# Why 12 oz. Beers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2010, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-12-oz-beers/538148 "2010-05-03T14:31:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-12-oz-beers/538148/21 "2010-05-05T16:22:38Z")
> [@IAmNotSpartacus](#): > > That’s a pounder. :dubious: Forgive me for not giving credibility to Schlitz’s marketing department. Just because they put it on the can doesn’t make it so. Heh. You’re preaching to the choir. I remember being in New Orleans and they were selling 32 ouncers as [“Huge Ass Beers”](http://www.keithdunkerley.com/drupal/sites/default/files/images/HUGE%20BEERS.jpg). I said “I’m from Wisconsin, _Drunkest Place on Earth_TM, this is a shot glass.” ---
**Author:** ![Lunar\_Saltlick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@Lunar\_Saltlick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lunar_Saltlick)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-12-oz-beers/538148/22 "2010-05-05T16:39:57Z")
Out of curiosity, does anyone ever measure the actual amount in the bottle, just to make sure? I’m betting some sneaky “12-oz” bottles actually deliver 11.75 or so, maybe worse. Last time I was in Europe, there was a big to-do about the holding capacity of beer steins and whether you were really getting your full pint. I didn’t pay any attention to the controversy, but this thread just reminded me of it. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-12-oz-beers/538148/23 "2010-05-05T18:07:12Z")
> [@Lunar\_Saltlick](#): > > Out of curiosity, does anyone ever measure the actual amount in the bottle, just to make sure? I’m betting some sneaky “12-oz” bottles actually deliver 11.75 or so, maybe worse. Last time I was in Europe, there was a big to-do about the holding capacity of beer steins and whether you were really getting your full pint. I didn’t pay any attention to the controversy, but this thread just reminded me of it. TTB has been known to pull samples of wine, and I can only assume beer and spirits as well, to test various aspects of the contents with regards to how they are labeled. A tolerance is allowed on fill levels, but it is incredibly minute. For the most part, fill levels have to be pretty close to exact in order to be released as tax-paid. A friend of a friend of mine works at an A-B plant in NJ. The employees there are simply given cases of short-fill bottles. Here’s a snippet of regulations regarding net contents from [TTB](http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=96c604d9afd3feecc1f368c75e1a1679&rgn=div6&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.20.10&idno=27)- > [@](#): > > _Tolerances_. The statement of net contents shall indicate exactly the volume of beer within the bottle except for variations in measuring as may occur in filling conducted in compliance with good commercial practice. That translates to just the tiniest fraction of an ounce per bottle/can. ---
**Author:** ![Cliffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/59ef9b/32.png) [@Cliffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cliffy)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-12-oz-beers/538148/24 "2010-05-05T21:12:35Z")
I’m with **JerseyFrank** – when cans were introduced, 12 oz was the “regular” size established after Coke and Pepsi duked it out on the issue, a conflict initiated by “Pepsi Cola hits the spot, twelve full ounces – that’s a lot!” –Cliffy [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-12-oz-beers/538148.md?page=1)