Five Reasons Why We Love "Half Pints"
By Melissa McEwen in Food on May 4, 2015 7:15PM
Sometimes you want to sit down at a bar with a nice cool pint of beer. Other times it might be useful to have a little less than a pint. That's where the half pint comes in, though it's colloquial for anywhere from 3 to 10 ounces. No matter the size it's a beautiful, little, underappreciated glass of beer that's perfect for so many situations. Here's all the times we love a half pint:
When we want to try more beers: With so many bars having amazing beer menus, sometimes it's hard to just pick one or two. Half pints allow you to try at least a few more different beers.
When we want to try an expensive beer: Some premium beers can seem like a big investment. Do you really want a full pint of a pricey beer you're on the fence about? Half pints allow you to savor them without putting up a stiff downpayment.
When we want to drink a high ABV beer without getting wasted: While high ABV beers aren't as trendy as they were a few years ago, there are plenty of popular ABV monsters still on the market. An entire pint of beers Bourbon County Stout is a little much even for most.
When it's hot outside and we don't want warm beer: Sitting outside in the summer sipping beer is great, unless you sip too slowly and find the bottom half of your beer is unpleasantly lukewarm. A half pint is just the perfect amount to sip while it's perfectly chilled.
For all the smaller people in the world (or people who just have low alcohol tolerance): It's true, some people just want a half pint because really, it's all they need. If you're a bit of a half pint yourself, a half pint might just be the perfect amount of beer.
Unfortunately not everyone appreciates the glory of the half pint. Some of it has to do with the fact it requires bars to have extra glassware. But more and more bars are getting in on the half pint trend.
Some bars that we frequent that have "half pints" for some or all beers include:
The new French-Indonesian De Quay (2470 Lincoln Ave.)
The Radler (2375 N Milwaukee Ave.)
Kaiser Tiger (1415 W Randolph St.)
Many Whole Foods Bars, the new one in the West Loop (1 N Halsted St.) has a great selection
Emporium Wicker Park (1366 N Milwaukee Ave.)
Frontier (1072 N Milwaukee Ave.)
Owen & Engine (2700 N Western Ave.)
Rootstock (954 North California Ave.)
Update (New Additions):
Pub Royale (2049 W Division St.)
Grafton Pub (4530 N Lincoln Ave)- thanks commenter Furry Lewis