Research Finds Your Beer Glass Might Be Affecting How Much You Drink

If you're trying to cut back on booze but you still want to bar hop with friends, try changing up the glass you use instead of your beverage.

Research presented at the British Psychological Society Annual Conference indicated bar-goers drink less beer when given straight-sided glasses, especially those engraved with measurements.

During one of the studies conducted, researchers relied on the help of three bars in Bristol, England over two weekends.

According to a press release, the pubs that served beer in straight glasses rather than curved ones had lower sales, meaning there was less alcohol consumption.

Those findings backed up the team's earlier study where 160 people were divided in two groups. Half of the participants drank beer from curved glasses with measurements while the others used curved glassware without markings.

The drinkers with markings on their glasses reportedly took 1.2 minutes longer to finish their drinks.

Although the small sample size means the team will need to reconduct the experiments on a larger scale, lead author Dr. Angela Attwood said the results indicate easy ways to slow alcohol consumption.

In a statement, she explained,

Our research suggests that small changes such as glass shape and volume markings can help individuals make more accurate judgements of the volume they are drinking... [Hopefully] drinkers will use this information to drink at a slower pace.

There's no word yet on how the bell shape of a massive fishbowl influences alcohol consumption, but that's a revelation for a different day.

Citations: How The Shape Of Your Glass Affects Your Drinking Behavior, According To Science (Huffington Post)