AUGUSTA — Lawmakers grappled with a pint-size problem Wednesday, taking public testimony about what should constitute a 16-ounce pour of brew.

Unlike milk, gasoline and many other liquids that are sold in consistent sizes, beer goes unmeasured when poured into a glass. So, in an effort to standardize 16 fluid ounces in each and every pour, Maine lawmakers are considering LD 122, a bill that would require bars, taverns, taprooms and restaurants to ensure their customers are served a full pint — and not a drop less. 

Under this bill, barkeeps could not consider foam that forms during the pour part of the pint measure. The pint must be a liquid measure.

The bill was introduced by Sen. John Patrick, D-Rumford, and subject to a public hearing before the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday. 

The committee, which has jurisdiction over the sale of alcoholic beverages in Maine, is tumbling into the world of unregulated glassware sizes to prevent patrons from getting ripped off by so-called “cheater pints.” Such glasses, often with heavy bottoms or varied dimensions, appear to contain 16 ounces but actually hold less.  And, for the most part, patrons are unaware.

The intention, according to Dr. Bumper White, is akin to regulating milk and gasoline, which are monitored. 

“We need to be on guard that we’re always getting full measure for what we pay,” White testified. 

In the world of craft beer, it’s common for Maine bars to serve some high-alcohol or specialty beers in smaller glasses that hold 8, 10 or 12 ounces. Accordingly, beer lists typically tell the customer how many ounces are in a serving.

One means of enforcing the measure would be to mark glasses with a 16-ounce fill line, White suggested.

White, a professor at the University of Southern Maine, said it’s common when traveling in England and other countries for beers to be served in 18-ounce glasses: pours are a full 16 ounces, leaving an ounce or more for foam. 

White said that most craft brewers are not intentionally shorting customers, but the terminology either must change or the industry must retool and purchase the larger glasses to ensure everybody gets a fair deal. 

“People are torn in that we don’t want to legislate everything, but at the same time we can’t sit back and have short pours,” he said.  

The idea was met with resistance from industry representatives.

Sean Sullivan, executive director of the Maine Brewers’ Guild, said changing the law would require bars, restaurants and breweries to buy all new glassware.

At $1 to $1.25 a pop, he said breweries would be challenged to afford it. 

“The glass industry would love it, but it would be difficult for our members to take on the costs,” Sullivan said.  

While noting the guild neither supported nor opposed the bill, Sullivan said adequate laws protecting consumers already are on the books. 

“Our members certainly feel every consumer is entitled to their fair pull of beer,” he said. 

Maine is not the first state to propose such a bill. In 2007, Oregon beer blogger Jeff Alworth co-founded the “Honest Pint Project” in which he catalogued establishments nationwide that serve 16-ounce pints — as well as the ones that didn’t.

The list of under-pouring pubs was eventually taken down, though his efforts went as far as the Oregon state Legislature, where he unsuccessfully lobbied for the state to pass a 16-ounce standard. 

In 2013, the Michigan Legislature made headlines when a similar measure was introduced. Records do not indicate whether the bill passed.

Greg Dugal, president of the Maine Restaurant Association, opposed what he described as a redundant measure that would burden already overworked state liquor agents with the task of interpreting the law. 

Rep. Robert Saucier, R-Presque Isle, said the pour line was an efficient means for the industry to self-regulate. 

Sullivan said he’d never seen advertising laws abused and that the popularity of craft beer gave operators little incentive to save money by short-changing pours. 

Chad Lothian, who writes the beer blog If My Coaster Could Talk for the Bangor Daily News, said he’s never personally experienced a fake pint glass, and said most bars serving craft beer do so in glasses provided by breweries. 

“I don’t see breweries supplying an undersized pint,” Lothian said. “They wouldn’t benefit from the bar selling less beer.”

[email protected]