Interesting thread. Incidentally at one time in County Cork when you went into a pub, you just asked for a pint or a half and were usually given draught Guinness. Also at the end of harvest time when the corn (wheat, oats or barley) was threshed, the host farm always had a keg of porter (Guinness) to round off the evening. Whe it was tapped the oldest man in the room was usually given the first drink. Spirits on the other hand were usually asked for by name as in "A Paddy or a Jameson please." "Growler" by the way also means a motor.