What is "yard of ale"

n. The amount of ale that fills a very tall tapering beer glass (approximately 1 yard). Drinking it as quickly as possible is a traditional pub game.

A yard of ale or yard glass is a very tall beer glass used for drinking around of beer, depending upon the diameter.

The glass is approximately 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 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.

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 in the Guinness Book of Records is 5 seconds.