A
yard (or
yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer; a
yard (or
yard of ale) also refers to the (variable) quantity of beer held by such a glass.
The glass is approximately 1
yardA yard is a unit of length in several different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches, although its length in SI units varied slightly from system to system...
long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height. Because the glass is so long and in any case does not usually have a stable flat base, it is hung on the wall when not in use.
Drinking a yard glass full of beer is a traditional pub game.
A
yard (or
yard glass) is a very tall glass used for drinking beer; a
yard (or
yard of ale) also refers to the (variable) quantity of beer held by such a glass.
The glass is approximately 1
yardA yard is a unit of length in several different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches, although its length in SI units varied slightly from system to system...
long, shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height. Because the glass is so long and in any case does not usually have a stable flat base, it is hung on the wall when not in use.
Drinking a yard glass full of beer is a traditional pub game. The object is to drink the entire glassful without pausing for breath, and/or to drink it as quickly as possible. Because of the shape of the glass, once it is raised and the liquid starts to flow, it is difficult to pause. When attempted by the novice, the liquid may flow out in a rush and soak the person holding the glass.
England
The glass most likely originated in 17th-century
EnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the North Sea to the east, with the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where the glass was known also as a "Long Glass", a "Cambridge Yard (Glass)" and an "
EllAn ell , is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.Several national forms existed, with different lengths, including the Scottish ell , the Flemish ell and the Polish ell .In England, the ell was usually 45 inches...
Glass". Such a glass was a testament to the
glassblowerGlassblowing is a glassforming technique that involves inflating the molten glass into a bubble, or parison, with the aid of the blowpipe, or blow tube...
's skill as much as the drinker's. The diarist and Fellow of the Royal Society
John EvelynJohn Evelyn was an English writer, gardener and diarist.Evelyn's diaries or Memoirs are largely contemporaneous with those of the other noted diarist of the time, Samuel Pepys, and cast considerable light on the art, culture and politics of the time John Evelyn (31 October 1620 – 27 February...
records the formal yet festive drinking of a yard of ale toast to
James IIJames II & VII was King of England and Ireland as James II, and Scotland as James VII, from 6 February 1685. He was the last Catholic monarch to reign over the Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland...
at Bromley in Kent, 1683.
Another reference to this type of glass was recorded in the diary of a John Evelyn in 1685. He referred to the Sheriff and the Commander of the Kentish Troop in Bromley drinking to the health of King James II from a "glasse of a yard long."
The story goes that the glass was specifically designed to meet the needs of stagecoach drivers who were always in hurry to get to their destinations. The glass had to be long enough to hand to the driver without his having to leave the stagecoach. The design of the glass meant that the stagecoach driver could drive without losing control and drink at the same time. He could also have his glass refilled without letting go of the reins.
Yard glasses can still be found hanging on the walls of some English pubs and there are a number of pubs named
The Yard of Ale throughout the country and in certain pubs in the United States.
The fastest drinking of a yard of ale in the
Guinness Book of Records is 5 seconds.
Australia and New Zealand
The yard glass has had a significant effect on Australian
drinkingDrinking culture refers to the customs and practices of people who drink alcoholic beverages.Although types of alcoholic beverages and social attitudes toward drinking vary around the world, nearly every civilization has independently discovered the processes of brewing beer, fermenting wine, and...
and
popular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture...
. The ritual of the yard-glass sculling competition (who can empty the contents of the glass the fastest) is predominant in, but not restricted to,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
n "
boganThe term bogan is Australian and New Zealand English slang, usually pejorative or self-deprecating, for a person who is, or is perceived to be, of a lower-class background. According to the stereotype, the speech and mannerisms of "bogans" indicate poor education, cheap clothing and uncultured...
" culture. It is also popular among the "Westie" culture as well.
Former Australian Prime Minister
Bob HawkeRobert James Lee Hawke, AC was the 23rd Prime Minister of Australia and longest serving Australian Labor Party Prime Minister....
was at one time the world record holder for fastest drinking of a yard of beer.
It is a popular tradition to receive a yard glass as a gift for
coming of ageComing of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
celebrations on one's 21st birthday in Australia and
New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses , and numerous smaller islands, most notably Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. The indigenous Māori named New Zealand Aotearoa, commonly translated as The Land of the Long White Cloud...
, and consume the full glass during one's birthday party. This is usually timed for fun and comparison.
A yard glass in New Zealand generally holds between 6 and 7 beers (just over two litres) substantially larger than the English version. As such it can take anywhere from 2 minutes onwards to consume a full New Zealand yard.
America
The yard glass has over the past several years seen more use for blended drinks, often available at fairs and casinos. Varying greatly in measurements from the standard glass versions, these are often plastic and associated with festivities of all sorts.