The Null Device

Britain's weights and measures authority, which controls, among other things, the measures in which alcoholic beverages may be served, is considering introducing a new measure for beer glasses. The new measure will be two-thirds of a pint in size (equivalent to the "schooner" in New South Wales) and will be lumbered with the somewhat awkward name of the "twother", at least until someone thinks of a better one for it.

The idea was mooted by the British Beer and Pubs Association, which believes that it is the ideal glass for a high-strength beer or lager.

Which makes sense, as 2/3 of a pint (378ml, with the British pint being defined as 568ml; the Australian pint is 2ml larger, for what it's worth, while the American pint, just shy of half a litre, is an entirely different measure) is quite close to a large beer in parts of continental Europe (where such a measure is typically 400ml; this is the case in Italy, and I think Spain as well).

Of course, not everybody agrees; the Campaign for Real Ale has criticised the measure, saying that the government should instead focus on righting existing injustices:

“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.”

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