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jive

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 14, 2006
501
0
Scotland
Do you ask for a pint or a half litre?


Infact, what do American's ask for? In general I mean, I assume it's not a pint since they never ordered them in Cheers. Yes, I learnt my American drinking culture from Cheers...



Anyway, Scotland so a pint it is...
 

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,390
2,828
Most bars serve pints...you just don't ask for a size, and a pint is the default. You can occasionally get a 12-ounce glass or a bigger one like 22 ounce, but pints are the standard.
 

jive

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Apr 14, 2006
501
0
Scotland
So what does Norm always drink then?



That may have subconsciously been the point of this topic.
 

powerdave

macrumors regular
Apr 24, 2004
148
0
Hamburg
A pint!

Soon I'll be receiving my drink in metric though, as I move to Germany next week.

I've heard in the States, you can be served a pint of Guinness all in one pour. Be careful, fellahs!
 

kiwi-in-uk

macrumors 6502a
Sep 22, 2004
735
0
AU
Melbourne - a "pot" - 10 ounces - 285 ml
Sydney - a "schooner" - 15 ounces - 425 ml
for more Aussie peculiarities see here

NB: In UK a "pint" is 20 ounces (568 ml). US pint is 16 ounces (473 ml).
 

Jaffa Cake

macrumors Core
Aug 1, 2004
19,801
9
The City of Culture, Englandshire
Beware though, jive – a USAian pint is smaller than our UKish pint (16 fluid ounces and 20 fluid ounces respectively). I don't know if this has any bearing on the glass sizes they call a 'pint' but make sure they don't go short changing you if you ever find yourself over there. ;)

EDIT: Er, yeah, what kiwi-in-uk said. :eek:
 

mkrishnan

Moderator emeritus
Jan 9, 2004
29,776
15
Grand Rapids, MI, USA
Mostly we say pint (16 oz) if we specify, but it's very acceptable to ask for a specific beer and follow up with size options if they exist. In fact I usually just ask for the beer by name and only deal with the size if there are options. :)

24 Oz is also fairly commonly available. There are other weirder sizes like yards or half-yards that are specific to certain restaurants. Also drinking bottled and occasionally canned (certain brands like Sapporo) beers (with a mug or appropriate beer glass) is fairly common in bars here, in which case we order bottles or cans. ;)
 

vanmacguy

macrumors 6502a
Aug 13, 2007
586
0
Not where you live.
Being from England originally and now living in Canada, I ask for a pint, but it's not a pint. I'm on the West coast and our 'pint' is somewhere around 16 oz. In the eastern part of the country it's more than 16oz though.

Even a pint of Guinness is only 16 oz.

It's not bloody fair!
 

maccompaq

macrumors 65816
Mar 6, 2007
1,169
24
Do you ask for a pint or a half litre?


Infact, what do American's ask for? In general I mean, I assume it's not a pint since they never ordered them in Cheers. Yes, I learnt my American drinking culture from Cheers...



Anyway, Scotland so a pint it is...

Jive, what do you order when in France?
 

decksnap

macrumors 68040
Apr 11, 2003
3,075
84
Yes, I learnt my American drinking culture from Cheers...

That's hilarious. It's like in Clerks where people just ask for 'cigarettes'. No brand specified. Doesn't actually happen in real life.
 

FrankBlack

macrumors 6502
Dec 28, 2005
365
0
Looking for Lucy Butler
I just ask for a Guinness Draft. :D

Regretfully, our American pints are indeed only 16 ounces. Who made this decision? No one that will own up to it, that's for sure.

Off-topic, just a little: Who in the Boston area is old enough to remember the Wursthaus, in Harvard Square? In its heyday, it was a great place, with really good food, and a fine selection of beers. You didn't ask for the wine list, you asked for the beer list, which was in the shape of a stein. They were in business for something like 80 years, but fell on hard times and economic realities (read, corporate real estate sharks, with millions to throw around) in the 90's.

I have this sudden craving for Knockwurst and red cabbage,,,,,,:D
 

WildCowboy

Administrator/Editor
Staff member
Jan 20, 2005
18,390
2,828
Regretfully, our American pints are indeed only 16 ounces. Who made this decision? No one that will own up to it, that's for sure.

Blame the Brits. We based our system of measure on their wine gallon during the colonial days, only to have them change their standard to the Imperial gallon. Having just fought two wars with them, there was no way we were going to follow suit.
 

Macaddicttt

macrumors 6502a
Apr 22, 2004
993
3
San Diego, CA
Even though I'm American, I haven't yet ordered a beer here (I turned 21 abroad). In Ireland, you'd ask for a pint or a half-pint (a glass, they called it). In Italy, you'd say "piccola," "media" or "grande" and I'm pretty sure it varied from place to place what that meant.
 

VicRattlehead

macrumors regular
Dec 17, 2006
123
0
depends on location, most times its either a bottle or pint, most of the time its buckets of bottles (5-6 bottles in a bucket of ice) if its gonna be a draft it can be either a 16oz or a 'tall' 21-22oz glass.
 

GoCubsGo

macrumors Nehalem
Feb 19, 2005
35,741
153
I once asked for a pint in a bar and was laughed at. It was soon after my return from the UK. I order a pitcher or whatever is on tap.
 

AlBDamned

macrumors 68030
Mar 14, 2005
2,641
15
Melbourne - a "pot" - 10 ounces - 285 ml
Sydney - a "schooner" - 15 ounces - 425 ml
for more Aussie peculiarities see here

NB: In UK a "pint" is 20 ounces (568 ml). US pint is 16 ounces (473 ml).

In other words, the drink sizes in Australia are pathetic ;)
 

ezekielrage_99

macrumors 68040
Oct 12, 2005
3,336
19
I just pull up at the gas/petrol station ask drink it straight from the bowser... what can I say I'm a cheap drunk.
 

Sun Baked

macrumors G5
May 19, 2002
14,937
157
23 MacRumors Members walk into a bar to buy beer...

6 hours later they are kicked out at closing time (completely sober) after arguing the entire time about the "proper way" to order beer.
 
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