The tone of the articles coming out about Oregon lawmakers mulling a system to reward establishments that pour accurate pints of beer would suggest that this is one of those silly, fun news stories that should be followed but not explored seriously.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Oregon has a well-developed beer culture and a closely-knit, world-renowned community of beer producers, drinkers and connoisseurs.
The attempt to assure an accurate pour represents no less than a watershed moment for Oregon’s beer culture.
Don’t believe me? Consider this: Germany, where beer is king, has had a “Society Against Deceptive Beer-Pouring” since 1970 and counts almost 4,000 people from around the world as members.
It helps that in Germany, the line is printed directly on the glass, assuring that even the consumer can see when a bartender shorts a pour.
But people get a little negligent when they start drinking. Enter the “Society Against Deceptive Beer-Pouring,” which sends out teams of beer detectives at Oktoberfest and other folk festivals to keep the bartenders honest.
This sounds like a joke, but it’s very real. Beer costs hard-earned money and beer drinkers should get what they pay for. Beer is, after all, the everyman’s drink.
I’m not sure a decal system, as proposed in the legislation and reported on in the article, is a good idea. Seems like it would be much easier to draw a line on the glass.
Whatever happens to the bill, I am tickled that Oregon takes its beer as seriously as the Germs.
I might be misreading your paragraph about the decal, but the bill’s language says “The holder of a license may display an ‘honest pint’ decal,” and as I understand it the decal would be applied not to the glassware, but to a front window or in another prominent site, easily visible to prospective patrons. Surely a decal in a window is easier than buying new etched glassware!
Needless to say, if the bill becomes law, Capital Taps will list those places serving honest pints!
No, I do get the decal thing. And yes, it would be a massive expenditure to get new glassware. But I am concerned that the whole decal thing is just a public relations move to promote the a system of well-connected breweries and pubs. A decal in the window does not ensure an honest pour. But if you empower the people by putting a line on uniform-sized glassware — that’s a true beer revolution! But yes, a kind of ridiculous idea that will never happen. It’s the inner German in me speaking.
I think it is in some ways a PR move. Just to get people thinking about honest pours and thinking about rewarding those who offer an honest pour has value. Moreover, Rep. Bailey, the sponsor of the bill, was concerned to do something with a limited cost impact on bars, particularly in this economic climate.
Should a bar with a decal turn to short pours, I think beer geeks would be quick to out them. Part of the idea with the bill is that information moves much more quickly now, and those who care about honest pints will help monitor things and spread the word on infractions. I guess I’m more sanguine about its prospects!
Speaking of Germans & beer revolution, here’s a nice piece on the Widmer Bros, who just celebrated 25 years of craft brewing!
Cool article. One of the best at laying out the history of the movement, as far as I’ve seen.
I don’t think I’d personally respond to the decals, but I am LOVIN the fact that they’re considering them. Major watershed moment!
Is there really anybody known for their dishonest pints?
I think part of the problem is that in a sense almost everyone is pouring short pints! In a standard 16oz pint glass, you’re only getting 14oz or 15oz of malty fluid goodness. The top half inch or so is foamy head, and the glass must be filled to the rim to achieve a full 16oz measure.
Sadly, many establishments use “shaker” pints – the glassware bartenders use to shake a cocktail. They look almost exactly like 16oz pints. These glasses, also called “cheater” pints, contain only 14oz when filled to the rim, I believe. Needless to say, when you factor in the head, you’re getting only 12 or 13 oz of beer!
The prevalence of shaker pints is the real problem here. A typical shaker pint might contain only 2/3 of a full pint of beer! That’s a short pour for sure.
We don’t accept a 15oz “pound” at the grocery store, so in my book it’s reasonable not to want a 15oz “pint” at the pub. But our nominal “pints” are in almost every case less than 16oz when we go to a bar. That’s what the honest pint project is about. It’s not that bars or bartenders are deliberately dishonest, but that we’ve fallen into a significant disjunction between nominal and conventional “pint” and an actual pint. This offers a low-cost correction and makes the word “pint” matter again.
Now that is the real story. Everyone is pouring dishonest pints!?!? I think I”m going to start taking a measuring glass out and testing them myself. Thanks for the frothy conversation