Yard of ale
A yard of ale or yard glass is a very tall beer glass used for drinking around 2.5 imperial pints (1.4 L) of beer, depending upon the diameter. The glass is approximately 1 yard (0.91 m), shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height.[1]
The glass most likely originated in 17th-century England where the glass was known also as a "Long Glass", a "Cambridge Yard (Glass)" and an "Ell Glass". It is associated by legend with stagecoach drivers, though was mainly used for drinking feats and special toasts.[2][3]
Drinking a yard glass full of beer as quickly as possible is a traditional pub game; the bulb at the bottom of the glass makes it likely that the contestant will be splashed with a sudden rush of beer towards the end of the feat. The fastest drinking of a yard of ale (1.42 litres (2.50 imp pt) in the Guinness Book of Records is 5 seconds.[4]
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Description
The glass is approximately 1 yard (0.91 m), shaped with a bulb at the bottom, and a widening shaft which constitutes most of the height. In countries where the metric system is used, the glass may be 1 metre (1.1 yd). 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.
History
The glass most likely originated in 17th-century England where the glass was known also as a "Long Glass", a "Cambridge Yard (Glass)" and an "Ell Glass".[5] Such a glass was a testament to the glassblower's skill as much as the drinker's. John Evelyn records in his Diary the formal yet festive drinking of a yard of ale toast to James II at Bromley in Kent, 1685.
Yard glasses can 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.
Usage
Drinking a yard glass full of beer is a traditional pub game in the UK. Some ancient colleges at Oxford University have sconcing forfeits.[6] One record-keeping source reported the fastest drinking of a yard of ale is 5 seconds.[7] Former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke was previously the world record holder for the fastest drinking of a yard of beer,[8] when he downed a sconce pot in eleven seconds as part of a traditional Oxford college penalty.[9]
Boot of beer
German themed bars in America may have boot shaped glasses, often engraved with insignias or logos, which may be passed among drinkers as a drinking challenge. These glasses are supposedly based on German "Bierstiefels" used in drinking events though the origins of the boot glass are unknown and subject to speculation; the Germans call them "Stiefel" or "Damenbein" ("Ladies Leg").[10]
See also
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References
- ^ Rabin, Dan; Carl Forge (1998). The Dictionary of Beer and Brewing. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
- ^ "Yard-of-ale glass (drinking glass) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia". britannica.com. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
- ^ "The Yard of Ale : Our History". theyardofale.com. Retrieved 2010-03-10.
- ^ The Guinness book of records 1999. Guinness. 1998. p. 60. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "Suffolk Glass". suffolkglass.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
- ^ Allan Seager (2004). A frieze of girls: memoirs as fiction. University of Michigan Press. p. 201. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "Human Achievements". Record Holders Republic. Retrieved 2009-09-26.
- ^ Carbone, Suzanne (2003-12-03). "Spiffing leader? Just apply spit and polish". Melbourne: The Age. Retrieved 2010-03-09.
- ^ Bob Hawke (1994). The Hawke Memoirs. Heinemann. p. 28. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
- ^ "Stiefel". trv-rhenania.de. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
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