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A 'pint glass' is a drinking vessel holding an Imperial pint (568ml; ≈1.2 US pints) of liquid that is usually used for beer or cider.

Contents

Common shapes

United Kingdom law

Other countries

External links

References

Common shapes

The common shapes of pint glass are:

★ "Conical" glasses are shaped, as the name suggests, as an inverted truncated cone around six inches tall and tapering by about an inch in diameter over its height. More often than not, the glass bulges out a couple of inches from the top; this is partly for improved grip, and partly to prevent the glasses from sticking together when stacked. This style of bulged conical glass is often termed "nonic" by suppliers^[1]. This is the most common type of pint glass found in UK pubs.

★ "Jug" glasses, or "dimple mugs", are shaped more like a large mug with a handle. For added strength, they are molded with a grid pattern of thickened glass on the outside, somewhat resembling the segmentation of a WWII-era hand grenade. These glasses are rarer than the other types and are regarded as more traditional.

★ Some more modern glasses have a taller shape, usually flaring out towards the top; these designs are more commonly associated with continental lagers or promotional campaigns by breweries, and are frequently etched or marked with the beer's label. This sort of glass is sometimes called "tulip" by suppliers^[2].

United Kingdom law

United Kingdom law requires certain steps be taken to ensure that a pint of beer is indeed a pint. Though this can be achieved using so-called "metered dispense" (calibrated pumps), the more common solution is to use certified one-pint glasses. Until recently these had a crown stamp and number etched upon them, however EU directives have stated that the glasses instead now, must have PINT with the letters CE etched on them, for synchronisation in the European Union (although the Conservatives have campaigned^[3] to have dual markings of crown and CE). The number relates to the authority certifying the capacity of the glass^[4][5].
Selling beer in unmeasured glasses without using some other form of calibrated measure is illegal. Half-pint glasses are also available, and are subject to the same laws. UK law currently prescribes that a pint serving of beer must be at least 95% liquid.
Despite this emphasis on accurately measured glasses, it is common for drinkers to be served less than a full pint of liquid - either because too much of the glass is taken up by a foamy "head", or simply because the customer has been sold a short measure. This allows publicans (who are often under pressure from a management company) to "sell" more beer than is actually in the cask or keg and hence save money. At present, those selling "pints" up to ten percent short will not be prosecuted in the UK ^[6].
For those wishing to avoid this practice while still serving beer with a large head, "lined" or "oversized" glasses are available. These have a line near the top (usually labelled "pint to line") to which the beer should be poured, with the head forming above it. In the past a number of breweries supplied these glasses to their pubs; this is now rarely the case and lined glasses are found mostly at enthusiasts' events such as beer festivals, serious cask ale pubs, and breweries' own bars. The use of lined pint glasses in pubs is advocated by the Campaign for Real Ale.

Other countries

In Canada, where both British and US pint glasses may be found, some pubs will publicly advertise that they are "proud to serve Imperial pints".
In Australia it is common for "Irish pubs" to serve Imperial pints whereas most other pubs will serve US pints. This varies from state to state, see Australian beer glass sizes for a full explanation.
The Republic of Ireland also uses 568ml (i.e. an Imperial pint) glasses, where legal metrology marks are used to show that a glass has passed inspection by the National Standards Authority of Ireland, a state-run body who enforce a number of standard rulings.
In India, a pint generally means a 330ml serving of lager, however a bottle of beer is generally 650ml, much larger than an Imperial pint.

External links

★ CAMRA's Full Pint Campaign page.

★ Glass beer mugs collection - Private collection of about 5000 different items

References