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.” 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.”
This is heresy!!! There must be a special Ministry in Britain that is assigned to make this crap up.
Would this be the same Beer & Pub Association that advise bars to issue plastic glassed on Friday’s and Saturday’s? Plastic glasses are nothing new in the British bar/pub/club scene. At the end of the day, who really cares what your drink comes served in? Just as long as a pint is still a pint. Oh wait, it’s 500ml now!!
#10
To even attempt to compare any Miller (or Budweiser or Coors) product with Guinness is proof that the majority of Americans still do not know what good beer is supposed to taste like.
The problem is over here in the UK that the public take any shit given to them and don’t complain.
Look at beer- we used to all drink ‘bitter’ or ‘ale’. The dark, flat stuff that has so much flavour and character.
These days most people drink ‘lager’. It’s what the rest of the world call ‘beer’, except the stuff we drink is mass produced tasteless crap that the rest of europe would spit out at first taste.
And as for pint glasses – we used to have handled, heavy pint glasses
These days it’s all crap, thin, french made glasses like above.
And now the move to plastic. Well, 80% of the friday & Saturday night drunkards wont notice or care.
And that’s the reason our nanny state gets away with all of this. We live in a lefty nanny state that imposes the blandest standards on us, all in our capitalist system that tries it’s best to sell us the blandest,most mundane food and products.
And we sit here and take it all.
Hey John, “Hitler would be proud” as provocative as ever
I agree beer tastes crap in plastic but at least we get some decent beer over here and don’t have to chill it to death to take away the taste 
Our government does stick its nose in where it doesn’t belong and this should only be mandated in problem pubs which are relatively few and the threat of imposition would make sure the regulars in a decent pub keep the trouble maker in check. It will probably never fly anyway.
Anyway, what’s all this bashing the Brits. The US has as much fatuous crap imposed on it by it’s top heavy “sue the ass” of everyone for nonsense system. I bet that and arming your civilians imposes on your liberties a darned sight more than having a few TV cameras watching out for criminals. Hey, and BTW – our health system isn’t so bad either you grumpy old bugger
Cheers … Keith (UK)
[John didn't post this, I did...and I bash only because I care! - McCullough]
#23
I’ve been London a few times and you can still get some get some good ales. There is generally a better selection than the typical American piss (Coors, Bud, Miller etc). It depends on the pub of course. Like everywhere, you have to do some work to find a place that serves good beer in good glasses.
#25 The ales in England are the temperature of piss.
Furry Potato,
I agree we are sometimes too tolerant of government sticking it’s awe in but not that this is a lefty thing. Its mostly the chattering middle classes with nothing better to do with their time than form whacky think tanks to solve problems that don’t exist and give them some false sense of purpose in their otherwise empty lives. Anyway, the current labour government is probably what the tories were before they all either went to jail or moved somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun.
Cheers … Keith (UK)
Nooooooooooooooooooooo!
And I don’t believe Guinness in the states (in cans, bottles or draft) tastes like it does in Ireland, anyway. Although it is still better than Coors, Bud or etc.
I wonder if they got upset when they switched to using hops?
Oh that’s right they did.
Maybe you should go back to making your own and straining it through your teeth?
Poor babies… can’t brew or buy your own and drink it at home. Have to go to a pub, pay more and drink crap with morons.
Cursor_
// #25 The ales in England are the temperature of piss
If you chill it too much you kill the taste, should be around 6 to 8 C I believe – I can’t comment on any similarity to the taste of piss, never knowingly tried it
Cheers … Keith (UK)
I hate it when the English say ‘Cheers’ all the time.
It make me feel like smashing a real glass to smithereens.
#30. Keith, for what it’s worth, I agree 100%. Actually, I prefer my beer at room temp.
As mentioned, plastic is not new in situations where glass is dangerous – nightclubs, concerts, sports events and so on. I live in Ireland, and it’s the same as the UK in that regard.
I’m in the USA (Houston) at the moment, and it’s the same. I went to a Houston Astros (baseball) game last weekend, and beer was served in plastic glasses or aluminum bottles.
PS: as for you Americans who complain about your own beer, here’s a hint: drink local brews. I looked up Houston beer before I arrived, and found two names: Shiner and Saint Arnold. Both are available in local supermarkets, and both are very good. You have brewers who are sick of American beer being a joke, and are doing something about it, so they deserve your support.
My GOD how are they able to maintain this level of sustained insanity?! If be one thing if there were reports like this once or twice a year. Stupid slip ups like that are normal but the UK is producing these BI weekly.
#22 – Guinness is to stout what Miller is to a pale lager. Both are very poor examples of the style.
#33
I’m going to guess you didn’t get either at the Astros game. Yes, American craft brewers are quite good; some of the best in the world actually. Sadly, most Americans think lagers are the only type of beer and that Bud/Coors/Miller qualify as beer.
#35
I say that Guinness is more of an average example of a stout and admittedly not the best. That said, Guinness is to Miller like Petrus is to box wine.
//I hate it when the English say ‘Cheers’ all the time.
//It make me feel like smashing a real glass to smithereens
Aah, well it’s obvious the new plastic glass legislation is directed at you. We all have our idiosyncrasies so
Cheers and Tally Ho old bean – just off to repair the thatching on the roof and give the butler a good dressing down – core blimey god bless ya guvnor
Seriously, no offense taken even if it was intended, love a good frack
CHEERS Keith
This is the sort of thing that they Gov’t will propose but it’ll never fly in the long term. We get a lot of crap like this over here and sure, some of it sticks but this is one of those things that won’t. As an idea for concerts and nightclubs where it’s likely people will drop/throw them – seems fair, we get that already but in your average pub it just won’t happen.
// #30. Keith, for what it’s worth, I agree 100%. Actually, I prefer my beer at room temp.
Larger always from the fridge but good beer definitely not too cold. apart from anything else you might drink it too quick and wake up worse for wear. If in the UK look for real ale pubs – CAMERA – campaign for real ale – a lot of anoraks some would say but they do have a lot of real traditional beers that don’t all taste the same.
Dare I say Cheers ?? Keith
It won’t happen, the idiots that use glasses as a weapon have already moved onto knives.
Better solution would be to exterminate them.