Just a few hours after it began, the Qwest Field beergate of 2011 is over, killed by a statement from First and Goal, operators of Qwest Field. The whole debacle started with a Facebook video, transferred to Youtube, showing large and small beer glasses next to each other with a demonstration proving they were the same sizes. Water was poured from the "small" cup into the "large" cup, showing they held exactly the same amount. Comments online expressed discontent about the extra $1.50 charged for what appeared to be the same amount of beer.
The Seattle Times' Danny O'Neil, an excellent Seattle Seahawks reporter, was all over it on Friday evening, working to find an explanation. The statement he passed on, from First and Goal, said the 16 oz. beer cups actually held 20 oz., meaning a buyer could get the same amount of alcohol for $1.50 less.
The solution? Qwest Field will continue to sell the 20 oz. beers in the larger cup for Saturday's NFL playoff game between the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints, but will charge the 16 oz. price for large domestic beers. Seems simple enough and like an amicable solution.
For more on the Qwest Field beer problem, be sure to check out O'Neils blog at the Seattle Times.