The British pint and mile are safe forever after the European Commission announced a policy change.
The European Union executive said British and Irish pubs may go on serving beer in pints after 2009, when such measures were due to be phased out.
A spokesman said the proposal, which must be rubber-stamped by member nations, would also help trade with the United States by extending indefinitely the right to use dual measurement in labeling in the metric and imperial systems.
Mmm, yeah, great – maybe more British real-ales-in-bottles will be put into British pint (ie 568ml) bottles rather than 500ml ones.
Except that (whisper this heresy quietly) a 500ml bottle of beer, poured out with a good, attractive head on it, exactly fits a British pint glass …