‘Swift-half’ now more popular than full pint

Trying new beers in half-pint measures rather than the typical full pint is now the preferred way for British drinkers, signalling a move away from high-volume consumption.

The half-pint is the favoured size for trying new beer, the survey claims

A survey of 2,000 people revealed that the smaller measure is the preferred vessel with which to try new brews for 34% of drinkers. This compares to just 26% opting for a full-pint.

Just as surprising is that measures served in third-pints are equally as popular as the traditional full pint.

The Campaign for Real Ale, which commissioned the survey, says it shows people are opting to drink less, but be more adventurous in their choices.

Tim Page, Camra chief executive, said: “People are becoming more open to trying new beers and moving away from the mentality of drinking pint-after-pint of the same brew.

“Particularly for stronger, more full flavoured real-ales such as barley wines, or strong porters and stouts, a half or third of a pint is a much more sensible option and allows people to try a range of beers without drinking past their limits,” he said.

Separately, a study by the Department for Communities and Local Government shows that the UK is opening three new breweries every week.

“With more than 1,200 breweries in the UK, and more beer styles being brewed than ever before, Britain has seriously got the beer bug,” Page said.

The Camra research, which was carried out by pollsters YouGov, also showed that people believe the best place to try a new beer is at a beer festival (41%), or secondly at a pub (37%), whereas trying a novel beer at home was favoured by just 5% of people.