Recently, a debate has arisen concerning the conversion of a pint into ounces. After some searching, I think I've come up with a reasonable answer.
Interestingly enough, there is a difference between a British pint and an American pint. In round estimation, a US pint is 16 ounces, though I think I've seen it more accurately displayed as 16.6. A UK pint, on the other hand, is more closer to 20 ounces, I think it rings in at about 20.2 or something like that. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find sources that really agree on this whole thing, thus the debate between 16 and 16.6, but that's about as good as I can estimate things.
Nice hat. You're on the right track with your identification of 16 oz. US pints and 20 oz. UK pints, a.k.a. Imperial pints. Stop fiddling with those fragments of ounces; there is enough variablity in head thickness, waitress spillage, residual dishwater and mysterious 'beer fairy' consumption to make that portion of the debate immaterial.
In terms of glassware. the US pint usually manifests itself in a tapered, smooth-sided, heavy bottomed glass that more often than not is enameled with the banner of some American micro-brewery that may or may not be worth a damn. The only time these American pint glasses are of any value is where they are looted from beneath the nose of an innatentive bartender and smuggled out of the establishment in your girlfriend's purse.
The Imperial pint, however, is often incarnated in the most elegant of barware, the pint glass. Unlike the American glass, whose smooth sides promote emarassing broken glasses and, more horribly, wasted beer, the Imperial pint glass commonly features a bulge near the top that is perfectly contoured to fit the drinker's hand, no matter how sweaty the glass or how inebriated the wielder. This ergonomic feature is so complimentary to the beer-drinking experience, and indeed, to merest existence, that it is not uncommon to find it uncomfortable to be without one. I have on several occasions awaken following a drinking outing to find an empty pint glass resting comfortably in my hand, handily explaining to passers-by exactly why I chose to occupy that particualr ditch for the night. In parts of Britain and Ireland, pub crawlers move from pub to pub with their pint glasses, dropping off each empty one at a new place and leaving with a full one for yet another destination. This phenomonon of pint glass drift adds character to each and every glass, as one never knows quite how many pubs one's pint has attended.
So quit noodling about tenths of ounces and go have a beer. And for heaven's sake, use a proper pint glass; you'll never get those big biceps if you limit yourself to puny little 16 oz. curls.
Nice hat. You're on the right track with your identification of 16 oz. US pints and 20 oz. UK pints, a.k.a. Imperial pints. Stop fiddling with those fragments of ounces; there is enough variablity in head thickness, waitress spillage, residual dishwater and mysterious 'beer fairy' consumption to make that portion of the debate immaterial.
In terms of glassware. the US pint usually manifests itself in a tapered, smooth-sided, heavy bottomed glass that more often than not is enameled with the banner of some American micro-brewery that may or may not be worth a damn. The only time these American pint glasses are of any value is where they are looted from beneath the nose of an innatentive bartender and smuggled out of the establishment in your girlfriend's purse.
The Imperial pint, however, is often incarnated in the most elegant of barware, the pint glass. Unlike the American glass, whose smooth sides promote emarassing broken glasses and, more horribly, wasted beer, the Imperial pint glass commonly features a bulge near the top that is perfectly contoured to fit the drinker's hand, no matter how sweaty the glass or how inebriated the wielder. This ergonomic feature is so complimentary to the beer-drinking experience, and indeed, to merest existence, that it is not uncommon to find it uncomfortable to be without one. I have on several occasions awaken following a drinking outing to find an empty pint glass resting comfortably in my hand, handily explaining to passers-by exactly why I chose to occupy that particualr ditch for the night. In parts of Britain and Ireland, pub crawlers move from pub to pub with their pint glasses, dropping off each empty one at a new place and leaving with a full one for yet another destination. This phenomonon of pint glass drift adds character to each and every glass, as one never knows quite how many pubs one's pint has attended.
So quit noodling about tenths of ounces and go have a beer. And for heaven's sake, use a proper pint glass; you'll never get those big biceps if you limit yourself to puny little 16 oz. curls.
Posted by: MacBeer at July 16, 2003 9:39 AM