My cousin brought me back a gift from Ireland of 2 Guinness labeled pint glasses, like this one. On the side of the glass, near the top, is a curious symbol, a circle, bisected by a wavy line, with the word PINT over top, 06 inside the circle above the line, and 02 inside the circle below the line.
As far as I can tell, the wavy line is where 16oz of liquid would fill the glass, so I assume that’s the “pint” line. What I can’t figure is what the 06 and 02 mean and if the symbol is for any purpose other than proving you got a full pint of beer.
I don’t know about the symbol, but wouldn’t an Irish pint glass contain 20 fluid ounces? If I recall correctly, that’s the proper size for an (excuse me, Irish Dopers, but I know of no other terms for it) Imperial or British pint.
I think the symbol is a legal requirement in Ireland, the office of weights and measures or some such has verified that this glass is a pint glass.
I think pubs in ireland can only sell beer in pint and half pint glasses. Don’t know if it is by law, but certainly that is all I’ve ever seen.
I’ll try and dig up a cite.
They definitely take their drinking seriously in the UK. I’ve never been to Ireland, but I know in England they do have a symbol etched into every glass (a stylized crown and some numbers I believe) that indicates that the glass meets official gov’t specs as a pint or half-pint glass - so the consumer knows their getting what they payed for I guess.
It’s a weights and measures thing alright. The Weights and Measures (Stamps) Regulations, 1958 (SI No. 137 of 1958) states that the upper figure refers to the weights and measures inspector’s area and the lower figure is the year of stamping. As Croakdale says, the Irish Statute Book site is down but I had my trusty copy on CD. The perks of public service;).
Hey, thanks everyone, I can now tell my friends who thought I was loony exactly what the symbol is for. It would be nice if we did something like this in the US too, it’s so hard to tell if you’re getting a full pint when you’re at a bar, every glass is different. Dont even get me started on bartenders that give you a glass with an inch+ of head inside it. :mad:
As I read in a London pub once about the weights and measures act: “draught beer can only be sold in half pints and multiples thereof”, so as long you fill them with an exact number of pints (or double the numbers of half pints) you’re OK (or if you order a number of pints and fill the yard with the beer and drink what doesn’t fit in).
I used to work in a bar, and the owner showed me a chart provided to him by the distributor with savings per amount of head. 1/4 " saves you so much, 1/2" so much more, and 1", unconscionable as it is, saves a whole lot of money per keg.
I’m not saying its the right thing to do, especially to your regulars, but it did save $$.
Sometimes head isn’t such a bad thing. Guinness head is great!
(the beer. I do not know nor have I met the poster to make such a statement concerning her abilities )
Little trick with large heads of foam. Grow a mustache and then complain that the head of foam makes a mess of your mustache. I usually don’t get too many complaints about pouring it with a small head if I ask beforehand.
As to yards and half yards, that is how you measure the beer you’ve already drunk. Funny how the ground is so comfortable with enough beers.
)