Wineglasses are 7 times bigger than they used to be
If you thought those in England’s Georgian era enjoyed more than a glass or two of festive bubbly, then you may be surprised to learn that today’s generation are even greater drinkers.
According to a study conducted by the University of Cambridge, the average wineglass in the U.K. has grown seven times larger than it was back in the 1700s.
It turns out, wineglasses have increased in size in correlation with the U.K.’s drinking habits, and the volume of alcohol England consumed increased between 1960 and 1980, then doubled again between 1980 and 2004.
Back in the early 1700s, the average glass could hold 66ml (a little more than two ounces) of wine, whereas in the current age, folks are knocking back 449ml (roughly 15 ounces) in one sitting.
The study published in the BMJ is the first of its kind and researchers looked to antique experts for advice, examined glassware at Buckingham Palace and analyzed more recent glasses in John Lewis catalogs.
And the Wine and Spirits Trade Association believes sociological trends may be behind the ballooning sizes of wineglasses.
“The size of a wineglass reflects the trend and fashions of the time and is often larger for practical reasons,” the WSTA chief executive Miles Beale told the Guardian. “Red wine, for example, is served in a larger glass to allow it to breathe, something which perhaps wasn’t a priority 300 years ago.”
But there is no denying the notion that it is having a detrimental effect on people’s health; the study highlights that alcohol is the fifth largest culprit for premature mortality and disability in high-income countries.
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