Pubs and taverns are bastions of freedom. The American Revolution was hatched in the Buckman and Monroe Taverns of Lexington, Massachusetts, scarcely 3 kilometers from where I grew up. So, I guess you could say that the pint is symbol of freedom's ferment (grin). But, I fear that this same obsession with the standard serving size of a brewsky will also befall us Yanks, as it has in other countries. That won't be the end of it on this side of the pond, though. In the U.S., there will be all kinds of requests for exemptions from metrication and all kinds of fears that metrication will take over in areas in which it may not belong. Upon the announcement of the EU decision on supplemental indications, we saw headlines about "British can keep their pints (of alcoholic beverage poured in pubs)," as if this measure was the shibboleth of metrication in Europe.
During the deliberations of a future U.S. Metric Board, these very psychological issues have got to be talked out. The measurement of goods served has to be clarified, so we won't have more customary-unit martyrdom. However, the U.S. pint is smaller than a half liter, and, as Pat suggests, there could be lobbying by the American brewing industry to keep it as a serving size. Does metrication belong in the pub, though? Can't bar patrons request a size that it outside of legal metrology but agreed upon in the drinkers' world? I would hate to see a Liliput-Blefuscu war break out over quaffing a few. Paul Trusten, R.Ph. Public Relations Director U.S. Metric Association, Inc. www.metric.org 3609 Caldera Blvd. Apt. 122 Midland, Texas 79707-2872 US +1(432)528-7724 [email protected]
