*debunked - always check the volume vs price ratio!

Adding video to channels (Debunked) - requested by Zawash.

“It was recently brought to our attention that the amount of beer that fits in our large (20-oz) cups also fits in our regular (16-oz) cups. The differentiation in the size of the two cups is too small. To correct that problem, we’re purchasing new cups for the large beers that will hold 24 ounces, instead of 20, for the remainder of this season." Eric Trapp, the president of the Idaho Steelheads and CenturyLink Arena wrote on the team's Facebook page.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/03/10/3072815/centurylink-o-change-beer-cups.html

First of all how does the same amount of liquid fill a 16 oz cup and a 20 oz cup (although the 20 oz cup isn't filled to the rim as the 16 oz is, sure doesn't seem like a 4 oz difference). Even the new 24 oz cups will be a rip off. The equal value size to a four dollar 16 oz beer would be a seven dollar 28 oz cup. What a scam.

$4 for the first 16oz, $3 for the next 4oz. Hmmmmm.

Wat is economy of scale again?

Because the lip fans out, that last little bit can hold those other 4 oz.

This is like those videos where they show how much liquid the top half of a martini glass can hold, which is like twice what the bottom half can hold.

The big difference in price seems a bit much, however, this "ripoff" is an exaggeration because the small cup is probably usually just filled up to about the bottom of those 3 ridges at the top. I bet that if you filled that amount into the large beer, it would be about 4/7th full., which would make the price about right (assuming that the large beer is filled up higher on each tap) Another way to say it is that because the small glass has such an expanding shape upwards , if you fill it 4/5 of its height its probably around half-full.

Optical illusion, sadly. As noted up above, that little itty bitty top part is more than likely 4 oz. Considering the small cup is about to overflow (which you'd be ever so lucky to have them fill it that high mind you) and the large one isn't. Obviously, they are NOT the same volume. What they need to do is actually measure. I know, I'm going all weird and sciency here, but I'd wager that there's at least 2oz still to go.

Not to mention, where doe the manufacturer say 20oz is at? Is that small beer holding 18oz? or 16oz?

Plus, if you're buying beer at a game, you're getting ripped off in the first place. It's like people who buy iPhones for $400 but then complain when an app costs $1. Get over it.

I hate to say it, but because of how dumb some people are, I actually think there is a decent chance that there was no deceptive intent. I'd be willing to bet someone in charge honestly thought that the tall cup held more than the other.

FOR ALL THAT'S SACRED TURN DOWN YOUR VOLUME BEFORE WATCHING!!!!!

*money

Adding video to channels (Money) - requested by MrFisk.

If you calculate the volume of a circular truncated cone (http://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/volume-truncated-cone), it shows that at low angles the resulting volume doesn't increase so fast as to justify this explanation.

They should definitely fill both glasses to the rim and weigh them.

How can you be so sure without knowing the actual cups' measurements?

In any case, the cups are reported as 16 oz. and 20 oz., and they do fill the 16 oz. cup to the brim then transfer it to the 20 oz. cup and that is the amount of void space remaining at the top of the cup. Regardless of what it looks like, the difference must be 4 oz.

What are you suggesting as an alternative explanation? Is it magic?

Seems this is probably common practice. See also: *related=http://videosift.com/video/Ballpark-Beer-Scam-Oakland-Coliseum-Sham

Ballpark Beer Scam - Oakland Coliseum Sham has been added as a related post - related requested by lucky760.

Here's another *related=http://videosift.com/video/Beer-Rip-Off-at-Shea-Stadium-when-is-small-really-large

Funny in that video large cups only cost $1.25 more than the small. Funnier still is the stadium's response to that video: "Fans who purchased a 16 oz. beer actually received 20 oz. of beer for the 16 oz. price." So their excuse is "You're getting more beer in your small cup than you think," rather than "You're getting less beer in your large cup than you think."

Way to turn this into positive marketing, but it's just a flat-out lie if the small cup is actually 16 oz.

Beer Rip Off at Qwest Field - when is small really large? has been added as a related post - related requested by lucky760.

To be fair, it's American beer, so that extra 4 oz is just water anyway.

I know this is a running world joke due to the popular mass production American beers.

But a lot of people dismiss America as a whole because of this joke and I feel it's important to point out that America actually has a thriving and amazing microbrewery culture that produces beers equal to any in the world.

The problem is when microbreweries get to a certain size, they almost always sell out to a larger company and the product deteriorates in to the "perfect always same taste" precision of the mass production beer, losing any charm or personality the beer used to have. As it now needs to be consistently marketable.

The other factor is once these beers do get sold off, you often lose the original brew anyway, you just end up buying a locally made brew with "expert consultants ensuring the same taste", except it never is the same taste because they use local ingredients which inherently have a different flavour, missing the whole point of world beer in the fucking first place.

Basically a few giant beer corps rule the world and wreck everything, turning a beverage that should be on par with wine in to something very misunderstood and generally accepted as a low classing alcoholic drink.

If you want good beer in any country, not just America, the situation is the same, you need to go the micros who still employ the passion and respect the skill takes. Hence I declare the joke no longer relevant.

No... the joke is:

Why is American beer like sex in a canoe?

They're both fucking close to water.

Bahdum-Pish!

wait, pour it again, I need to see that again.

Yeah, yeah. But now onto the big question!

So, what are the oz things that the Americans are going on about?

*related=http://videosift.com/video/Conical-Glass-FraudIllusion

Conical Glass Illusion has been added as a related post - related requested by Grimm.

Thank you. That's the video I kept looking for but was unable to find.

Follow up to CenturyLink Arena "BeerGate" - Large vs small has been added as a related post - related requested by Zawash on that post.