A fill line is a marking on drinkware indicating the volume of liquid held by the glass. Many countries mandate fill lines on glasses used commercially as a consumer protection measure.

European Union and Switzerland

Each of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been ...

member states had a variety of

weights and measures act A weights and measures act is a kind of legislative act found in many jurisdictions establishing technical standards for weights and measures. Notable acts of this type include: * Various Weights and Measures Acts (UK) or the various legislat ...

s regarding

legal metrology Metrology is the scientific study of measurement. It establishes a common understanding of units, crucial in linking human activities. Modern metrology has its roots in the French Revolution's political motivation to standardise units in Fra ...

for all measuring devices used in commerce, including drinkware. As part of the EU's 2004 Measuring Instruments Directive (2004/22/EC), these were harmonised. The transitional period ended on 30 October 2016, meaning all drinkware produced or sold in the EU or Switzerland after this date must conform to the EU directive.

Austria

In Austria, fill lines are governed by the ''Beverage Container Regulation'' (german: Schankgefäßeverordnung), which provides error tolerances; glasses between 10 and 50 ml must be within 5% of the declared volume; larger containers must be accurate within 3%.

Germany

Germany has had a number of weights and measures acts specifically addressing volumetric markings on glassware. Local and state laws have since been superseded by the federal ("Measurement and Calibration Act"), which in turn was updated to implement the EU directive. All glassware used in a commercial setting is required to have a marking indicating the volume of the container, along with an identifier that indicates the manufacturer. The manufacturer identifiers are issued by the

Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) is the national metrology institute of the Federal Republic of Germany, with scientific and technical service tasks. It is a higher federal authority and a public-law institution directly under fed ...

in Braunschweig, such as "Bö" for Böckling, "ra" or "rastal" for Rastal, or "Sahm" for "Sahm", or "Kö" for Kössinger. The technical specifications are written towards ensuring consumer protection. The fill line must be horizontal and at least 10 mm long; depending on the size of the glass, a certain distance is required to the rim of the glass. Some glasses may also have a second fill line half-way down the glass.

Commonwealth countries

In countries using

Imperial units The imperial system of units, imperial system or imperial units (also known as British Imperial or Exchequer Standards of 1826) is the system of units first defined in the British Weights and Measures Act 1824 and continued to be developed th ...

, fill lines are not as common for pint glasses. In the United Kingdom, pint glasses typically hold when filled to the brim. Pint glasses commonly have a fill line for the volume of . Although the glass must be accurately-calibrated, industry guidelines only require a pint to be at least 95% liquid, allowing 5% of the pint to consist of the foamy '

head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may no ...

'. The

Campaign for Real Ale The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) is an independent voluntary consumer organisation headquartered in St Albans, England, which promotes real ale, cider and perry and traditional British pubs and clubs. With just under 155,000 members, it is ...

(CAMRA) has described this practice as selling a short measure, and says that it costs drinkers £1m a day in beer they have paid for but not received. The

British Beer and Pub Association The British Beer and Pub Association is the drinks and hospitality industry's largest and most influential trade association representing some 90% of UK brewing (by volume) and the ownership of around 20,000 of the nation's pubs. History The As ...

has issued guidelines for bar staff to give a 'top up' to any drinker who is unsatisfied with the measure they receive. CAMRA recommends the use of "lined" or "oversized" glasses in pubs. These have a line near the top (usually labelled "pint to line") to which the beer should be poured, with the head forming above it.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fill line Consumer protection Gastronomy Drinking culture