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How do you buy beer in a bar?

J

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...
 
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.
 
So what does Norm always drink then?



That may have subconsciously been the point of this topic.
 
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!
 
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).
 
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:
 
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. ;)
 
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!
 
jive said:
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...
Click to expand...

Jive, what do you order when in France?
 
jive said:
Yes, I learnt my American drinking culture from Cheers...
Click to expand...

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

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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
kiwi-in-uk said:
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).
Click to expand...

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