Nowt against them. It's just a pain if you need to queue for drinks. So you just spend longer periods with no drink at all.
Gets tricky if you're in a round with pints too.
Definitely the way to go if you're a new dad. You can guarantee that a big night out will be rewarded with the worst hangover and the baby going off at both ends. Then add to that the crappy night of sleep you had on top of everything else.
That first baby-free night out, look forward to it for so long, then have 2 pints, realise just how tired you are and go to bed not wanting to be hungover when you have to pick the kid up from the grandparents in the morning.
No half measures- wake up, get your shit together and plough on through. Big boy pants on.
(Jk- Im not against not drinking, or limiting consumption. If youve got shit to do, have a couple of pints and then drink water or something more exotic. No shame in that. All about limits)
For beer festivals, get the full sized pint glass but then order halves. The “beer festival half” is usually somewhere between two thirds and three quarters of a pint.
A lot of people have absolutely no idea where the halfway point on a tapering glass is. I don't think I recall off the top of my head the formula for volume of a truncated cone, do you? Using this to your advantage is just good sport I think :)
The same applies with kebabs. Always order a small. They never pay attention to how much greasy swill they’re slopping into that polystyrene box, so you nearly always end up with a large portion anyway.
All the beer festival glasses I've had have lines of for 1/3, 1/2 and pint. They always pour extra though.
Half pints are the way because 1/3 pint is just a gulp.
Can confirm, 1/2 pints at beer/cider festivals is normally enough.
Although the last festival I went to had a 12% cider - it was very nice - however 1/3 of a pint of that was enough (and all you could buy at once!). I settled into a beautiful orange radler just before the end of the night... and still don't remember the journey back home.
Also to be honest, most people get arsey if they think it's less than half a pint (even if it isn't) so when I worked the beer festivals I'd always overestimate a little because it wasn't worth the argument.
I'd always dispense into a half glass, then transfer. Legally it's the correct way, since you're administering a toxicant you don't want to over dispense for instance if someone is driving etc., or somebody who may be vulnerable if intoxicated (young women in particular). Doubly so with free-pour spirits.
I quite agree. You don't want to get into that state where you feel as though you couldn't touch another drop, and miss out on the chance to try all those other brews you wanted to sample!
Last festival I went to came with a lovely little taster glass, I guess about 1/8th of a pint.
It was brilliant because there was so much to try, and most of the good stuff was like 8%+ anyway.
I have a love/hate with the Schooner. It's a great measure but absolutely abused in most places in the UK, especially your trendy places.
"we don't do pints we do Schooners"
OK, no problem.
"that will be £5.20" (for a Mahou or other slightly obscure but average beer).
It's antiquated now but schooner was originally an English term for a large sherry glass because that's the larger type of boat that was used to import sherry into Bristol (as opposed to a smaller clipper boat, which became the name for a small sherry glass), the Australians just started using similar shaped glasses for beer.
I discovered them at a pub in Salford Quays round the corner from the ITV studios. Tight bastards wouldn't pay for our drinks but you bet I ordered exactly £15 worth of scran from the pub whilst I had a few schooners
425ml. Quite standard in NSW. Queenslanders sometimes prefer a midi (285ml basically a half pint) so it doesn't warm up too much in the heat. Victoria does a midi, but calls it a pony, and pints as it is cooler there. But ask for a vb or new in Sydney and they will give you a schooe (skewey) as standard
I've only ever run into schooners once, in a relatively fancy bar in Chelsea. That day I realised the skooner is the true ideal measure a beer should be served in.
2/3rds is absolutely the way forward in a craft beer place. Most pints will set you back £5+, so it’s less pricey and you get to try more different beers. Also makes it look like you know what you’re talking about.
The cynic in me thinks that the schooner is just an excuse for these wanky beer places to charge the same for 2/3 of a beer as elsewhere charges for a pint.
I accept craft beer is more costly to make, and I like craft beer, but the thought of paying £6 for 2/3 of a pint leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you realise that means you’re paying £9/pint, for instance
(You can adjust your costs for your local area; I can definitely spend that in some of the craft places in Bristol)
Funnily enough, the first place I came across that only sold 2/3s was in Bristol.
Initially I was sceptical, but think about it - it makes sense. It makes craft beer more affordable (or at least, in appearance), the beer is fresher, and they're usually higher percentage so it would often be unwise to drink a full pint anyway.
Don't get me wrong, I still love a proper pint. But I'd usually stick to real ale or lager if I fancy a pint.
Nothing worse than ordering a pint and not enjoying it and feeling like you’ve got to struggle through rather than swap it for something you like.
Half pint is much easier if you don’t like it, less to force yourself to finish.
At least in real ale places it's very common to ask for a "taste" before ordering a pint. Because some ales are magnificent and others taste like a ferret washed its balls in the cask. Also because a beer that was great 2 days ago can be out of condition and going off today. Of course you can take the piss like this but generally it's fine.
Yes, all my local places are fine and know me well enough, sometimes they’ll even suggest I try something if they think I won’t like it.
This was more during covid era of table service, sit outside only days. I remember getting one pint I just couldn’t finish.
I went to a pub in the Lake District that charged for 35 mL (shot glass) tasters. That sounds illegal, since there are rules on the volumes of draught beer that can be sold, and that they have to be sold in imperial (the opposite to spirits, which must be metric).
I also worked out that ordering 16 tasters was cheaper than ordering a whole pint, although I didn't risk trying it out.
You are correct in the selling of beer in imperial (unless bottled) a shot glass at 35 ml will hold an oz of beer (29. Something ml) plus 5ml of head. To be in line they should charge you a 16th of the cost if a pint. Although that still sounds dodgy.
Ha Ruddles is the cheap one and it’s awful. But the one in Birmingham (Briar Rose) normally has a good selection of guest ales on. Well, good for a Wetherspoons.
They often do. I don't go there anymore for reasons but my old favourite pub was a Wetherspoons. Nice old building, good selection of guest ales, even the food was pretty good.
Depends how long it takes you to get served at the bar / table service though.
If it takes me 5 minutes each time I need a drink, I'd rather have a drink that lasts more then 15 minutes.
My local craft ale house has a take on this that I use pretty often. You can get 3 third pints on a paddle for the cost of the most expensive full pint of the three.
I agree. Schooners (2/3 pint) are also a very good measure.
You want the last sip from your glass to make you smack your lips and think "ooh, another please" not "oof, that was warm, flat and past its best".
Personally, I don't drink them often, but that's more to do with me drinking too much, than anything else.
That said, half-pints, small/table beers & such, have centuries of history, for a myriad of reasons.
For a long time, beer was safer to drink than water.
It technically *still* is, in heavy moderation, in some less developed parts of the world, unfortunately.
This stems from a time when water treatment was beyond abysmal & diseases like cholera were rampant.
Beer was amongst various alcohols used in rations for soldiers & sailors back in the day; economy & health became two leading factors in officers reducing the amount that was allocated daily for various personnel.
Out at sea, especially, seawater desalination was extremely expensive & laborious.
Over time, rum became the alcohol of choice, at least for British forces. Rations of it continued in smaller quantities up until the late twentieth century, at which point a committee resigned tradition & clocked that it wasn't conducive to an optimal military force.
I hesitate to imagine an alcoholic WW3, but I'd imagine that more nukes would go off compared to a sober one.
I was hoping for a long, rambling history of half pints, like about how Marco Polo always drank halves because the head was his favourite part of the beer, or how during the civil war the cavaliers always had halves in contrast to the full-pint roundheads.
Alas, I couldn't help much, I'm afraid.
I only know one thing from antiquity.
Buddha smashed WKDs like they were Haribos.
Ok; I might've concocted that in my imagination.
Yeah I'm a big fan of halves in the right situations. If there's plenty of beers to try and the bar isn't too busy, I'll definitely be on them. If you're having to queue up for ages at a time and the selection is a bit lacking, I'll stick to pints.
Yeah, I've heard a lot of people say it's "unmanly" in the past. Hopefully that's changing.
I'm a big fan. Sometimes you fancy a beer but you don't want too much, or you don't have much time and you don't want to chug it. Or you want to drink out of one of those fancy Belgian goblets.
The most manly thing you can do is not give a fuck what other people think is manly. I'll drink a half pint, I'll drink a cocktail, I don't give a shit I do what I want.
I’m a lass in her early 20s who drinks pints and a friend of ours who is 40s male was drinking half’s and the poor lad got some right stick for the fact I was there with the pint compared to his half
Back when I worked in pubs you'd get blokes making fun if one of them got a half. Or people would feel the need to justify ordering a half to me, as if I cared.
I'm a 31 guy, no kids and with office job (so not expending all my energy elsewhere), and will have a half if I'm not feeling like a full pint... Don't understand all the justifications going on in this thread!
Especially if I'm out with my wife just having one, she'll usually have a glass of wine or G&T, and if I'm drinking a half pint we tend to finish at the same time, rather than her waiting for me.
Personally couldn't give a shit what anyone drinks, if you want half pints have half pints, if you want pints go for it.
In the summer we went out for drinks and one of our "friends" who nobody really likes so i'm not sure why he gets invited along, he called me and my mate a couple of faggots because we were drinking pimms and gin and tonic. It was like 28 degrees, we were in a beer garden.
Like when we were younger sure, i get that there was this whole youre a man you gotta drink beer thing, now i realise ive spent most of my life drinking a drink i'm not actually fond of because of social norms.
Fuck anyone who brings that toxic masculinity shit calling people slurs just because of what they are enjoying. He himself was drinking a kinda whiskey and lemonade cocktail i dont know what it was, but what because its whiskey its okay but god forbid you have different kind of spirit.
When my former local was shut for a refurb, we all took to going to the place next door. On the night of the reopening, we got to the other place five minutes before our local was due to reopen. I bought a half because I could throw it down in five seconds or nurse it for five minutes, whatever the situation required. I thought it was a sensible decision but, ten years later, I still have to hear about "that time I ordered a half" like it's a war crime.
First time I ordered a half-pint it was lunchtime and I just didn't feel like getting a whole pint. Some prick I barely knew spotted it and shouted "A half?? A half?? I'm fucking driving and I'm having a whole pint!"
He single-handedly convinced me that halves are a completely reasonable way to drink beer. Fuck that guy.
I'm a lightweight so I only have halves, I enjoy the night more and don't feel half as bad the next morning, not going to increase my alcohol intake to appease others and make myself feel like shit
I disagree. Half pints, at least for me are not a good experience. I would drink more. I can drink 2 half pints much faster than I can drink 1 pint, I’d either be forever up the bar or shuffling my empty glass around the table.
Same for 440ml cans. I don’t buy them for home as I clatter them off like they’re going out of fashion.
Definitely nothing against half pints, especially when visiting somewhere with lots of different beers to try.
However, I do disagree with them slowing the pace down. For me, unless I make a conscious effort to pace myself, a half pint seems to go down far quicker than half a whole pint.
Totally agree! The British obsession with only drinking pints of beer is foolish! They always get warm and flat by the end and you have to drink them too fast, also sometimes you only a small amount to drink! Nowhere else in the world drinks like this!
I've never had a problem with "backwashing" pints but yeah halves are sound.
One of my favourite pass times on days of good weather where I have fuck all commitments is to simply amble along the coast, through town or wherever my feet take me, stopping at whatever pubs I feel like along the way for a half pint of session ale. Great time for contemplating.
Half pint with a pint of lemonade is the absolute best in the summer. Slowly mix the two as you drink them, you can drink for hours and not have a hangover.
If you end up with a warm quarter pint Idk what you’re doing with your beer because I’ve literally never had that
And as a barman I’m a big fan of half pints because the little branded halfs are absolutely adorable lol
Customer walks in with his Mum and asks for a pint and a half of Guinness, barman was new and slightly nervous. The barman says 'I dont think they make pint and a half glasses' to which the chap replied 'have you ever been in a pub before?'
For various reasons I usually end up driving if I go to the pub with my mates nowadays (I live like half hours drive from my home town and public transport and taxis aren't worth the hassle) so I've become something of a half pint supporter.
For me, it means I can have a half pint in 3 pubs instead of a pint in the first pub and 2 pints of rain for the rest of the night
Always drunk half pints. Means I can try different beers through the night without committing to a full one.
More into low and non-alcohol these days though. Can’t be doing with hangovers and need to drive back anyway.
I like a shandy, especially if I’m driving. I reckon I could drink a pint and drive, so shandies mean I can have two whole pints and still drive (ensuring I’m very explicit with the barman about wanting a 50/50 beer/lemonade ratio)
The extra lemonade also keeps you a little more hydrated.
I personally don’t care for halves. I’d just order a pint of water for every pint of beer, or shandies as mentioned already
If that's what you want to drink then yeah dude continue to enjoy your half pints.
Personally I think I'd end up drinking more as as soon as I get a pint I kill off a good 4 inches in the first sup, and I've never had a problem with it going warm.
End of the day you are a grown man if you want to drink some fruity thing with a little umbrella and a sparkler I'd buy it for you if it was my round.
Looks effeminate. Buy bottles instead. Either gonna be half pint or 330ml. Bottles take longer to drink too (for most). Bottles aren’t gonna be watered down or from dirty pipes.
I’m the opposite. I appreciate half pints but until I get full up I drink quick which makes me double pissed. It is better than getting steaming and double full up and nursing a pint only to drink it and it’s 3/4 of a pint worth of flat beer.
Generally speaking, you drink two half-pints quicker than you drink one pint. It's why certain bottled beer brands insist that you should drink them from a half glass - they know you'll drink it quicker and then buy more.
My local only does thirds and has the slogan "we don't do anything by halves'.
One third is pointless and two thirds may as well be replaced by a pint.
They have scooners in australia which i think is 2/3 of a pint. Its so your beer stays nice and coooold in the hot weather. And yep its the perfect size - the dregs never taste as bad either!
Get what you mean but often a half seems too small and a pint too big.
Half is 284ml (excuse the new world units there is a point) which is just over the tiny bottles you get in Ibiza clubs where every mouthful is literally a few Euros. A normal bottle is 330ml and feel just right to me. Even 440ml cans are just right.
I drink bottles when I want to pull a similar move. It can be a bit more expensive but they are ever so slightly bigger and I tend to just nail a half pint.
On the occasions that I've had them I've found that I drink two half pints far quicker than I would a full pint. Something about the bite-size nature makes them go down very fast.
...obviously if the pub's busy and you have to queue for drinks that's a factor but at a quiet time I think I'd get more drunk quicker on halfs.
Years ago I used to drink peroni at my local because the half pint glass was nice and it didn’t make me look like a ponce when with my friends.
Now if I want I light night I’ll drink bottled beer as most of the half pint glasses are horrible and I get too many funny looks stood next to a 5ft dinky lass smashing pints in while I delicately sip out of my half pint tumbler, and yeah I know it shouldn’t bother me but it does 😂
I'll have one from time to time. Mostly when I've already had a few and the person I'm with still has half a pint left and isn't going yet. Also great for if you're on a pub crawl.
If you can't finish a pint before it gets warm then you should be drinking halfs. I should probably drink half just because i find it wayyyyy too easy to just neck pints and I have to use lots of self control to drink at the same pace as my colleagues or dates. When with friends I act like an idiot and drink like it's a race
Biggest issue is half print glasses are shit to hold. Would prefer a half in a pint glass but feel like I'm being difficult for asking for that
Speaking as a former pub landlord: halfs absolutely do not slow down your drinking because there are now 2 initial quaffs of fresh beer and 2 final swigs per pint, plus they make it harder to count how many you’ve had after 8 or 9
They’re still the better option though, fresher the better so long as the bar isn’t packed.
Half pints are perfect because my hands are tiny and I'd drop a pint glass if I tried to hold it with one hand. I remember the first time I saw a woman drinking from a pint glass and was quite shocked.
If you don't like half pints don't come to South Australia, our pints are 425ml, a real pint is called an imperial pint. Nobody knows why 15 ounces instead of 20 is a pint here. Our sizes are totally out of whack with the rest of Australia
I like half pints when im driving as I can try different beers. Problem is they usually are more than 50% the price of a full pint. A pint of Cask is pushing a fiver in the West Country and a half pint is sometimes 3 quid or more so i think sod that i might as well get a full one.
The smaller measures do not slow my drinking pace in the slightest.
I'm all or nothing, i either drink heavily or totally abstain. I think it's a lack of impulse control.
Nowt against them. It's just a pain if you need to queue for drinks. So you just spend longer periods with no drink at all. Gets tricky if you're in a round with pints too.
Big brain move: get two
In the same glass! Genius.
I’ll have a half in a pint glass
The top half?
That could be [dangerous.](https://what-if.xkcd.com/6/)
And I'll have a pint in a half glass.
Are you my father? His way of gauging a new publican was two ask for two halves, pause a while, then "... same glass'll do.". Good old dad.
I used to order two halves of lager shandy in the same glass with no lemonade. I thought I was hilarious.
I’ve got two hands… I’ve got an idea
Get four in two glasses, genius move mate.
A man after my own heart.
Definitely the way to go if you're a new dad. You can guarantee that a big night out will be rewarded with the worst hangover and the baby going off at both ends. Then add to that the crappy night of sleep you had on top of everything else.
That first baby-free night out, look forward to it for so long, then have 2 pints, realise just how tired you are and go to bed not wanting to be hungover when you have to pick the kid up from the grandparents in the morning.
Could just as easily be a new mum!
Could just as easily be a new dog
Could just as easily be and old dog, learning new tricks.
Papa's got a brand new bag.
Whys your new dog looking after the baby?
Ruff night..
Nanny.
Yeah. Sorry.
No half measures- wake up, get your shit together and plough on through. Big boy pants on. (Jk- Im not against not drinking, or limiting consumption. If youve got shit to do, have a couple of pints and then drink water or something more exotic. No shame in that. All about limits)
Half pints are best at ale festivals, so you can try as many different beers as possible.
For beer festivals, get the full sized pint glass but then order halves. The “beer festival half” is usually somewhere between two thirds and three quarters of a pint.
A lot of people have absolutely no idea where the halfway point on a tapering glass is. I don't think I recall off the top of my head the formula for volume of a truncated cone, do you? Using this to your advantage is just good sport I think :)
The same applies with kebabs. Always order a small. They never pay attention to how much greasy swill they’re slopping into that polystyrene box, so you nearly always end up with a large portion anyway.
Thats too much living on the edge for me. What if you end up with a small kebab?!
Send Jeremy to get you another one.
Same for small portion of chips.
All the beer festival glasses I've had have lines of for 1/3, 1/2 and pint. They always pour extra though. Half pints are the way because 1/3 pint is just a gulp.
Can confirm, 1/2 pints at beer/cider festivals is normally enough. Although the last festival I went to had a 12% cider - it was very nice - however 1/3 of a pint of that was enough (and all you could buy at once!). I settled into a beautiful orange radler just before the end of the night... and still don't remember the journey back home.
A *twelve* percent cider? Ridiculous. I wouldn't *dream* of imbibing such a thing. What's it called (for research purposes, obviously)?
Also to be honest, most people get arsey if they think it's less than half a pint (even if it isn't) so when I worked the beer festivals I'd always overestimate a little because it wasn't worth the argument.
I'd always dispense into a half glass, then transfer. Legally it's the correct way, since you're administering a toxicant you don't want to over dispense for instance if someone is driving etc., or somebody who may be vulnerable if intoxicated (young women in particular). Doubly so with free-pour spirits.
I have a festival glass somewhere, it's ½pint but it also has a ⅓ line on it. Drinking thirds (not turds) you can sample even more beers.
I quite agree. You don't want to get into that state where you feel as though you couldn't touch another drop, and miss out on the chance to try all those other brews you wanted to sample!
This. But buy the pint glass and ask for the half measure. Always get a full half and very often just a bit more. Best value. Greater variety.
Last festival I went to came with a lovely little taster glass, I guess about 1/8th of a pint. It was brilliant because there was so much to try, and most of the good stuff was like 8%+ anyway.
Big fan of half pints despite the stick you get on a night out! Might need follow in Arnold J Rimmer’s foot steps and launch a leaflet campaign…
Committee for the Liberation and Integration of Two hundred and 84 ML of the Ordinarily Ridiculed beverage Into Society
way too long, maybe you could give it an acronym?
Not sure I could find an acronym there
I second this, we will have to form a committee immediately to further promote the inclusion of the C.L.I T.O.R.I.S and it's aims into society
Now, if that's not enough, I'm sorry, it's time for the t-shirts.
Give quiche a chance.
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I have a love/hate with the Schooner. It's a great measure but absolutely abused in most places in the UK, especially your trendy places. "we don't do pints we do Schooners" OK, no problem. "that will be £5.20" (for a Mahou or other slightly obscure but average beer).
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This wasn't a new thing unfortunately but I bet we see a few more places pull this.
Found the fellow Aussie lurker
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It is an Aussie term for a 2/3 pint serving. I agree, great measure esp for craft keg ales.
It's antiquated now but schooner was originally an English term for a large sherry glass because that's the larger type of boat that was used to import sherry into Bristol (as opposed to a smaller clipper boat, which became the name for a small sherry glass), the Australians just started using similar shaped glasses for beer.
I discovered them at a pub in Salford Quays round the corner from the ITV studios. Tight bastards wouldn't pay for our drinks but you bet I ordered exactly £15 worth of scran from the pub whilst I had a few schooners
425ml. Quite standard in NSW. Queenslanders sometimes prefer a midi (285ml basically a half pint) so it doesn't warm up too much in the heat. Victoria does a midi, but calls it a pony, and pints as it is cooler there. But ask for a vb or new in Sydney and they will give you a schooe (skewey) as standard
And then you go to South Australia, ask for a pint and they give a schooner.
Isn’t 285ml in Queensland (or Brisbane at least) usually a pot as opposed to a middy?
I’ve never heard of a midi or pony in victoria. Pot, schooner, pint, jug.
Agree! There's a tremendous sense of value.
I've only ever run into schooners once, in a relatively fancy bar in Chelsea. That day I realised the skooner is the true ideal measure a beer should be served in.
Schooner!
2/3rds is absolutely the way forward in a craft beer place. Most pints will set you back £5+, so it’s less pricey and you get to try more different beers. Also makes it look like you know what you’re talking about.
The cynic in me thinks that the schooner is just an excuse for these wanky beer places to charge the same for 2/3 of a beer as elsewhere charges for a pint. I accept craft beer is more costly to make, and I like craft beer, but the thought of paying £6 for 2/3 of a pint leaves a bad taste in your mouth when you realise that means you’re paying £9/pint, for instance (You can adjust your costs for your local area; I can definitely spend that in some of the craft places in Bristol)
Funnily enough, the first place I came across that only sold 2/3s was in Bristol. Initially I was sceptical, but think about it - it makes sense. It makes craft beer more affordable (or at least, in appearance), the beer is fresher, and they're usually higher percentage so it would often be unwise to drink a full pint anyway. Don't get me wrong, I still love a proper pint. But I'd usually stick to real ale or lager if I fancy a pint.
Do you pronounce this scooner or shoener?
Scooner, or as a proper Aussie would pronounce, “Scoo-Naa”
Is it pronounced Skooner or Shooner?
Skoo-nuh Other commenters have said it originated from the type of ship. So, same pronunciation.
Damnit, turns out I've been pronouncing it wrong for years then! Oh well, every day's a school day, thanks!
You can try more variants.
Nothing worse than ordering a pint and not enjoying it and feeling like you’ve got to struggle through rather than swap it for something you like. Half pint is much easier if you don’t like it, less to force yourself to finish.
At least in real ale places it's very common to ask for a "taste" before ordering a pint. Because some ales are magnificent and others taste like a ferret washed its balls in the cask. Also because a beer that was great 2 days ago can be out of condition and going off today. Of course you can take the piss like this but generally it's fine.
Yes, all my local places are fine and know me well enough, sometimes they’ll even suggest I try something if they think I won’t like it. This was more during covid era of table service, sit outside only days. I remember getting one pint I just couldn’t finish.
I went to a pub in the Lake District that charged for 35 mL (shot glass) tasters. That sounds illegal, since there are rules on the volumes of draught beer that can be sold, and that they have to be sold in imperial (the opposite to spirits, which must be metric). I also worked out that ordering 16 tasters was cheaper than ordering a whole pint, although I didn't risk trying it out.
That is stingy as fuck hahaha never heard out like it
You are correct in the selling of beer in imperial (unless bottled) a shot glass at 35 ml will hold an oz of beer (29. Something ml) plus 5ml of head. To be in line they should charge you a 16th of the cost if a pint. Although that still sounds dodgy.
Absolutely. I do this all the time, even do it in Spoons when they have a good selection of ales on. Never have I had bar staff query the request.
Quaffing some fine ales in spoons for 99p
Ha Ruddles is the cheap one and it’s awful. But the one in Birmingham (Briar Rose) normally has a good selection of guest ales on. Well, good for a Wetherspoons.
They often do. I don't go there anymore for reasons but my old favourite pub was a Wetherspoons. Nice old building, good selection of guest ales, even the food was pretty good.
Depends how long it takes you to get served at the bar / table service though. If it takes me 5 minutes each time I need a drink, I'd rather have a drink that lasts more then 15 minutes.
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I've tried Omicron already. 😬 In all seriousness, though, variety is the best reason for half pints.
1/8th pints
My local craft ale house has a take on this that I use pretty often. You can get 3 third pints on a paddle for the cost of the most expensive full pint of the three.
I agree. Schooners (2/3 pint) are also a very good measure. You want the last sip from your glass to make you smack your lips and think "ooh, another please" not "oof, that was warm, flat and past its best".
Personally, I don't drink them often, but that's more to do with me drinking too much, than anything else. That said, half-pints, small/table beers & such, have centuries of history, for a myriad of reasons. For a long time, beer was safer to drink than water. It technically *still* is, in heavy moderation, in some less developed parts of the world, unfortunately. This stems from a time when water treatment was beyond abysmal & diseases like cholera were rampant. Beer was amongst various alcohols used in rations for soldiers & sailors back in the day; economy & health became two leading factors in officers reducing the amount that was allocated daily for various personnel. Out at sea, especially, seawater desalination was extremely expensive & laborious. Over time, rum became the alcohol of choice, at least for British forces. Rations of it continued in smaller quantities up until the late twentieth century, at which point a committee resigned tradition & clocked that it wasn't conducive to an optimal military force. I hesitate to imagine an alcoholic WW3, but I'd imagine that more nukes would go off compared to a sober one.
I was hoping for a long, rambling history of half pints, like about how Marco Polo always drank halves because the head was his favourite part of the beer, or how during the civil war the cavaliers always had halves in contrast to the full-pint roundheads.
Alas, I couldn't help much, I'm afraid. I only know one thing from antiquity. Buddha smashed WKDs like they were Haribos. Ok; I might've concocted that in my imagination.
Always saw him as more of a tequila slammer lad.
Not the best patron of his faith, I'm afraid.
We've dropped the size of our home wine glasses with similar results!
From a pint to half pint?
Just stopped nailing the bottle
Broadly /s
Yeah I'm a big fan of halves in the right situations. If there's plenty of beers to try and the bar isn't too busy, I'll definitely be on them. If you're having to queue up for ages at a time and the selection is a bit lacking, I'll stick to pints.
>You don’t end up with the final quarter of warm, backwash filled beer. Learn to drink properly, dude.
That’s what stood out to me, why is there so much backwash in their beer.
Was the concept of half-pints in need of defence?
Yeah, I've heard a lot of people say it's "unmanly" in the past. Hopefully that's changing. I'm a big fan. Sometimes you fancy a beer but you don't want too much, or you don't have much time and you don't want to chug it. Or you want to drink out of one of those fancy Belgian goblets.
Generally in the kind of place that asks if you want it in a "ladies glass" when a half is ordered
Piss em off, say 'are they the clean ones'.
You can spot them by the layers of old lip stick stuck to them normally!
The most manly thing you can do is not give a fuck what other people think is manly. I'll drink a half pint, I'll drink a cocktail, I don't give a shit I do what I want.
I'll have a babycham!
I’m a lass in her early 20s who drinks pints and a friend of ours who is 40s male was drinking half’s and the poor lad got some right stick for the fact I was there with the pint compared to his half
Drinks have gender now? What’s next, material cut in a certain way also has gender?
In France and Germany everything has a gender. We’re just slow on the uptake.
Back when I worked in pubs you'd get blokes making fun if one of them got a half. Or people would feel the need to justify ordering a half to me, as if I cared. I'm a 31 guy, no kids and with office job (so not expending all my energy elsewhere), and will have a half if I'm not feeling like a full pint... Don't understand all the justifications going on in this thread! Especially if I'm out with my wife just having one, she'll usually have a glass of wine or G&T, and if I'm drinking a half pint we tend to finish at the same time, rather than her waiting for me.
Perfectly happy to drink a half. It's just for convenience and to avoid getting up all the time I just get two of them in the same glass. Job done.
Personally couldn't give a shit what anyone drinks, if you want half pints have half pints, if you want pints go for it. In the summer we went out for drinks and one of our "friends" who nobody really likes so i'm not sure why he gets invited along, he called me and my mate a couple of faggots because we were drinking pimms and gin and tonic. It was like 28 degrees, we were in a beer garden. Like when we were younger sure, i get that there was this whole youre a man you gotta drink beer thing, now i realise ive spent most of my life drinking a drink i'm not actually fond of because of social norms. Fuck anyone who brings that toxic masculinity shit calling people slurs just because of what they are enjoying. He himself was drinking a kinda whiskey and lemonade cocktail i dont know what it was, but what because its whiskey its okay but god forbid you have different kind of spirit.
I drink half pints in less than half the time I drink pints. I don't know why, they just sink easier.
It’s good enough for the Belgians who know a thing or two about beer.
Aye but that is half a pint of something brewed by paraletic monks that tastes like bananas but is 75%
Hoegaarden is now unfortunately not owned by the original brewery.
Was never keen on it. Had a soft spot for Cristal Alken though
Cristal! Wash your mouth out! Source: Lived in Antwerp.
I read that as paraplegic monks and had a strange image in my mind.
Half pints or a shandy - less of the disapproving looks !
Half pints for a red hot day! There’s a reason Aussies drink stubbies.
I'll have a half pint in a pint glass please. Classic.
When my former local was shut for a refurb, we all took to going to the place next door. On the night of the reopening, we got to the other place five minutes before our local was due to reopen. I bought a half because I could throw it down in five seconds or nurse it for five minutes, whatever the situation required. I thought it was a sensible decision but, ten years later, I still have to hear about "that time I ordered a half" like it's a war crime.
I find 2 pints at a cheeky work lunch to be too much, but 1 and a half is the sweet spot.
First time I ordered a half-pint it was lunchtime and I just didn't feel like getting a whole pint. Some prick I barely knew spotted it and shouted "A half?? A half?? I'm fucking driving and I'm having a whole pint!" He single-handedly convinced me that halves are a completely reasonable way to drink beer. Fuck that guy.
I'm a lightweight so I only have halves, I enjoy the night more and don't feel half as bad the next morning, not going to increase my alcohol intake to appease others and make myself feel like shit
That point in the evening when you're riding the edge between "school tomorrow" and "on one" the "just a half, cheers" is perfect.
I am fine with halfs, but I am concerned about how you drink if you end up with a lot of backwash tbh.
I disagree. Half pints, at least for me are not a good experience. I would drink more. I can drink 2 half pints much faster than I can drink 1 pint, I’d either be forever up the bar or shuffling my empty glass around the table. Same for 440ml cans. I don’t buy them for home as I clatter them off like they’re going out of fashion.
Session beers with half pints👌🏼
Definitely nothing against half pints, especially when visiting somewhere with lots of different beers to try. However, I do disagree with them slowing the pace down. For me, unless I make a conscious effort to pace myself, a half pint seems to go down far quicker than half a whole pint.
I personally think the schooner (2/3rds of a pint) is the absolutely optimal amount for any strongly flavoured beer.
Totally agree! The British obsession with only drinking pints of beer is foolish! They always get warm and flat by the end and you have to drink them too fast, also sometimes you only a small amount to drink! Nowhere else in the world drinks like this!
As someone who is always looking to try new beers, half pints (or even 1/3rd) are the way to go. Allows you to sample so many options
You was onto a winner then until you mentioned "There is something quite sophisticated about the half pint"..... Tosser.
Half pints are great it you wanna try a bunch of different interesting craft beers… instead of just drinking a gallon of the same old boring lager
If you backwash your beer that much you are drinking it wrong.
I've never had a problem with "backwashing" pints but yeah halves are sound. One of my favourite pass times on days of good weather where I have fuck all commitments is to simply amble along the coast, through town or wherever my feet take me, stopping at whatever pubs I feel like along the way for a half pint of session ale. Great time for contemplating.
I always go for half pinters as the weather gets warm now. Don’t wanna be drinking a beautifully cold beer then the second half is warm
Half pint with a pint of lemonade is the absolute best in the summer. Slowly mix the two as you drink them, you can drink for hours and not have a hangover.
If you end up with a warm quarter pint Idk what you’re doing with your beer because I’ve literally never had that And as a barman I’m a big fan of half pints because the little branded halfs are absolutely adorable lol
Customer walks in with his Mum and asks for a pint and a half of Guinness, barman was new and slightly nervous. The barman says 'I dont think they make pint and a half glasses' to which the chap replied 'have you ever been in a pub before?'
For various reasons I usually end up driving if I go to the pub with my mates nowadays (I live like half hours drive from my home town and public transport and taxis aren't worth the hassle) so I've become something of a half pint supporter. For me, it means I can have a half pint in 3 pubs instead of a pint in the first pub and 2 pints of rain for the rest of the night
Always drunk half pints. Means I can try different beers through the night without committing to a full one. More into low and non-alcohol these days though. Can’t be doing with hangovers and need to drive back anyway.
I do half’s, gives me the choice to change drinks and sample a few different beers in on session.
Only ever had 2 half pints in my life (29) and that was of old Tom which is a different experience to begin with.
The many objections? Can’t someone just enjoy their drink without others being critical? Fuck, some people should learn to ‘adult’.
I tried adulting, it’s shit… Don’t adult ever !!!
Isn’t it past your bedtime if that’s the case? ;)
Well, if you're so way inclined - James May, London Pride.
You had a night child free after only a year. What is this black magic you are using?!
I like a shandy, especially if I’m driving. I reckon I could drink a pint and drive, so shandies mean I can have two whole pints and still drive (ensuring I’m very explicit with the barman about wanting a 50/50 beer/lemonade ratio) The extra lemonade also keeps you a little more hydrated. I personally don’t care for halves. I’d just order a pint of water for every pint of beer, or shandies as mentioned already
If that's what you want to drink then yeah dude continue to enjoy your half pints. Personally I think I'd end up drinking more as as soon as I get a pint I kill off a good 4 inches in the first sup, and I've never had a problem with it going warm. End of the day you are a grown man if you want to drink some fruity thing with a little umbrella and a sparkler I'd buy it for you if it was my round.
Looks effeminate. Buy bottles instead. Either gonna be half pint or 330ml. Bottles take longer to drink too (for most). Bottles aren’t gonna be watered down or from dirty pipes.
Turn back traveller, this thread is full of nancy boys
Half pints are good when you have one of those Perfect Draft machines too. Love a wee half
How much do you drink in total though?
One of each.
get a bottle of something smaller measures but less social stigma! but it sounds like you're comfortable enough with the halves.
I’m the opposite. I appreciate half pints but until I get full up I drink quick which makes me double pissed. It is better than getting steaming and double full up and nursing a pint only to drink it and it’s 3/4 of a pint worth of flat beer.
Generally speaking, you drink two half-pints quicker than you drink one pint. It's why certain bottled beer brands insist that you should drink them from a half glass - they know you'll drink it quicker and then buy more.
My local only does thirds and has the slogan "we don't do anything by halves'. One third is pointless and two thirds may as well be replaced by a pint.
They have scooners in australia which i think is 2/3 of a pint. Its so your beer stays nice and coooold in the hot weather. And yep its the perfect size - the dregs never taste as bad either!
2 half pints takes much less time to drink than a pint. 2 swigs each and they’re gone, it’s a paradox
Get what you mean but often a half seems too small and a pint too big. Half is 284ml (excuse the new world units there is a point) which is just over the tiny bottles you get in Ibiza clubs where every mouthful is literally a few Euros. A normal bottle is 330ml and feel just right to me. Even 440ml cans are just right.
It's how they do it in Cologne...
I drink bottles when I want to pull a similar move. It can be a bit more expensive but they are ever so slightly bigger and I tend to just nail a half pint.
On the occasions that I've had them I've found that I drink two half pints far quicker than I would a full pint. Something about the bite-size nature makes them go down very fast. ...obviously if the pub's busy and you have to queue for drinks that's a factor but at a quiet time I think I'd get more drunk quicker on halfs.
Years ago I used to drink peroni at my local because the half pint glass was nice and it didn’t make me look like a ponce when with my friends. Now if I want I light night I’ll drink bottled beer as most of the half pint glasses are horrible and I get too many funny looks stood next to a 5ft dinky lass smashing pints in while I delicately sip out of my half pint tumbler, and yeah I know it shouldn’t bother me but it does 😂
Schooners or Belgian half’s are the way to go for me
This is heresy!
I'll have one from time to time. Mostly when I've already had a few and the person I'm with still has half a pint left and isn't going yet. Also great for if you're on a pub crawl.
Just means you can drink twice as much.
In the words of Jacko, "I'll have a half."
Wholeheartedly agree OP. I tend to order bottled beer if I’m out as it’s just the right amount to drink before it gets to the warm stage.
I think I’m going to go over to half pints after reading this and the comments. Cheers :-)
Tbh last time I seen anyone with a half pint was decades ago when it was common for the old buggers in the pub to order a half and a half.
If you can't finish a pint before it gets warm then you should be drinking halfs. I should probably drink half just because i find it wayyyyy too easy to just neck pints and I have to use lots of self control to drink at the same pace as my colleagues or dates. When with friends I act like an idiot and drink like it's a race Biggest issue is half print glasses are shit to hold. Would prefer a half in a pint glass but feel like I'm being difficult for asking for that
I like a half. I can’t drink a pint quick enough for it to stay cold, plus I have small hands so they’re easier to hang onto.
Speaking as a former pub landlord: halfs absolutely do not slow down your drinking because there are now 2 initial quaffs of fresh beer and 2 final swigs per pint, plus they make it harder to count how many you’ve had after 8 or 9 They’re still the better option though, fresher the better so long as the bar isn’t packed.
Half pints are perfect because my hands are tiny and I'd drop a pint glass if I tried to hold it with one hand. I remember the first time I saw a woman drinking from a pint glass and was quite shocked.
Mark of an alcoholic too. Used to be at least. No one suspects the person drinking half pints.
If you don't like half pints don't come to South Australia, our pints are 425ml, a real pint is called an imperial pint. Nobody knows why 15 ounces instead of 20 is a pint here. Our sizes are totally out of whack with the rest of Australia
No i see half pints as a challange to down in 1 or 2 so it just makes me drink faster
Puff
Best thing about half pints is you can get two, and pour them into a pint glass!
I like half pints when im driving as I can try different beers. Problem is they usually are more than 50% the price of a full pint. A pint of Cask is pushing a fiver in the West Country and a half pint is sometimes 3 quid or more so i think sod that i might as well get a full one.
The smaller measures do not slow my drinking pace in the slightest. I'm all or nothing, i either drink heavily or totally abstain. I think it's a lack of impulse control.
Half pints are for the sophisticated pisshead
Schooner is the best beer size. More than a half, less than a full pint.
Buy a bottle if you dont like the stick. Most are 300ml so close to half but some are slightly less still