Beer bottles



Glass Beer Bottles 


          

         Above:  a long-neck design

Bottle Styles

There are several types of bottles beyond the familiar North American longneck design. 

Each has its own adventages and comes in its own sizes:

  • Stubby    These bottles have the advantage of being lighter and easier to transport because of their compact shape and thinner glass. Thicker glass stubbies are also available. The typical stubby bottle holds 330 mL to 375 mL. Stubbies were once widely used in Canada and give off a vintage feel. They are also popular in Europe.
  • North American Longnecks   Known as the industry standard bottle (ISB), Longnecks are standardized in terms of dimensions and capacity though separate conventions exist for the U.S. and Canada. The U.S. ISB holds 355 mL while the Canadian ISB holds 341 mL.  Longnecks are known for their resistance to explosion from carbonation and can be reused up to 16 times.
  • Australian Longneck    Similarly shaped to North American Longnecks, but with a capacity of 750 mL.
  • Bomber    A 650.6 mL glass bottle (22 fl. oz) that comes in varying shapes but resembles the Longneck. Bombers are popular among home brewers and specialty markets. They contain 2 - 3 servings of beer to be shared between several people.
  • Growler   A specialty glass container commonly used by breweries to sell takeout beer or to transport draft beers. Various sizes, from half-gallon to liter to quart, are available. Click here for more detailed information about growlers.



Glass Color

The color of the beer bottle is another important factor to consider. 

Both marketing and practicality play a role:

  • Brown / Amber bottles are the only color bottles that filter out ultraviolet radiation. UV radiation causes riboflavin to break down isohumulones. Given enough time, this ruins the bitterness of the beer and leaves it with a skunk like flavor.
  • Green bottles are associated with high quality, prestigious beers. Following World War II, European brewers faced a shortage of brown glass and exported their beer in green bottles instead. Since many of these were expensive, high quality brews, green glass became a status symbol for beers.
  • Clear bottles are used by many breweries to show off the color of the beer. With the right label, a clear bottle can give a beer an interesting and distinctive packaging.


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