Why is it called a "pot" of beer

[Lionman]

The craft beer bar in Perth sells three sizes small, medium and large, 150, 300, and 450ml respectively.

I like this in a craft beer place with a lot of beers on tap. You can sample some of the more obscure beer styles without committing to a larger glass.

 

[bradsbrew]

Under Joh, anything over a teaspoon consumed after 3pm or before 1 in the afternoon incurred a $500 fine, disposession of your house and kids and a phone book spine across the upper teeth.

And then the Dean Bros would come in and demolish the heritage listed building you consumed in.

 

[earle]

And then the Dean Bros would come in and demolish the heritage listed building you consumed in.

Don't you worry about that!

 

[Bribie G]

I'm sure there are/were 7oz beers in Qld. I did a bit of bar work in the late 80's and IIRC 7's were available. Pots were the preferred size 99% of the time though.

In the 1970s Brisbane had 8 ounce beers and the country areas had 7 ounce beers. When I lived in Bundy and Mbro in the 70s and early 80s they were just called sevens and tens.

The name "Pots" came in around the late 80s IIRC.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

A few venues around the country are now offering DIY pouring. The beer is metered and charged out by the mL on consumption. Venue staff need to reactivate the system after a predetermined amount has been poured for RSA purposes. Customers can pour as much or as little as they want into their glass each time.

That would be interesting, or messy considering most people cant pour a glass of beer!
"owww why do I always get a glass of froth?" then blame the beer and refuse to pay for it etc.

 

[Lyrebird_Cycles]

Back to the original question: I wonder if calling a medium sized glass of beer a pot is a back formation from tosspot meaning drunkard, which has been around since the 16th century at least.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Piss Pot. There it is. Makes sense.

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Bit of a long shot, but is it possible that very early on - glazed clay pots (cups) were used to serve beer in addition to glasses? .

A drunkard who tosses back lots of 'pots'

 

[Feldon]

Pot has been in use as word for a drink and food vessel in England probably since the 5th or 6th century, probably brought over by the Saxons who arrived from continental Europe about this time.

"Word origin of 'pot'
Late Old English pott, from Medieval Latin pottus (unattested), perhaps from Latin pōtus a drink; compare Middle Low German pot, Old Norse pottr"
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pot

As for differing sizes of pint glasses etc in various states, there's this story out today on the ABC website (from a South Australian perspective)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-08/curious-adelaide-south-australia-beer-glass-sizes/8874960