Shape of glass and amount of alcohol poured: comparative study of effect of practice and concentration.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether people pour different amounts into short, wide glasses than into tall, slender ones.


METHODS
College students practised pouring alcohol into a standard glass before pouring into larger glasses; bartenders poured alcohol for four mixed drinks either with no instructions or after being told to take their time.


METHODS
University town and large city, United States.


METHODS
198 college students and 86 bartenders.


METHODS
Volume of alcohol poured into short, wide and tall, slender glasses.


RESULTS
Aiming to pour a "shot" of alcohol (1.5 ounces, 44.3 ml), both students and bartenders poured more into short, wide glasses than into tall slender glasses (46.1 ml v 44.7 ml and 54.6 ml v 46.4 ml, respectively). Practice reduced the tendency to overpour, but not for short, wide glasses. Despite an average of six years of experience, bartenders poured 20.5% more into short, wide glasses than tall, slender ones; paying careful attention reduced but did not eliminate the effect.


CONCLUSIONS
To avoid overpouring, use tall, narrow glasses or ones on which the alcohol level is premarked. To avoid underestimating the amount of alcohol consumed, studies using self reports of standard drinks should ask about the shape of the glass.
Wansink
Brian
B
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7801, USA. wansink@cornell.edu
van Ittersum
Koert
K
D000328:Adult; D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D001288:Attention; D003297:Cooking and Eating Utensils; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007087:Illinois; D008297:Male; D015143:Philadelphia; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000592:standards*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012147:Restaurants; D013334:Students; D014894:Weights and Measures