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 M¢25  Funded By Mahalo ? |  August 24, 2009 02:22 PM

Britain is considering making pubs change to plastic beer pints. Is nothing sacred?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8217775.stm
Britain has been accused of becoming a "nanny" state before; but, surely this is going too far! A ball game yes, we've seen sports fans throwing beers. But a pub is the last refuge of the real beer drinker. What is your opinion, especially if you are British?
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August 24, 2009 03:43 PM
While I can't answer this from the British point of view this does bring an interesting thought to mind, though it would apply to American bars only since Britian doesn't have this problem.

Many American bars choose to serve their beer in "frosted" mugs, resulting in an overly chilled beer which anyone that has an understanding of beer knows kills the true taste. By having plastic mugs/pints bars would not have the ability to ruin a perfectly fine beer in this way... in fact it might force more places to server beer at a temp closer to what one might find in Britain, where hundreds of years of knowledge tells them cool beer beats out cold beer at almost all times!

As @omicron mentioned, if the plastic pint glasses were done right (meaning quality thick plastic and nice form factor) it would not hinder the quality of the beer... even so... give me my glass pint glasses any day because it is about history and knowing it just works right!!
Asker's Rating:
• Thanks for bringing up that regular irritation, the frosted mug. But I don't think plastic will help because they have invented plastic mugs with liquid inside that freezes. One of those is even worse because you can't just let it sit a couple of minutes to warm up a bit.

While looking into this question I discovered that the dimpled mug has been replaced in Britain by an odd pint glass with a bulge in order to stack better. They should go back to the dimpled mugs.

Ideally, of course, one's own stein would be hanging behind the bar. But that's only practical if it's your regular pub.


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August 24, 2009 03:21 PM
It always seems a bit strange the first time an imbiber swigs from a plastic container, but if it's a strong, smooth, glossy plastic - modeled well - in fact the connoisseur quickly learns to appreciate the lighter heft, and the shaterproofing.

One might predict that the fact it takes less energy to produce a plastic mug would be of minimal concern to members of the quafing arts, but in fact it becomes a conscience salve to those feeling guilty about drinking too much, and no matter which way you cut it, sooner or later, they're all going to appreciate the policy next time blindsided by a mug to the side of the head.

Hmm ... come to think of it, if it's a safety issue, and not cost, then they should regulate the new standard pint to be made from silicone plastic.

Like carbon plastics, silicone plastics are shatterproof and softer than glass, so that takes care of the problem of dropping or fighting with the mug, but silicone plastics are scratch-proof and essentially immortal like glass, so they'd be getting the best of both worlds.

In terms of public acceptance, silicone plastic makes it a much easier sell, because Brits would cotton to the idea that their mugs aren't just any ol' plastic, but are a special indestructable silicone variety that are indestructable and can't be tossed into a recycling bin and melted down with the rest of the lot, plus you can remind them that glass is silicone too.

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August 24, 2009 03:55 PM
I will bring my own glass, hang it behind the bar and I will wash it when I am finished. I vote no plastic.

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August 24, 2009 06:46 PM
We're still going to get our pints, they could be served in paper party cups for all I care.

I don't know what difference it's going to make to people who want to go and have a drink and not cause any trouble. The people it's going to make a difference to are the ones who get drunk and like to fight.

A drunken, angry man with a big plastic cup in his hand is a lot less dangerous than a drunken, angry man with a glass one...

Glasses get thrown around a lot here in Hull in the bars. I can't speak for the rest of Britain but that's what it's like here. I've been caught up in some pretty scary moments where I had accepted the fact that I might get glassed. I'll feel much safer if they make the receptacles plastic.

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August 24, 2009 11:15 PM
So, you wouldn't mind if you were taken out to an expensive restaurant and the meal came on a paper plate with plastic knife and fork, and the wine was in a paper cup? How unusual.

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August 25, 2009 01:04 AM
I didn't say that, did I @albanian? I spoke of plastic or paper cups in PUBS, not plates or cutlery in RESTAURANTS.

PUBS and RESTAURANTS are two different things.

For the sake of argument, however, no it wouldn't bother me. What difference does it make? Some people are a bit too up themselves to realise life is too short to worry about silly things like that.

Perhaps it is unusual, but I'm an unusual girl.

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August 25, 2009 01:18 AM
I take beer as seriously as wine tasters take wine and gourmets take food.

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August 25, 2009 01:47 AM
Er, good for you. Keep it up.

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