The Conversation (0)
Sinead Butler
Dec 24, 2021
Pint-sized sparkling wine bottles may return ‘thanks’ to Brexit, as the government reviews the EU legislation that banned the imperial measurement - but safe to say this isn’t being greeted as the most fantastic Brexit dividend.
In what has been described as “hangover” EU laws that banned the sparkling pint bottles, foreign secretary Liz Truss is currently reviewing the idea to bring them back, the Telegraph reports. The UK ditched them along with other imperial measurements in 1973 when the country joined the EU.
But speaking to The Telegraph on Thursday, a government source said: “Pint-sized bottles were a victim of the EU’s war against imperial measurements, which are widely used and understood in this country.
The pint-sized tipple could become legal again as early as next year - at least some hope.
The move has received backing from both ministers and vintners.
And former UK prime minister Winston Churchill who served his time in office during World War II and again in 1951-195 might have been pleased. He reportedly described the pint-size champagne as the “ideal size” because the bottle was “enough for two at lunch and one at dinner.”
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But that’s about it and there are many who think this wouldn’t be the best idea and believe that we have more pressing and urgent issues to be focussing on such as the Covid pandemic, poverty, the NHS and social care, rather than discussing the size of champagne bottles.
160,000 dead. A nation in crisis and uncertainty and mourning for its loved ones. And Boris Johnson's government is… https://t.co/4p3FTuMvrJ— Otto English (@Otto English) 1640302956
waiting half a century for this, the chance to buy slightly smaller bottles https://t.co/N64dsKjZqh— Jim Pickard (@Jim Pickard) 1640343904
Priorities https://t.co/xf27QXcGDT— t0p_1000 (@t0p_1000) 1640347314
"We are totally in tune with the needs of the general public, and we understand their frustration in these trying t… https://t.co/sY9B1y1Qwl— Glynt 🐱 (@Glynt 🐱) 1640347346
Thank fuck for that. I thought for one horrible moment their priorities might have been skewed by rising child pove… https://t.co/VHKlat1Wah— Oonagh (@Oonagh) 1640346858
This changes *everything*. https://t.co/ikNxLDtelW— James Oh Brien (@James Oh Brien) 1640342325
You want us to drink *less*? Don’t you realise that we might suss you out then? https://t.co/PeoTmtx3Zu— Tim Farron (@Tim Farron) 1640307990
According to statistics, in the six months before February 2021, 9% of all households in The U.K. experienced food… https://t.co/DR2aRmR8zc— Nathália Urban (@Nathália Urban) 1640303061
Oh well that’ll make up for Brexit chasing all the NHS staff out of the UK 🙄 https://t.co/Ym356NgoP3— Janey Godley (@Janey Godley) 1640302125
The absolute state of this. Who cares about job losses, impact on families, livelihoods, businesses, societal div… https://t.co/9HLHGPUZBx— Shona Murray (@Shona Murray) 1640300647
Meanwhile, some questioned whether this would even be possible since champagne is only made in France and so shared their doubts as to whether French manufacturers would be willing to produce pint-sized bottles of their product for the UK.
I’m sure champagne producers will get right on setting up bottling plants to deliver slightly smaller bottles just… https://t.co/xputF9VDUs— Chris Kendall (@Chris Kendall) 1640304155
What a load of unmitigated drivel. Champagne is only produced in France. Why would the French choose to invest in… https://t.co/zxRq4BoNvw— Chris Shaw (@Chris Shaw) 1640308427
Yeah, good luck getting the lads in France to do this https://t.co/9FBZzeky7A— Gary Brannan (@Gary Brannan) 1640302535
I’m genuinely wondering whether any *Champagne* producer would waste time, space, and money bottling their product… https://t.co/tkqDlmE7h4— John Cotter (@John Cotter) 1640301530
There is a flaw in this anticipated benefit of Brexit … it’s the French who make and bottle champagne. https://t.co/GeEYrDhXXT— Murray Foote (@Murray Foote) 1640301453
Though, one person pointed out that the UK is the world’s single biggest champagne export market and we drink more champagne in total compared to the US, according to the Comité Champagne.
Therefore, French manufacturers may be inclined to produce pint-sized bottles if the UK were to bring back the imperial measurement.
I’ve seen several people mocking the idea that champagne producers might want to produce UK-specific bottles, so it… https://t.co/AdcCJM5gPG— James Chalmers (@James Chalmers) 1640303326
Whether it’s in a pint-sized bottle or not, the overwhelming verdict appears to be that no one really cares...