Tuesday, March 30, 2010

THE American Pour

Oh, how this phrase needs to be coined over here. You should all know, whether you are an expat or just visiting, that there is a BIG difference between a "Swiss pour" and an "American pour". We learned this lesson early on. After ordering my first glass of wine during our preview trip, a glass with a couple droplets of wine was delivered to our table. I thought, hmmm...maybe there was a language problem. Maybe the server didn't understand what I wanted. I wanted a GLASS of wine. Not a dash, a dribble, a teaser...a glass!

Take note of the picture above. To the left you will see a traditional Swiss pour. On the right...an American pour. Also notice the measurements etched into the glass.

Know that when you order a glass of wine, they will bring you 1 dl. To convert this to our English system, it basically equals a splash of liquid. No joke. The trick is to order however many deci's you want at the beginning. My friend, Stacie has now developed the term "The American Pour". We are hoping it catches on and there won't be those looks of uncertainty in the server's eyes the next time we order "zwei deci". Some day.

For fun: Ask a Swiss-y how many glasses of wine are in a bottle and I guarantee they will say 7.5. Ask an American and you will get a range of answers somewhere between two and four depending on glass size.

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