What It Means To Order A 'Stubby' Beer At The Bar

Over the years, beer has been packaged in countless different ways. Bottles have been around for ages, while the now-popular canned beer was introduced in the 1930s, and large beer growlers took off in the late 1980s. If you step into your favorite bar and ask for your go-to beer, how is it served? Size-wise, you're likely used to a 12-ounce longneck bottle or 16-ounce pint glass — but if it comes in a shorter, stouter 12-ounce glass bottle that looks suspiciously smaller than a longneck, you're actually drinking a stubby.

Despite its smaller-looking appearance, a stubby is the same 12-ounce beer you'd get in a longneck bottle. Rather than a thinner, taller shape, it has a much shorter neck and a more rotund body. The stubby made its first appearance in the 1930s after similarly-shaped cans became popular in the post-Prohibition era. Stubbies were designed this way because their shape made it easier to stack the bottles on top of one another. Better stacking meant more bottles per shipment, which saved brewers money in the long run.

During the 1930s, beer companies were looking for ways to cut shipment costs (this is why beer cans were invented). Longneck bottles were too heavy to be shipped long distances cheaply, and because of their shape, companies could only package so many at a time. The glass industry knew that the beer can's invention could run them out of business, so the stubby was their way of compromising — it's a glass bottle that is shaped like a beer can. While the weight wasn't less, the stackable shape made them more cost-effective for transporting.

By the 1950s, the stubbies' popularity took a downturn when the longneck bottle once again became the shape of choice in the United States. Stubby bottles remained popular in Canada until the 1980s, but eventually, the longneck bottle ruled there too. Today, stubbies are nowhere near as common as they once were, but they're still the shape of choice for some drinkers and brewers.

Additionally, you might be able to find "stubby" cans, which are eight-ounce mini beer cans. These cans began popping up around the United States in the late twenty-teens and were inspired by the classic round bottle. They haven't caught on in quite the same way, but they are perfect for anyone who just wants a small drink without committing to a full bottle, can, or pint. Just make sure if you pour your beer into a glass that you're not doing it all wrong!