A Yard of Ale

One of my favorite places at the Broadmoor resort is the Golden Bee, an authentic 19th century British pub which was relocated from England to Colorado Springs.  It has a great Victorian feel, and they continue the tradition of the "yard beer".

True to their name, a yard of ale" is three feet tall.  Designed for British stagecoach drivers, the yard-long beer glass was used to allow safe drinking and driving:

"The earliest 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."

A yard Beer - three feet tall, 64 ounces

The yard beers are somewhat tricky to drink, especially after about 48 oz, the most difficult part comes into play, the tipping-up of the yard beer to get the remaining beer at the bottom of the bulb: