Bloody good question! Having lived in more cities than I have handbags, I’ve learnt first-hand that every Australian state has their own rules when it comes to ordering a vessel of beer. Each size of beer glass goes by a different name in each state. And some have weird names: Shetland, Pony, Butcher, etc.
Next thing you know, I’ll be ordering a camel of Super Dry.
And sometimes, the same name in one state can mean a very different thing in another state. Like when I first moved from South Australia to New South Wales and kept ordering a pint of Coopers, wondering why I was getting funny looks and a beer the size of the Oasis of the Seas. I’ve since learnt that a pint in South Australia is a totally different size to a pint in every other part of Australia.
I’ve also learnt that if you ask for a pot of Tooheys Extra Dry in Sydney, you’re likely to be met with a blank stare. Right, a pot of beer is a Victorian thing.
Image credit: Visit Victoria
Here’s the beer sizes in Australia you need to know
Despite now being all too aware of the dangers of a pint glass, I still start to sweat when I have to order a beer. So I’ve created this chart of beer sizes in Australia for the back of the toilet door, so I can learn my beer ordering timetables. I hope this helps.
| New South Wales | Victoria | Queensland | |
| 1140ml | Jug | Jug | Jug |
| 575ml | – | – | – |
| 568ml | Pint | Pint | – |
| 425ml *popular size* | Schooner | Schooner | Schooner |
| 285ml | Middy | Pot | Middy / Ten / Pot |
| 225ml | – | – | – |
| 200ml | Seven | Glass | Beer / Seven |
| 170ml | – | Small Glass | – |
| 140ml | Pony | Pony | Five |
| 115ml | – | – | – |
| South Australia | Western Australia | Tasmania | |
| 1140ml | Jug | Jug | Jug |
| 575ml | – | Pot | – |
| 568ml | Imperial Pint | – | Pint |
| 425ml *popular size* | Pint | Schooner | Fifteen / Schooner |
| 285ml | Schooner | Middy | Pot / Handle / Ten |
| 225ml | – | – | Eight |
| 200ml | Butcher | Glass | Seven |
| 170ml | – | Bobbie | Six |
| 140ml | Pony | Pony | – |
| 115ml | – | Shetland | Small Beer |
| Australian Capital Territory | Northern Territory | |
| 1140ml | Jug | Jug |
| 575ml | – | – |
| 568ml | Pint | Pint |
| 425ml *popular size* | Schooner | Schooner |
| 285ml | Middy | Middy / Pot |
| 225ml | – | – |
| 200ml | Seven | Seven |
| 170ml | – | – |
| 140ml | – | – |
| 115ml | – | – |
Warning: this isn’t an exact science. If it wasn’t confusing enough, some sizes are more popular than others, so won’t be found in some pubs, and some age groups use different names altogether. I’m also no beer expert – I just have access to Google. I wish you luck, because you’ll likely need it.
If all else fails, just order a jug of beer – there’s no conjecture there.
Share your experiences of beer ordering around Australia, comment below.
