Beer in Glass or Plastic

This little tidbit came my way via The Telegraph.  Apparently in nightclubs in the Highlands of Scotland after 9pm due to 'fears of injury.' Which I suppose is a euphemism for 'a great big bloke smashing it over your head.'

Okay, fair enough, but now the government is being accused of overreaching: extending the plan to ban the pint glass in Highland pubs:

Mr Lawson, who owns Johnny Foxes and The Den, added: "The biggest complaint I get from customers is about having to drink from plastic containers. "You have to serve bottles of wine or champagne in a plastic glass. It's not good for the image of the Highlands." 

One drinker added: "The Highlands have seen an incredible revival in microbreweries producing some truly distinctive and wonderful beers, and it goes without saying that Scotland's whiskies are world-renowned. It's insulting to suggest they could be enjoyed out of plastic." 

Which brings me to another discussion of glass and plastic.  Finally, after 25 years of plastic tasting mugs, the Oregon Brewers Festival is switching to glass:

The last several years, the quality of the plastic tasting mug at the OBF has not been as acceptable as in the past. Consumers have noticed an unpleasant plastic smell that didn't dissipate rapidly, and it became evident that it was time to make a change. At the same time, the festival has been seriously looking at its carbon footprint; we've increased our recycling efforts, both on the back end with food vendors, and on-site with consumers. Switching to glass is one more piece of the puzzle. 

We've had concerns expressed about glass breakage, and have looked to other festivals as an example. Locally, the Spring Beer & Wine Fest has always served its beers in glass, as has the Portland International Beerfest. Neither event has had serious issues with broken glass. 

The OBF tasting glasses will have the current year's artwork printed on them with the date, and will be considered a souvenir item. For those who don't wish to take their glass home, we will have recycling stations set up at every exit. 

Ultimately, the Oregon Brewers Festival believes most beer drinkers would prefer to see, smell and taste a beer in a glass over a plastic mug. A glass offers the consumer the ultimate beer tasting experience, and in the end, that's the goal of any festival. Cheers!

Hooray for that.  They, of course, failed to mention the absolute travesty of the color changing plastic glassware that they used for a year or two which turned a color when it got cold and made the beer appear blue.  Ugh!  So good on the Highlanders of Scotland and the OBF.  (Full disclosure: I am a member or Clan Munro but I have never smashed a glass on top of any one's head)