Australians have some colorful slang terms for beer bottles. Here’s a quick look at some of the most common Aussie nicknames for beer vessels:
Stubby
The stubby is the classic Aussie beer bottle – short and stout, generally around 375mL. Stubby holders, foam insulators that keep stubbies cold, are a ubiquitous feature of any Aussie BBQ or day at the beach.
Longneck
Longnecks are tall, narrow 750mL beer bottles. They hold twice as much beer as stubbies. The long, slim design means they don’t need stubby holders to stay chilled.
Darwin Stubby
The Darwin stubby is a larger, 800mL stubby popular in the Northern Territory. Darwin stubbies are often decorated with local themes like crocodiles.
Throwdown
A throwdown is the largest common beer vessel in Australia – a 1125mL “king brown” bottle. Throwdowns are so-named because once empty, they get thrown down hard to shatter them open. Aussies in rural areas use the broken glass for tasks like deterring rabbits.
Grenade
Grenades are a uniquely Aussie invention – beer bottles designed to float in pools or lakes for easy access while swimming. The wide, buoyant bottom keeps them upright.
Tallie
A tallie is a large, 800mL bottle of beer. It’s a generic term that can refer to longnecks, Darwin stubbies, throwdowns, or other big bottles.
Pint
A pint usually refers to a 560mL glass or bottle of beer, the same as an imperial pint. Australia uses imperial pints, though metered pints of 568mL are also sometimes seen.
Middy
A middy is a 285mL beer glass, smaller than an imperial half-pint. The name comes from “half a schooner.”
Schooner
A schooner is the most popular beer glass size, holding 425mL, or about three-quarters of an imperial pint. Schooners are iconic in Australia, where they’re often served with an overflowing beer head.
Pot
A pot is a 285mL beer glass, the same as a middy. It gets its name from the British pint pot, which was marked with a line to separate half pints from full pints.
Pony
A pony is a 140mL or 200mL glass of beer, suitable for sampling beers. The smallest beer measure, it’s a “pony-sized” pour.
Butcher
A butcher is slang for a 750mL bottle of beer, typically a longneck. The origin isn’t totally clear, but may derive from rhyming slang for “butcher’s hook” meaning “look.”
Knock-Off
Knock-off can refer to a beer at the end of a workday. It’s also slang for a cheap, low-quality beer.
Tinnie
A tinnie is a can of beer, often 375mL cans similar in size to stubby bottles. The name is short for “tin can.”
Slab
A slab refers to a pack or case containing 24 bottles or cans of beer. Traditionally a slab contains 375mL stubbies.
Darwin Stubby
The Darwin stubby is a unique 800mL stubby bottle used mainly in Australia’s Northern Territory. It’s a larger version of a standard 375mL stubby. Darwin stubbies are often decorated with crocodiles and other local themes.
King Brown
A king brown is a 1125mL “throwdown” bottle – the largest common beer bottle size in Australia. King browns get their name from the brown glass color. Once empty, they are often smashed (“throwdowns”) to break them open.
Six Pack
A six pack, or half slab, contains 6 bottles or cans of beer. Six packs are a popular quantity for taking beer to parties or on trips.
Cleanskin
Cleanskin refers to an unlabeled bottle of wine or beer. It may be a cheap bulk beverage or an unlabeled bottle of a premium wine or beer.
Growler
A growler is a 1.89L reusable container used to transport draft beer. Growlers are commonly filled fresh at breweries and taprooms.
Screw Top
A screw top bottle has a metal cap that twists off rather than a pry-off lid. Screw tops are popular for wine, champagne, and ready-to-drink beverages.
Forty
A forty refers to a 40 ounce (1.18L) bottle of beer. The large bottles are especially popular in America and associated with hip hop culture.
Pint Glass
A pint glass is shaped to hold an imperial pint of beer, which is 568mL in Australia or 560mL internationally. It’s one of the most common beer glass sizes.
Half Pint
A half pint is a 285mL beer glass, smaller than an imperial pint. Half pints allow beer drinkers to sample multiple brews.
Handle
A handle is slang for a 1.75L jug of beer, equivalent to a six pack. Bartenders may ask patrons if they want to order beer by the glass, bottle or handle.
Pony
A pony is a 200mL beer glass, designed for tasting different beers. The smallest drink size, it provides just a “pony-sized” taste.
Pint Bottle
A pint bottle is a 560mL or 568mL beer bottle sized equal to a imperial pint glass. International pint bottles are usually 560mL.
Nip
A nip is a 60mL or 90mL glass used for tasting spirits like whiskey. The small “nip-sized” pours allow sampling different liquors.
Jug
Jug can refer to a 1.1L, 1.5L or 2L glass beer pitcher, designed for pouring multiple beers at once. Beer jugs are popular for parties and events.
Schooner Glass
A schooner glass holds 425mL, the most popular beer size in Australia. The wide rim and tall shape provide room for a large frothy beer head.
Middy Glass
A middy glass holds 285mL, equivalent to a British half pint. “Middy” comes from it being the mid-sized beer pour between a schooner and a pony.
Ten Pack
A ten pack or “half case” contains 10 bottles or cans of beer, more than a six pack but less than a slab. Ten packs are a common package quantity.
Keg
A keg holds 5 to 50 liters of draft beer. Kegs use pressurized gas to pour beer on tap through a spout, and are reusable when empty.
Growlette
A growlette is a smaller 1L or 1.9L jug used for transporting fresh draft beer. Growlettes work like growlers but in more portable sizes.
Bottle-O
A bottle-o is Australian slang for a liquor store. The name derives from bottles of beer, wine and spirits sold at the shops.
Slab
A slab refers to a pack or case containing 24 bottles or cans, traditionally 375mL stubbies. “Slab” describes the case itself rather than an exact quantity.
Ring
A ring is a pack of six bottles, like a six pack of beer. Both “ring” and “sixer” refer to the six-bottle cardboard packaging.
Round
A round refers to a group of drinks purchased together in a single order. Friends often take turns buying rounds when out at a pub.
Skin
Skin is short for cleanskin, meaning an unlabeled bottle of wine or beer. Cleanskins can be cheap bulk drinks or premium beverages sold unbranded.
Rack
A rack refers to a 300mL serving of beer, equal to about half a pint. Ordering a “rack of beer” will get you a 300mL glass.
Shout
A shout is a round of drinks you buy for friends out at a bar. It comes from the expression “my shout,” meaning it’s your turn to buy drinks.
Yard Glass
A yard glass is a novel beer glass 3 feet (1 yard) tall, holding about 2.5 pints of beer. Drinking a yard glass in one go is a challenge taken on by daring pub patrons.
Neck Oil
Neck oil is Aussie slang for beer, referring humorously to the way beer “oils” your throat when you drink it. Order a “neck oil” at the pub and you’ll get a cold beer.
Grog
Grog is a slang term for liquor or alcoholic beverages in general. It’s an informal or humorous word used mainly in Australia and New Zealand.
Cold One
A cold one is slang for a cold beer. If someone offers you a cold one, they are suggesting you enjoy a nice chilled beer together.
Tinnie
A tinnie refers to a 375mL or similar sized can of beer in Australia. Tinnie is short for “tin can,” referring to the metal beer can.
Schoey
Shoey is Australian slang for drinking beer directly from a shoe, typically done as a party stunt. It comes from using a shoe in place of glass.
Middy
A middy is a 285mL beer glass, smaller than an imperial pint. The name comes from it being the “middle” size between a schooner and a pony.