Draft beer shortage!

Fellow Mainers, prepare to be outraged. There is massive fraud happening all over our state, literally right under our noses. Hard numbers are hard to come by in this case, but it seems reasonable to estimate that we’re being duped and swindled out of many millions of dollars every year. And, perhaps even more troubling, we’re not getting as drunk as we should be.

What’s going on? Well, simply put, people are being sold pints of draft beer that are not full pints.

The so-called “pint” glasses at many bars and restaurants cannot actually contain 16 fluid ounces — their capacity is more like 15.5 or 15.8 ounces — so even if filled to the rim, we’re getting shorted. Factor in the fact that bartenders typically leave room at the top for the beer’s “head” (that is, low-value foam) and a few centimeters of empty space to prevent spillage, and your “pint” is usually at least two ounces shy of true. If you do the math, that means that for every eight pints you order, you’re actually only getting seven, and the purveyor is pocketing an entire pint’s worth of profit.

Who cares? Well, a man named Bumper White cares, and before too long the entire country could be behind his crusade.

Full+Pint+for+ME+logo+(1)White, a longtime home-brewer and former school teacher, principal and USM professor, is the activist behind the Full Pints Association of Maine. He’s got a website (fullpintforme.com), a lot of bumper stickers, and the attention of the state Legislature.

Lawmakers in Augusta are currently considering a bill that White initiated, titled “An Act to Standardize Pints of Beer Sold in Maine.” It would require drinking establishments that purport to pour pints to actually do so. In practice, this would most likely require bartenders to use 18- or 20-oz. glasses with a “fill line” demarking the point at which the draft beer has reached a full pint. This is a common practice in the United Kingdom and most other European countries, according to White.

“This consumer issue is such a ‘no brainer,’” White declares on his website. “We do it for milk, maple syrup, motor oil, etc. — why not guarantee a full pour for beer?”

It should be noted that many establishments serving beer in pint glasses are not technically cheating their customers or arousing White’s ire. Only those places that explicitly claim to be serving “pints” would be subject to the law. Those that offer customers “drafts” or “mugs” or “tall boys” without specifying — verbally or in writing — the amount of beer being provided would be free to pour as they please.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. John Patrick, a Democrat from Rumford, with early support from former Democratic Senate President Justin Alfond, has already encountered resistance from the beer and restaurant industries. Critics counter that Maine already has consumer-protection laws on the books that could apply to this type of fraud, and the state’s liquor-enforcement bureau is already stretched too thin to be burdened with the additional responsibility of policing pints.

In a phone interview, White acknowledged that the enforcement aspect of the legislation is still undefined, and will likely be hammered out during future work sessions on the bill. During an earlier hearing, a suggestion that aggrieved drinkers could contact the Attorney General’s office elicited “giggles” from lawmakers, White said, noting that the A.G.’s staff is also not in a position to make this a priority.

Recent attempts to pass similar legislation in Oregon and Michigan fell short, White said, but he feels it’s appropriate that Maine should lead the way on this issue. “We pride ourselves on the integrity of our lobster and all our seafood. We should also have integrity in terms of our craft beer, which is a $100 million industry,” he said, and added, “We’re not some sleazy state where you have to get ripped off two ounces for every beer.”

As the bill moves closer to passage, White expects that lobbyists representing brewers who do business across the U.S. will flock to Augusta, campaign cash in hand, to quash the law, lest it lead to a nationwide movement for fair pints.

Whether the legislation passes or not, White will have achieved a significant victory simply by raising awareness of this issue. To the extent that his efforts prompt customers to demand a full pint when they’re explicitly charged for one, I say cheers to that.

Chris Busby

About Chris Busby

Chris Busby is editor and publisher of The Bollard, a monthly magazine about Portland. He writes a weekly column for the BDN.