Long description of the infographic
In Canada, businesses such as restaurants and bars can sell draft beer by:
the Canadian (imperial) pint
(equal to 568 mL or 20 imperial fl oz)
the Canadian (imperial) fluid ounce (fl oz)
(equal to 28.413 mL)
the millilitre (mL)
They cannot sell draft beer by:
the US customary pint
(equal to 473 mL or 16 US fl oz)
the US customary fluid ounce
(equal to 29.574 mL)
any other unauthorized unit
When businesses advertise and sell a quantity of beer, they must serve the stated amount within the allowable limit of error.
- The allowable limit of error for an imperial pint is 0.5 imperial fl oz or 14.2 mL.
- The foam (head) is not included in the measurement.
- The word "pint" must not be used to describe a glass or mug of beer, as this could lead to confusion.
Do you have a concern or complaint?
If you think you didn't get the quantity you paid for, try to resolve the matter by speaking with the business owner or manager. If you still have concerns, you can file a complaint with us.
Please note that in Canada, the unit "pinte" in French must not be confused with the unit "pint" in English. The Canadian (imperial) unit "pinte" in French corresponds to the imperial quart in English and is equal to 40 imperial fl oz, whereas the imperial pint corresponds to the imperial unit "chopine" in French, which is equal to 20 imperial fl oz.
Contact your provincial or territorial liquor board if you have a complaint about:
- beer sold in serving sizes described as "small glass", "medium glass", "large glass", "full glass", etc.
- a quantity of beer that is not included on a menu or price list