Pitchers? I though in the UK they called them bowlers.

Oh, well, I never did understand cricket.

I have never seen a pitcher of beer in the UK. (I have seen some nice pictures of beer, though. I used to have a nice framed picture of the Harvey's brewery, but I accidentally left it behind when I cleared out an office I once used, and it disappeared.)

Are pitchers a new development? I think the last time I was there was about 5 years ago.

In the US, pitchers are commonly seen where draft beer is sold, but, as PoppaGator said, several people normally share one. With groups of 5 or more people, a pitcher normally corresponds to a "round" as in, "I'll buy the next round." (Do you use that term in the UK?) If everyone at the table buys a round (i.e. a pitcher), then, by the end of an evening, you will have consumed the equivalent of a pitcher of beer, yet I have never seen anyone buy a pitcher just for himself. If you did, people would look askance at you. They would wonder, "What's the matter with him? Doesn't he have any friends to share that with? He must be an alcoholic, to enjoy drinking alone like that."

Once or twice, I have shared a pitcher with my wife, but that's more than I usually care to drink. What's the point of getting tipsy with your wife? If you're not meeting friends, what's the point of staying in a bar longer than it takes to finish a meal?

Maybe we should compare sizes. (If you show me yours….)

I know that in the UK, beer is sold by the pint or half-pint; that a British pint is 20 ounces; and that a British ounce is the same as an American ounce. Furthermore a British beer-glass is marked with a tiny crown to show that it has been certified to hold exactly a pint (or half-pint).

In the US, a "glass" of beer is whatever size the proprietor wants to sell you. If you ask, the bartender will show you a glass before he fills it, or maybe tell you how many ounces it holds. I don't think there is a standard, but I'd guess the average "glass" holds 8 or 10 ounces. In addition, the bar will usually offer at least one larger size called a "mug" (if it has a handle) or a "schooner" (if it has a stem) or a "pint" (if it has neither). I don't think a "pint" is necessarily exactly a pint by measure. I would guess these larger sizes vary from 12 to 20 ounces.

Pitchers vary in size, too. I would guess a pitcher holds four or five mugs (or whatever the bar uses as its larger size glass).