Yard of Ale Glass

A yard of ale or yard glass is a tall beer glass used for drinking around 2+1⁄2 imperial pints (1.4 L) of beer, depending upon the diameter.


A yard of ale
The glass is approximately one yard (90 centimetres) long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft, which constitutes most of the height.

The glass most likely originated in 17th-century England, where it was known also as a "long glass", a "Cambridge yard (glass)" and an "ell glass". It is associated by legend with stagecoach drivers, though it was mainly used for drinking feats and special toasts.

Drinking a yard glass full of beer as quickly as possible is a traditional pub game; as with the toe of a beer boot, the bulb at the bottom of the glass makes it possible for the contestant to be splashed with a sudden rush of beer toward the end of the feat.