A new initiative in the UK’s Somerset County this summer will ensure that beer drinkers are not getting hosed at their favourite watering holes.
Trading Standards Officers will be making the rounds throughout the county with beer measuring devices, ensuring that all glassware is certified to hold a true, 100 per cent liquid 20 fluid ounces.
These glasses will then get marked with a certification stamp or etching. These marks usually are an “M” or “CE” marking on the underside of the glass.
The officers will also be scrutinizing bartenders and servers as well, keeping a watchful eye on their pouring techniques. A recent survey completed in the region had about one in five pints being poured with a larger head than the recommended maximum of five per cent and, in some instances, pints with heads as much as 10 per cent were observed.
The good folks at Trading Standards apparently will not stand for miss-pours and are making a concerted effort at making sure the customer always gets what they paid for.
Knowing that not all beer is consumed at bars and pubs, the officers are also watching the festival and event calendar closely so that they can ensure that any plastic and paper cups used for these events are certified and that festival organizers have beer measuring devices on the premises.
What a novel idea: a municipal government looking out for consumer rights, with a whole division dedicated to beer drinker welfare. That’s the kind of “Big Brother” we need.
Here in Whitehorse, the Yukon Liquor Corporation does a great job checking in with bars to make sure they are following the letter of the law when it comes to serving clientèle of the appropriate age, keeping to their maximum capacity limits and ensuring no one is over-served.
Perhaps, however, the time has come to add this watchdog function to their repertoire of regulation. I mean, really, a glass completely full is even more positive than a glass half full .. it keeps everyone happy.
Imagine the look on the bartenders face when a liquor official serves him notice that his pints have too much head and that he’ll be watching him. I would probably tip a little extra to see that.
Of course, at the Yukon Brewing Company we have utmost faith that any licensee of the Yukon Liquor Corporation that pours our beer on tap is pouring our beer exactly how it should and that consumers are getting exactly what they paid for. We don’t get to thank these fine folks often enough for getting our beer out there in the market.
Cheers to these fine folks and the full pints they serve.
This column is courtesy of the Yukon Brewing Company, an organization that sells beer, not bubbles.
