American "Pint" vs European PINT!

[Synovia]

Places I go to even some of the chain places have it Bottled beer X dollars . draft small X$ and large X$ . Bet you dollars to donuts if they made a reg as to pints all places would just go large and small on drafts. The friend I have only uses the the 16 once pint glass for all draft beer. And just say's draft price is $ .

Most of the places I see with 2 sizes generally say 16oz and 20/24 oz.

 

[thirdedition]

At my local watering hole, they serve draft beer in 10 oz or 20 oz glasses. They are what they say they are. I don't go to many bars, but I found one that I like and they get my business.

 

[mitch171]

I've swiped glasses from a local brewpub because I was pretty sure I was getting under-served. Low and behold, I was! Now...how can I got about telling them this without mentioning that I took one home for a bit of testing? I don't know, but the bottom of the 'pint' glass is so thick that I was pretty sure I was getting screwed!

Take a measuring cup to the bar...


It is equally annoying to me with wine glasses. They never have the right glass the wine is always served either to warm (red) or too cold (white) Most places do not have different glasses for red or white. Red wine by the glass is almost always oxidized. And even though it is better to not be ripped off, they always fill up to the top in small glasses, so you can't smell it. I went to one resturant where the wine came in a small decanter and you could pour how much you wanted in your glass at a time.

Back on topic, my local "good" bar lets you know the ounces usually I order in one of their 20 oz mugs, but some of the higher ABV beers come in different sizes or proprietary glassware. So some are marked as coming in 10 oz glasses, 6 oz ect. They also offer all of their beers, except the special ones that come in special glasses, in 10 oz, 16 oz, and 20 oz.

 

[springer]

I've swiped glasses from a local brewpub because I was pretty sure I was getting under-served. Low and behold, I was! Now...how can I got about telling them this without mentioning that I took one home for a bit of testing? I don't know, but the bottom of the 'pint' glass is so thick that I was pretty sure I was getting screwed!

So your pissed they didn't give a full pint so ya stole a glass .... makes perfect sense to me

 

[springer]

It is equally annoying to me with wine glasses. They never have the right glass the wine is always served either to warm (red) or too cold (white) Most places do not have different glasses for red or white. Red wine by the glass is almost always oxidized. And even though it is better to not be ripped off, they always fill up to the top in small glasses, so you can't smell it. I went to one resturant where the wine came in a small decanter and you could pour how much you wanted in your glass at a time.

There are places that do serve in decanter or in the bottle but really most places have no idea how to serve wine ... damn most of the servers arent even old enough to drink. Stop ordering wine at the Olive garden dude...

 

[mitch171]

There are places that do serve in decanter or in the bottle but really most places have no idea how to serve wine ... damn most of the servers arent even old enough to drink. Stop ordering wine at the Olive garden dude...

I don't order wine out because of this. I never said I order at Olive Garden. I actually work at the New York Wine and Culinary center. I was just pointing out that most wine is actually server so wrong it is actually spoiled. So with beer at least is is usually still fresh and drinkable.

 

[justflow1983]

Wine is much harder to get served right, like you said. I personally think its because people don't drink it as often at home; its the kind of thing you have to learn growing up. Peope who start drinking it as 30-somethings read something stupid in Elle about drinking white wine cold and put it in the freezer. Good drinking "values" were taught to me growing up, so I learned how to appreciate booze rather than pound tasteless garbage until i pass out.

 

[hal2814]

I've swiped glasses from a local brewpub because I was pretty sure I was getting under-served. Low and behold, I was! Now...how can I got about telling them this without mentioning that I took one home for a bit of testing? I don't know, but the bottom of the 'pint' glass is so thick that I was pretty sure I was getting screwed!

I have to second the confusion at glass-swiping. Why not just get a bottle of beer and pour it in if you're curious? The vast majority of bottled beers are already quite accurately measured in 12oz increments. If it fills to the top, you're not getting a pint.

 

[springer]

I don't order wine out because of this. I never said I order at Olive Garden. I actually work at the New York Wine and Culinary center. I was just pointing out that most wine is actually server so wrong it is actually spoiled. So with beer at least is is usually still fresh and drinkable.

joke hence the But I wont order wine at most places because of the things you stated.

 

[Soulrebel]

Damn forget the size of the pour. I'm glad I'm not paying $7 a pint around here.

 

[Shooter]

joke hence the But I wont order wine at most places because of the things you stated.

Hey, no joke, I was at an Olive Garden years back and someone ordered wine. The kid managed to pour out the entire bottle into our four glasses all the time explaining to us that they'd just taught him how to pour wine. Those were the fullest wine glasses I've EVER seen!

My local brewpub has the glasses marked with a line that says "The Pint Stops Here." I always liked that!

 

[springer]

Hey, no joke, I was at an Olive Garden years back and someone ordered wine. The kid managed to pour out the entire bottle into our four glasses all the time explaining to us that they'd just taught him how to pour wine. Those were the fullest wine glasses I've EVER seen!

My local brewpub has the glasses marked with a line that says "The Pint Stops Here." I always liked that!

Ya that Taylor Chianti is good stuff aint it...... Hey you got you monies worth ... And you do know that they refilled the bottle from the big box in the kitchen... J/k or am I?

 

[cheezydemon3]

imagine what nutjob is going to start screaming about "big government" taking over their freedom to pour crappy pints.

lol.

 

[mitch171]

joke hence the But I wont order wine at most places because of the things you stated.

Sorry I was hopped up on caffeine at the time...

 

[EoinMag]

Alcohol is almost always the highest margin product in any restaurant. The rest of the operations normally have profits margins of 2-3%.

Nope, never, food and restaurant has a much better margin because you take cheap fresh food and turn it into meals and sell your labour, beer is not a good profit maker, a coke makes much more for the bar than alcohol does.
I worked in the industry for years in multiple european countries, it was always the same.....

I had to point out this inaccuracy.

If someone has pint on their menu then you should get a pint, it's simple, nothing to do with government, it's about people not getting ripped.

 

[Synovia]

Nope, never, food and restaurant has a much better margin because you take cheap fresh food and turn it into meals and sell your labour, beer is not a good profit maker, a coke makes much more for the bar than alcohol does.

I don't know where you're working, but theres absolutely no way that a $55 keg being sold for in excess of $800 doesn't make a good profit margin.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

So your pissed they didn't give a full pint so ya stole a glass .... makes perfect sense to me

haha, I was wondering if anyone was going to bring that one back around. The glasses have nice heavy bottoms, I like them. Maybe if I take enough of them they'll buy new, proper size glasses? Doubt it. Regardless, they charge enough for their 'pints' for a glass or two to go missing.

 

[mitch171]

I don't know where you're working, but theres absolutely no way that a $55 keg being sold for in excess of $800 doesn't make a good profit margin.

Did you take into account liquor license, bar staff, cleaning supplies, refrigeration, building overhead, waste.

I agree beer makes more than liquor, but much less than food or pop.

 

[mitch171]

haha, I was wondering if anyone was going to bring that one back around. The glasses have nice heavy bottoms, I like them. Maybe if I take enough of them they'll buy new, proper size glasses? Doubt it. Regardless, they charge enough for their 'pints' for a glass or two to go missing.

Half of my beer glasses were donated to me also...

 

[northernlad]

I don't know where you're working, but theres absolutely no way that a $55 keg being sold for in excess of $800 doesn't make a good profit margin.

I don't know where you are getting your kegs, but I haven't seen a $55 keg in many years. And I have never seen a $55 keg of anything worth drinking.
Based on many of the places I have worked, it is highly unlikey that any operator is going to get much more than $400-$450 from a keg of premium beer if they are actually pouring a 16oz glass (128*15.5/16*4=$496). That is based on $4 a glass and accounting for waste (and lets not forget the free night of drinking the bartender gave his buddy). If their kegs cost $150 that makes their liquor cost on a keg 33%.

As far as your previous statement about margin, 2-3% is not correct.
Any good restauranteur will run his food cost at 20-25%. Pasta and Pizza will be around 15%, Steak and Seafood closer to 50%. The menu mix almost always balances to low 20's.
The only way beer beats food is in labor cost.

 

[Synovia]

Did you take into account liquor license, bar staff, cleaning supplies, refrigeration, building overhead, waste.

All of which goes into food sales too. It takes a lot more staff to make a soup than it does to pour a beer.

I agree beer makes more than liquor, but much less than food or pop.

When I was working in the service industry, we were lucky if we broke even on the food. It was the beer and soda that made the money.

 

[Synovia]

I don't know where you are getting your kegs, but I haven't seen a $55 keg in many years. And I have never seen a $55 keg of anything worth drinking.
Based on many of the places I have worked, it is highly unlikey that any operator is going to get much more than $400-$450 from a keg of premium beer if they are actually pouring a 16oz glass (128*15.5/16*4=$496). That is based on $4 a glass and accounting for waste (and lets not forget the free night of drinking the bartender gave his buddy). If their kegs cost $150 that makes their liquor cost on a keg 33%.

Who the hell is selling Premium beer for $4 for a 16 oz pint?


I can get a keg for $55 at any liquor store around here (of macro).

 

[northernlad]

Who the hell is selling Premium beer for $4 for a 16 oz pint?


I can get a keg for $55 at any liquor store around here (of macro).

Most bars in NW Washington are $3.75-4.25.
Now I think I see the real problem. You guys are getting shafted no matter what size the glass.

 

[Synovia]

Most bars in NW Washington are $3.75-4.25.
Now I think I see the real problem. You guys are getting shafted no matter what size the glass.

Around here, you go to a brewpub, and anything decent STARTS at about $6 a glass for that BrewPub's own stuff. If I go to a normal bar, and get a bottle of something decent, its most likely in the 6-7 range.


$3.75-4.25 is BMC price in most placed (here, in chicago, and in boston, where I lived previously), unless you're there on Dollar Draft night or something.

 

[northernlad]

The fact that they offer a dollar night should give you some indication of how far they usually deposit the tap handle in your back side.

 

[mitch171]

All of which goes into food sales too. It takes a lot more staff to make a soup than it does to pour a beer.



When I was working in the service industry, we were lucky if we broke even on the food. It was the beer and soda that made the money.

I guess it depends on the particular places mark up. Food here makes a killing, alcohol on the other hand just makes people hungry. I get 20 oz of micro brew for $3 for specials and about $4.50 for any of the other 75 beers on tap. On the other hand bottles of BMC cost $3.75, and I don't actually know the cost on tap. I recently converted my friend from the bottle to real beer.

http://www.macgregorsgrillandtaproom.net/beers.asp

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Wow this thread really took off!

My position remains the same. I don't like to have to pay money to take it in the butt, but hell, I'll do anything for a beer!

Wait, that came out all wrong!

 

[Soybomb]

The fact that they offer a dollar night should give you some indication of how far they usually deposit the tap handle in your back side.

And all this time I'd been thinking that I'd been getting a bargain everytime I went to a bar

 

[JJDMusic]

Okay, I just need to say that I agree it is a rip-off to order a "pint" and get 12 ounces.

However, in the states nobody orders a pint! Your options are DRAFT or BOTTLE. Most bottles are twelve ounces. Most drafts are twelve to fourteen ounces, and they may give you the draft for a quarter or two less than the bottle.

This is very different than a bar promoting that they sell "PINTS" for X dollars and you are handed a cheater glass. There is another thread on here somewhere about that exact case, I am looking for it. Unless I go to a real beer bar (I live in south jersey) like Monks or Eulogy in Philly, There is no option of ordering a "pint". They always say Draft or Bottle.

Bars make more on bottles, period. In the states they mark everything up and rob you blind in bars and restaurants for alcohol. We should not be mad about the size of our DRAFT beer. We should be pissed that people are charging $5 and sometimes more for the cheapest bar in the joint. I will pay that for a 12ounce draft of a good IPA but for BMC I am walking out of there fast. These bars are trying to serve you one beer for a dollar less than what a six pack costs. Now that is bull****. Just saying you got to pick the right battles. Boycott the high mark-ups and bring these bars back to reality.

 

[mitch171]

I think the people that are upset are in the case of ordering a "pint" and getting "not a pint" For example when I was in college a bar called "BJ's" would have dollar "pint" night and it was not near a pint of beer.