Make mine a schooner: Why we fell out of love with the pint

Research out today from the Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) shows the half pint glass is now the most popular way to drink beer. And drinking from a third of a pint glass is now just as popular as downing a pint, according to the survey of 2,000 people.

In total, 34 per cent of drinkers said they opt for a half pint when trying a new beer, with equal amounts, 26 per cent, saying they opt for a pint or a third of a pint glass.

The campaign group said the switch away from the pint pot reflected a trend for people drinking less, but being more adventurous in their choices.

Paul Stephenson is the manager of the Head of Steam pub in Leeds city centre, which specialises in craft ales and cask beers, particularly from America and Belgium - primarily served in two-third of a pint schooners and third of a pint measures.

He said: “We find that when trying something new or a bit different, people tend to go for a schooner or a half-pint, but when it’s a traditional hand pull, they are more likely to go for a full pint. If people are stretching out of their comfort zone they will go for a half.

“From our point of view, a lot of our products are stronger, around 8 or ten per cent ABV - and you wouldn’t want a pint of that.

“But our clientele never ceases to amaze me. We get everyone from your more mature Camra drinker, who might have a traditional bitter, to a group of ladies who are no longer after wine, but instead IPAs, porters and stouts.”

Camra’s research, released to mark the start of the Great British Beer Festival in London, showed that people were most likely to try a new beer for the first time at a beer festival (41 per cent), and least likely to try something new at home (5 per cent).

That pattern is reflected at the Head of Steam, where Mr Stephenson said there has been a steady switch to people re-discovering cask craft beers over lagers from the tap that they can readily buy to drink at home.

“Kegs don’t let you discover what real beer can beer. It’s one of the things a supermarket can’t replicate,” he said.
“Nowadays you can go to the supermarket and buy cans of beer, a take away in a bag and a DVD to replicate a pub quiz - but you can’t replicate the taste of a cask beer at home.”

Government figures released over the weekend showed Britain was a “Brewing powerhouse”, with a new brewery is opening up in Britain every other day.

Camra is campaigning for pubs to encourage the sampling of real ale by not charging disproportionate amounts for half pints.

Camra chief executive Tim Page said: “With more than 1,200 breweries in the UK, and more beer styles being brewed than ever before, Britain has seriously got the beer bug.

“People are becoming more open to trying new beers and moving away from the mentality of drinking pint-after-pint of the same brew. Particularly for stronger, more full flavoured real-ales such as barley wines, or strong porters and stouts, a half or third of a pint is a much more sensible option and allows people to try a range of beers without drinking past their limits.”

Make mine a schooner

AN AUSTRALIAN staple, the two-thirds of a pint schooner was introduced in 2011 when the Government relaxed strict rules dictating drink sizes.

Two years later, in a move believed to be the first in the country, Leeds Beer Festival took the decision to ditch pints and half pints in favour of third and two-third measures. Now commonplace, they will be on offer at Camra’s Great British Beer Festival this week.

Camra chief executive Tim Page said: “People are as interested in tasting as they are in drinking – and the best way to try the widest range of beers is to opt for a smaller sized glass.”