” a few places, mainly chain restaurant, will ask if you want 16oz or 20oz. Most of the time it’s just a 16oz glass, and I tend to go to bars and pubs that fill them properly. I also tend to drink beers that are a little bit flatter and don’t form as much head.
I don’t know of any place around here that has advertised beer as being sold by the pint. Perhaps it’s different in Oregon. But still, if my favorite places to drink suddenly started serving 14oz of beer instead of 16oz, I’d be pissed off.
Weights and Measures is so 20th century anyway…
Customary “Why is this even a story” post, just to keep equilibrium here:
“People are fat enough as it is! You should be glad you’re getting 14 ounces you fatties! Kwit yer whining!”
@catnapped: You also forgot the obligatory blame the consumer comment. Noting that people should carry around their own measuring devices to the bar.
It’s only illegal if they call it a ‘pint.’ They’ll sell it as a ‘glass of draft beer’… some establishments have more than one size, possibly now you’ll be offered the 14oz or the 18 oz instead of the 16 and 20.
The times, they are a’changin’….
The Germans have it figured out. You get your ‘beer’ filled up to the line, which marks the contents of the glass to that line. The rest of the glass is head, as it is the indicator in Germany of good quality ingredients. Here is an example of a 1/2 liter glass with sufficient head, filled up to the line. (Once the head settles)
[www.washjeff.edu]
And how I love all the different types of beer.
[www.washjeff.edu]
For those that haven’t seen beer sold in pints, it depends on where you go. Places that call themselves “pubs” as opposed to sports bars (Keegan’s or o’Gara’s as opposed to Champs) will be the ones to have “pints.”
@Applekid: It’s too risky. Evidence of an under-poured beer disappears with the first sip. Evidence of cheater glasses will last for the life of the glass.
@psychos: Liter-ah-cola?
It’s like at Chili’s, where you go in, and their special on beers (every day) is 2 for 1, and in all actuality, it’s not!
It’s just a friggin pint of beer, split into 2 small mugs.
Yeah, that’s a great marketing ploy. Fuck with the customers head to make them THINK that they’re getting double. Just throw it in a pint glass, and stop calling it “2-for-1′s”.
@Applekid: The weights and measures department pours exactly one pint (500ml in Europe) of liquid into the glass and verifies that the mark indicates what it is supposed to indicate.
@12-Inch Idongivafuck Sandwich: They’re screwing with the price of Natty Bo? BASTARDS!!!
I’m going to be watching my bar glasses much closer when I order a draft these days, and if I start witnessing consistently bad pours or the glass is a falsie, I’ll just go elsewhere.
@SBR249: Well said.
I noticed recently that the chain restaurants around me have stopped calling them 16 and 20 oz sizes but rather small and large. Not that 20 oz is a large beer. I’d say 64 oz is a large beer and 20 oz is a tease.
Forget the measuring devices! It sounds to me like it’s time to revert to the ‘ole college trick of bringing along a six pack in my purse…and drinking it really fast.
It would probably save me a huge amount as it stands….real pints or not!
this is because of the hop shortage.
I can’t count the number of times I was in the middle of a beer and said to myself, “well, I think that was plenty!”
@theblackdog: It’s highly unlikely that he’s talking about National Bohemian. I think he means Natural Light or Natural Ice.
Natty = Natural Light, etc.
Natty Boh (note the “h”) = National Bohemian.
@rdldr1: That’s completely irresponsible, at least let yours son drive if you’re going to drink!
@Cliff_Donner:
Well…the past dozen times I’ve been to hooters you’d think they were saying “the A-Cup is the new D-Cup” and “if these girls look ugly, drink another beer”
When will the consumerist cover the shrink-ray hitting the boobs of Hooters?
Being such a beer connoisseur, to start with a real pint is actually 20oz, but if going by US standards 16oz will suffice. I’ve seen this already happening at many of the chain type places, which I typically avoid. My watering holes serve either a full Imperial Pint or by the 1/2 liter. While 2oz isn’t a huge difference, when they are already raising prices due to last years hop shortage it compounds the issue.
this is why pint glasses in ireland and the uk have offical stamps on the side stating that they carry a full pint
@privatejoker75:
We so need that here now. All in favor of the Offical Pint Glass stamp on all beer glasses say “Aye!”
And make sure you tip your waitress well, she is making less than minimum wage.
@zentex: Damn, guess I’m never going to check out Hooters if that’s the case.
Granted, I don’t have any problems finding Cs and up around here …
Time to start brewing my own beer again!
shitty bars on bourbon street pull this shit all the time. that’s why i stick to drinking my guinness on tap, instead of from the 14.9 oz pub cans.
if gallon daiquiri Sundays EVER END, i’m fucking emigrating. <3333 NOLA
Yeah, I was thrilled when I hit a new brewery recently, and was served my beer in what I swear was a juice glass. With a huge head. I think I got maaaybe 11 oz. of beer.
IF the establishment is careful in advertising the product (ie “Glass of Beer”) there is nothing wrong with shrinking product size.
But in the UK where the advertised product is a “Pint” it better darn well be a Pint.
On the Happy Hour signs at Chili’s they have a disclaimer saying “measurements denote the size of glassware, not the amount of liquid served.”
This is a sad, sad world.
@Bladefist: Then explain how it works equally on the very malty beers that I drink. Very little in the way of hops.
@psychos: Actually magdalene’s totally right on this – if by “pint glass” we’re talking about the Anchor Hocking, tapered, heavyweight glass that became a sort of “standard” draft beer glass (as opposed to the old mug) back in the early 90s. That glass is and always was 14 oz. as a standard. There were 16 and 20 oz. versions available, too – but those were sold for home use or special promotions, and few, if any, bars used ‘em.
Back when I was serving beer in an Irish pub in the early-to-mid 90s, only our stouts came in a “true” pint – the 19 oz. “imperial” pint, often provided by the Guinness or Murphy’s vendors. The rest of our beer came served in the nearly impossible to break (hence their popularity) Anchor Hocking glasses.
While I recall checking the catalog on this, the real reason I’m certain of the volume is that I won a $50 bet with a customer who insisted that those glasses held a full, 16 oz. pint. After pouring a 12-ounce bottle of beer into the glass with a modest, 1/4 inch head, the glass was esentially full to the top and could in no way have taken another four ounces.
Why not be honest and just raise the cost of the beer rather than screwing your customer?
This sends a clear message to me: Go somewhere else for beer. Thanks for the update.
Yet another reason I love living in the beer guzzling state of Oregon. Our state motto is, “Don’t fuck with our pints!”
@oneswellfoop: Agreed, if most people just quit going to shitty chain bars this would usually not be a problem. I am a bartender, as well as a lover of beer. I NEVER pour a glass full of foam, that to me is a hallmark of an inexperienced bartender. Its not that hard to pour a pint, that is a pint, with a small head on it.
Inst a pint a set size? Im pretty certain that if you change the volume, they can no longer call it a pint.
If you’re ordering a glass, cup, etc., then I don’t see a problem.
If you order a pint, then there’s a problem. The price should increase, rather than amount of brew decrease.
@freshyill: Well now I feel foolish.
@bonzombiekitty: Pissed off, poor, and drunk. What could happen?
ive also noticed that some beers are coming in 11.2 oz bottles, rather than the standard 12 oz ones.
cant remember which ones specifically.
A pint’s a pound the whole world round. Except at Hooters.
If the wait staff serves a beer with a head of foam that looks like it belongs in a razor commercial, make sure to blow it off the top of your beer directly onto the floor, where it belongs.
That ought to get the message across.
@Michael Belisle: Gordon Biersch in San Jose serves their brews in metered German-style glasses.
So far, my survey of Murphy Street pubs in Sunnyvale and finer beer-drinking establishments in the San Francisco Bay metro area shows that west coast establishments serving predominantly German, English, Irish, or Belgian beers have not sunk to this practice yet – probably because they are too damned honest and like beer too much!
Maybe McCain has already vetoed full-size pints of beer?
What happened to the good old days when they’d serve you the first 3 ‘full’ and then beginning pulling stunts to short you on your full glass after you were buzzed?!?!?!?!?!
Giving a sober person a 14 oz beer instead of a pint isn’t gonna make your customer satisfaction go up