" "By the way, when you say: Draught beer is not sold in 570ml measures
don't you mean that beer is sold in pints that are defined by the metric system as "between 568.3 mL and approx 604 mL". That is, the word pint was chosen by Maggie Thatcher to hide the fact that the UK sells beer according to metric system standards. As she trained as a chemist she would have known that. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia" I am embarrassed to admit that I was totally unaware of this. Wines and spirits, yes, but not pints of beer. Just to confirm; you do mean draught beer as opposed to cans of beer, don't you? Cans of beer (apart from some which are sold in a 568ml measure) all tend to be sold in either 440ml or 500ml measures here in the UK.. I was unaware that, as you say, that draught beer was sold in the UK according to metric system standards. ----- Original Message ----- From: Kilopascal To: [email protected] ; U.S. Metric Association Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2011 2:07 AM Subject: [USMA:50496] Re: Coffee mug Pat, 570 mL is not a pint by legal definition, but is a pint by practical application. Here are some links to web sites that offer for sale a CE stamped and lined 570 mL "pint" glasses. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elite-Polycarbonate-Plastic-Pint-Glass/dp/B002VWDK6G http://www.londonbarandkitchen.com/itemImage.cfm?itemCode=11397 http://www.cedonline.co.uk/96680-nonic-glass---570ml-20oz-1pint-ce-box-48-6152-p.asp http://www.polysafe.com.au/pint_glass_570ml.php http://www.amazon.co.uk/Senator-Pint-Glass-Activator-marked/dp/B002L630SA They don't call it a 568.26 mL, but 570 mL. Why would they do it if it wasn't so? I believe the reason for this is that these glasses are made outside the UK, possibly the Czech Republic, where all the glasses are made to metric standards. I'm sure the British weights and measures officials are completely content with a 570 mL glass as opposed to a precise 568.26 mL glass. I would assume that the CE certification stamp means they were tested or checked to 570 mL as that is the size they are advertized too. Why claim you glass is 570 mL if it was only verified to 568 mL? Plus if you actually gave someone 570 mL of product you can't be accused of cheating. Even Wikipedia uses 570 mL as the metric capacity of these glasses: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pint_glass I can't say for sure as I never measured a 570 mL glass, but if there is a mark that states "pint to the line" that could mean 570 mL or 568 mL. It may be both depending on where the glass was made. If it really was 570 mL would UK authorities get excited over it? I feel that they are a true 570 mL (that is capable of holding 570 mL of product) and 568 mL is mention in some circles because it is the closest whole number to the official, legal definition. I think only an anti-metric person or organization would throw a Tantrum over the 570 mL description because in their mind it means that metrication has changed the pint even if by only 2 mL. This has nothing to do with what a pub patron actually gets in his fill and I'm sure the variations of the fill are much more that 2 mL, but it is the psychological effect of describing or seeing the pint being equal to 570 mL instead of the 568 mL one would expect. By the way, when you say: Draught beer is not sold in 570ml measures don't you mean that beer is sold in pints that are defined by the metric system as "between 568.3 mL and approx 604 mL". That is, the word pint was chosen by Maggie Thatcher to hide the fact that the UK sells beer according to metric system standards. As she trained as a chemist she would have known that. Cheers, Pat Naughtin Geelong, Australia
