Bill Hogan/Chicago Tribune

I recently ran across this story where the author is pleading for more bars and breweries to serve beer in half pints. It got me thinking, is this a good idea or a bad one?

First you could say that smaller glasses are already the norm in Montana breweries when it comes strong beers. Barley wines and imperials are generally served that way as to comply with state law, and so you don’t fall over after drinking one.

Aside from that however, I don’t see myself walking up and ordering a half pint when I can get a full one, just doesn’t seem right.

By Josh Noel Chicago Tribune

Lately I’ve been getting sneaky in bars.

I’ve perused tap handles, noted a few things that semi-interest me and launched into stealth mode.

“Can I have a taste of that?” I’ll say, implying that I want to try a certain beer before deciding whether to order it properly.

Most recently it was just after work and a hit of bitter India pale ale seemed a perfect way to end the day. But I didn’t want a full pint; I didn’t love the IPA on draft, and I didn’t want that much beer. The bartender poured 3 or 4 ounces that I savored for a minute before ordering what I wanted all along: a bourbon with a couple of ice cubes.

My guilt was alleviated by two factors. The whiskey was more expensive than a pint of beer, which was good for the bar and bartender’s bottom line. And, more relevant: There would have been no problem if the bar in question had the sense to offer vessels other than pint glasses.

So, ladies and gentlemen of the food and beverage industry, hear this plea: add half pint glasses to your shelves.

Many brewery taprooms already arm themselves with an array of glassware and sizes, encouraging customers to order 4, 8 or 16 ounces. They understand that one size does not fit all when it comes to beer. Especially good beer.

Sometimes you like a beer enough to drink eight 8 ounces, but not 16. Sometimes you just want a taste of beer before strolling the whiskey path. But the biggest problem I find, especially in the world’s better bars, is that too many interesting beers are waiting to be had; I often want the saison, the pale ale, the IPA, the porter and the barrel-aged stout. But that doesn’t mean I want five pints of beer (well, not always).

Denver’s Great Divide Brewing understands. After only selling pints in its taproom, the brewery began offering half pints for half the price last year.

“We actually sell a lot of half pints nowadays,” Great Divide taproom manager Jennie Richau said. “As a bartender, if I see someone is on the fence about having another beer, I offer the half pint, and most people go for it. Or sometimes if someone can’t decide between two, I suggest a half of each. It works out well for everyone.”

Exactly. This trend won’t take off without pounding on a few bars, so I hereby pound, declaring the beginning of the crusade: Viva la half pint!

Who’s with me?

A pint of beer, it seems, is not always a pint. Some times it’s a mere 12-ounces of craft beer in something other than a pint glass. Oh, sure, it looks like a pint glass, even feels like a pint glass, but it’s a few ounces shy of honest.

Therein lies the need for the Honest Pint Project, which promotes the fair and equitable use of true 16-ounce glassware commonly referred to as pints.

And while I support the general idea of consumers getting their value out of their beer in terms of the size of the glass they consume it from, I just think people should drink beer from glassware that is more suitable for tasting the complexities of beer. Stemware for wine is a great way to drink beer, but if that’s too pretentious for you, those great Belgian beer glasses, one for each of the country’s 300+ beer styles, should become part of your glassware collection.

And then there is the to-each-his-own approach. I have friends who drink from handmade glasses with little tiny bubbles in the, and these serve their purpose nicely as well. However you consume your beer, just make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.

Prost,

GG

Widmer Gasthaus Honest Pint Certification