# Beer glass symbol **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582 "2003-03-31T23:31:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/21 "2003-04-01T18:48:58Z")
I had thought that with the UK in the European economic community they had to (or will soon have to) convert so that things are in metric. This means a pint glass is now a bit less than a pint. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/22 "2003-04-01T19:43:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flight \* > I had thought that with the UK in the European economic community they had to (or will soon have to) convert so that things are in metric. This means a pint glass is now a bit less than a pint. I can’t speak for the UK, but here in officially-metric Canada, a pint glass still holds 20 ounces. Oddly enough, many of the generic 20-ounce pint glasses used at my local pub (as opposed to the ones that advertise specific beers, such as the Guinness glass linked to above) have “Made in France” embossed/stamped in small type on the bottom. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2003, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/23 "2003-04-01T20:47:29Z")
I’ve never actually seen the ‘yard of ale’ being sold - it usually seems to be a competition of some kind and is provided _gratis_ by the landlord, so maybe it is immune to statue on measures… ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/24 "2003-04-02T07:50:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flight \* > \*\*I had thought that with the UK in the European economic community they had to (or will soon have to) convert so that things are in metric. This means a pint glass is now a bit less than a pint. \*\* Nope - the pint glass is still an imperial pint in Britain and Ireland. I’m pretty sure that there are no immediate plans to change this. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/25 "2003-04-02T09:00:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > Nope - the pint glass is still an imperial pint in Britain and Ireland. I’m pretty sure that there are no immediate plans to change this. And many a pub here in Sweden, that was metric to begin with, use pint glasses. ---
**Author:** ![Daftbugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Daftbugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daftbugger)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/26 "2003-04-02T10:24:02Z")
We’re keeping our pints! And our miles IIRC. All pints/half pints have to have the symbol on them, although some pint glasses are oversized. There is also a legal limit on the size of head on your beer, too. Also IIRC, a yard of ale is 6 pints (or that might be a half yard …) Some bars do have the yard behind the bar. I’ve worked in a number of bars (OK, 3) and none of had one, but I have seen it. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/27 "2003-04-02T10:29:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > \*\*Nope - the pint glass is still an imperial pint in Britain and Ireland. I’m pretty sure that there are no immediate plans to change this. \*\* Milk too, may be sold in pint measures. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/28 "2003-04-02T10:38:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Daftbugger \* > \*\*Also IIRC, a yard of ale is 6 pints (or that might be a half yard …) Some bars do have the yard behind the bar. I’ve worked in a number of bars (OK, 3) and none of had one, but I have seen it. \*\* According to [rl=http://www.the-art-of-drinking.com/html/search2.php3/entryID=8]this, it’s only 2.5 pints. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/29 "2003-04-02T13:43:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chillihead \* > In the UK it is also legal to sell beer, ale or cider as a third of a pint, but NOT multiples thereof. This may change in the future though. Yes. I used to drink in a pub where they sold Old Tom (a pretty strong and rich-tasting beer) and they would only sell it in thirds. The milk they used to give out in infant school, pre-Thatcher, was also in third pint bottles. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Spoons \* > Oddly enough, many of the generic 20-ounce pint glasses used at my local pub (as opposed to the ones that advertise specific beers, such as the Guinness glass linked to above) have “Made in France” embossed/stamped in small type on the bottom. I believe that most if not all the pint glasses over here are made in France these days. There was quite a fuss when the last pint glass maker in England stopped production a few years ago. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > I’ve never actually seen the ‘yard of ale’ being sold - it usually seems to be a competition of some kind and is provided _gratis_ by the landlord, so maybe it is immune to statue on measures… I’ve drunk a yard. It _wasn’t_ free, more’s the pity. The amount of head expected on a pint varies in different parts of the country. London beer always looks (and tastes) flat to a northerner like me. ---
**Author:** ![flight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbce88/32.png) [@flight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/30 "2003-04-02T14:14:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by manwithaplan \* > \*\*Nope - the pint glass is still an imperial pint in Britain and Ireland. I’m pretty sure that there are no immediate plans to change this. \*\* Are you sure about this? I seem to recall now from my trip to the British Isles last semester (spent a couple weeks hitchhiking) that the Irish were pissed because they changed it since they were the ones who were in with the rest of Europe while in Northern Ireland they still did the whole pint thing. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/31 "2003-04-02T14:25:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flight \* > \*\*Are you sure about this? I seem to recall now from my trip to the British Isles last semester (spent a couple weeks hitchhiking) that the Irish were pissed because they changed it since they were the ones who were in with the rest of Europe while in Northern Ireland they still did the whole pint thing. \*\* Still get pints where I am. Are you sure it wasn’t to do with liquor measures, kilos vs pounds, or farming subsidies? ---
**Author:** ![manwithaplan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@manwithaplan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manwithaplan)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582/32 "2003-04-02T15:27:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by flight \* > \*\*Are you sure about this? I seem to recall now from my trip to the British Isles last semester (spent a couple weeks hitchhiking) that the Irish were pissed because they changed it since they were the ones who were in with the rest of Europe while in Northern Ireland they still did the whole pint thing. \*\* Couldn’t be more sure - maybe someone was pulling your leg. If attempts were made to lop 68ml off our pints, it would have been headline news for months. I’m going out in about half an hour to demolish a few while watching the Ireland vs. Albania match - I’ll be sure to check;). BTW, are you sure that you’re not thinking of cans of beer? For some reason, most cans in the north are 440ml, whereas most of ours are 500ml - we actually did well out of the deal. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beer-glass-symbol/165582.md?page=1)