Beer lovers call on establishments to ’ fess up to their serving sizes
Advocates say knowing how much is in the glass is a public safety issue
The Campaign for Real Ale Vancouver is putting pressure on B. C.’ s bars and restaurants to confess to the real size of their draft beer servings.
CAMRA Vancouver — the local chapter of the 100,000- member international beer drinkers advocacy group — is urging its members to ask their servers how much beer is in their glass as part of its FUSS campaign, or Fess Up to Serving Sizes.
Draft beer is commonly served as either a pint or a sleeve, according to CAMRA president Paddy Treavor.
By law, a pint in Canada is 20 ounces or 591 ml, but in practice few establishments serve a true pint, he said. So- called pints of beer typically range from 16 to 19.5 ounces, according to The Sun’s research.
A sleeve is defined in the B. C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch as 14 ounces or 414 ml. But sleeve glasses come in three sizes — 12 ounce, 14 ounce and 16 ounce — all of which are widely used in the service industry.
“I get complaints from people all the time,” said Treavor. “I order a pint and a sleeve comes, or I order a sleeve and I don’t know how much is in it and neither does the server.
“There’s just no regulation. You could go to two places right next door to each other and for the same price get 25- per- cent more beer in one compared to the other.”
Licensees must make information available to customers on the amounts of liquor contained in their drinks in millilitres or ounces, according to the B. C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch.
One serving of beer may not exceed 24 ounces ( 710 ml), but licensees are permitted to serve any amount of beer under the maximum that fit their existing glassware, according to an email interview with the branch.
CAMRA is working with its roster of 60 corporate members, many of B. C.’ s brewers, and watering holes to post their serving sizes either on the wall or on the menu.
“To a member they’ve all agreed to support us,” said Treavor. The Whip and Central City Brew Pub have been most enthusiastic about adopting serving size transparency and both are now serving true 20- ounce pints, he said.
The Alibi Room, St. Augustine’s and the Cascade Room and the Donnelly Group pubs are also making changes to support the FUSS campaign.
CAMRA International favours the use of oversized glasses with a pouring line on the side to show that a full measure is poured. Lined glasses are widely used in Australia and the U. K.
Not every beer needs to be served in full 20- ounce pints, said Treavor. Full pints served in the U. K. tradition are typically lower alcohol session beers such as bitter or British mild.
“Higher alcohol beers should come in smaller servings, but people need to know what those servings are,” he said.
Treavor considers standardization a public safety issue.
“With the new tough drinking [ and] driving laws you need to know whether you are getting 12 ounces or 20 of a seven- per- cent IPA,” he said.
CAMRA is collecting signatures with an online petition urging the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch to require licensees to provide customers with a serving size price list.
“It’s the one liquor law we actually want them to enforce,” Treavor said with a laugh.
About 250 people have already signed on.