Another Reason To Drink Wine!

EQUIVALENCY OUT THE DOOR AT BARS AND RESTAURANTS

The Chicago Sun-Times has an interesting article on equivalency, which argues that there is no such thing as a standard drink at bars and restaurants. William Kerr and colleagues with the Alcohol Research Group hit several bars in northern California and found that "the typical wine, beer or mixed spirits drink in bars is larger than a standard drink, often by 50 percent or more."

The average glass of wine was 43% larger than a standard drink and the average draft beer was 22% larger than the standard 12 ounces. The team did no testing of bottled beer. And while shot glasses "are pretty uniform," mixed drinks with liquor were 42larger than the standard serving.

Factors such as glass size and the percent of alcohol by volume help make the on-premise drinks stronger, according to the study. However, Kerr said "probably the most important factor is the intentions of management and the bartender."

For example, restaurants and bars tend to pour large glasses of wine so customers feel like they are getting their money's worth.

The research, sponsored by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, will be published in September in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, but was released online this week.

Wine & Spirits Daily