As research historian I am strongly in favour of investigating issues, preferably with a series of open questions which don’t have preconceived answers. In that context its baffling why there has apparently been research into whether beer drinkers prefer pints or two-thirds measures. Certainly the big pub chains sell beer in pints and halves. However many independents and craft beer bars offer both two-thirds and one-third measures. A pint might be just the thing on a hot day after a walk. Two-thirds might work better for a robust 6% IPA, while an imperial stout at, say, 10% is certainly best sipped as a third.
Given that the researchers in question have previously published on whether people want smaller glasses of wine, perhaps it would just be better if they called for people to drink a bit less. Not all will agree but its a perfectly valid point that does not require rather oddly based research.
Useful Guardian piece on pints
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