They're Messing With Our Beer!!!!!

[TC]

Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot stand this:

Pubs warn over plastic pints plan

Plans to replace the traditional pint glass with one made of shatter-proof plastic will not be accepted by drinkers, the pub industry has warned.

The Home Office has commissioned a new design, in an attempt to stop glasses being used as weapons.

Official figures show 5,500 people are attacked with glasses and bottles every year in England and Wales.

The British Beer and Pub Association said it did not want the new plastic glasses to be made compulsory.

Neil Williams from the association said he was concerned that drinkers would notice a drop in quality.

"For the drinker, the pint glass feels better, it has a nice weight and the drink coats the glass nicely. That's why people go out for a drink, to have a nice experience."

He said there was a danger that pubs with no record of trouble would be penalised.

He said: "I would ask, is it necessary to replace the much-loved pint glass for safety reasons in the vast majority of pubs where there is no problem?

"Pubs shouldn't be put under pressure to stop using glasses if they are safe places to drink. Why on earth ask them to do that?

"They shouldn't be corralled into using plastic glasses. Anything that would move us towards a plastic product would not be welcomed."

Red tape

Mr Williams said the industry feared extra costs at a time when many pubs were struggling in the recession: "It would impose another cost on us. Red tape is already coming from all sides."

Nick Verebelyi, the designer in charge of delivering the new pint, said they were looking at two approaches.

"One is to coat the glass with a substance that will make sure the glass doesn't shatter into pieces when it is broken - that could be a plastic material for example.

"But it would have to feel like an existing pint glass to the consumer."

Mr Verebelyi said his company, Design Bridge, was also looking at changing the pint altogether.

"We could do something more radical, by looking at the whole shape and substance of the pint - we could come up with something that is completely different to glass.

"Remember that years ago people used to drink out of pewter tankards. It could be quite a significant paradigm shift."

Mr Verebelyi said he accepted that drinkers are attached to the traditional glass pint.

"You make a change and there is often opposition, we've got to make it appealing to them. We've got to make it desirable and acceptable and cool.

"There's going to be quite a push behind this in terms of the Home Office."

The Home Office Minister, Alan Campbell, said the redesign could make a significant difference to the number of revellers who are injured.

He said: "Innovative design has played an important role in driving down overall crime, including theft, fraud and burglary.

"This project will see those same skills applied to the dangerous and costly issue of alcohol-related crime and I am confident that it will lead to similar successes."

Shortcut to making yourself as unpopular as is possible: LOCATED

[Hudson]

The places where I live have been using plastic 'glasses' and bottles for years now.

It sucks.

[the_alias]

Load of bollocks, one of our union bars uses plastic cups because we always come in half hour before closing. Lazy! But they are rubbish and I hate drinking from them, just doesn't seem right!

[krootox1986]

they can't let this happen i always break the plastic cups with my freakish bear power

[TC]

They're fuckers. Next thing will be that we can't order a pint, we'll have to have 0.568 Litres of beer, and then it will cost a tenner and come with a warning saying that we are very naughty for drinking beer.

I'm waiting for someone to come to my door soon to tell me that I'm banned.

[Aeon]

I'm waiting for someone to come to my door soon to tell me that I'm banned.

BANNED!

On a more serious note, I'd imagine the arguement here is akin to the old one when coke changed from glass bottles to plastic ones. Coke argued that the new container wouldn't affect the taste of the drink, whilst the general public argued that the glass bottle contributed to the "drinking experience". Whilst I don't particularily care what pints are served in or whether the container material even can affect the so called "drinking experience" the legislation would create a precident for removing other types of glassware used in pubs/clubs like tumblers, wine-glasses or glass bottles. Also applying the legislation to lisenced venues that do not have any history of violence such as wine-bars or bistro's that serve beer would only damage business and be hopelessly pointless to try and enforce.

[K9medic]

Funny thing is in the 12 years I worked a door I never seen anyone get cut with a broken glass on purpose, most people where drinking out of bottles anyway, the head tends to break before the bottle. I think this is another one of those "play on words" the Gov loves to get more Laws passed.

As to the taste a mate of mine uses a clay pint jug, claims it holds the head better, and keeps the beer cool on a hot day.

[TC]

As to the taste a mate of mine uses a clay pint jug, claims it holds the head better, and keeps the beer cool on a hot day.

Glazed I hope! Mmmmmmm...silty...

[ais4122]

Doesnt the Home office ahve better things to do with its time and taxpayers money?

[Aeon]

Doesnt the Home office ahve better things to do with its time and taxpayers money?

Don't be absurd. If they wern't busying themselves with Gender-Neutral toilets, plastic pint glasses, and plans for converting the country to driving on the right. They'd have to actually put money into the NHS and education system, the armed services and civic infrastructure.

[Ad'lan]

It talks about back when people drank out of pewter tankards. I still do

This is more governmental bollocks. I'd like to see a Ban on New laws, and have the politicians get elected on a platform of how many laws they would repeal. And When/If it's implemented, there'll be an upset because the Tabloids have found a Carcinogen in the plastic, someone gets beaten to death with one, and we'll grumble, and get on with the rest of our lives, just that little bit more under the heel.

[Twenty-Three]

I hope these plastic cups will be BPA free...