Quick answer: A pint of beer in the UK is 568 ml, or exactly 568.26125 ml, which is 20 imperial fluid ounces. Draught beer must be served in a third, half or two-thirds of a pint, or multiples of half a pint, and industry guidance says at least 95% of a pint, about 540 ml, should be liquid.
The pint is one of the very few imperial units that UK law still allows on its own, without a metric figure alongside. That makes the pub pint a useful anchor for understanding how the UK measurement system mixes metric and imperial. Here is exactly how much you should get, how the head is treated and how a British pint compares with an American one.
How many ml is a pint of beer in the UK?
A UK pint of beer is 568 ml. The imperial pint is defined in law as 0.56826125 cubic decimetres, which is 568.26125 ml, and it is made up of 20 imperial fluid ounces of 28.41 ml each. A half pint is therefore 284 ml.
| Measure | Millilitres | Imperial fl oz |
|---|---|---|
| Third of a pint | 189 ml | 6.67 fl oz |
| Half pint | 284 ml | 10 fl oz |
| Two-thirds of a pint (schooner) | 379 ml | 13.33 fl oz |
| Pint | 568 ml | 20 fl oz |
| Two pints | 1,137 ml | 40 fl oz |
These are the only quantities in which draught beer and cider may be sold in UK pubs and bars: a third, a half or two-thirds of a pint, or multiples of half a pint. The two-thirds measure, often called a schooner, was added in 2011. The rules do not apply when beer is mixed with something else, as in a shandy. To convert other volumes, try the ml to fl oz converter.
Does the head count as part of the pint?
A reasonable head can count, but the British Beer and Pub Association says a pint should be at least 95% liquid. That works out at about 540 ml of beer and no more than about 28 ml of foam. Styles differ: stout is traditionally poured with a thick, creamy head, while cider normally has none.
Trading Standards services advise that customers are entitled to ask for a top-up if a pint looks short, and that a brim-measure glass should be full to the brim, or a lined glass to the line. Serving short measure is an offence under the Weights and Measures Act 1985, in the same way as selling goods in unlawful units.
Is a UK pint bigger than a US pint?
Yes. A UK pint of 568 ml is about 20% bigger than a US pint of 473 ml. The difference comes from the gallon: the imperial gallon is 4.54609 litres and the US gallon 3.785 litres, and each pint is an eighth of its gallon. The US pint also contains 16 US fluid ounces rather than 20. Many bars in mainland Europe serve 500 ml, which is 68 ml less than a British pint.
Are cans and bottles of beer a pint?
Usually not, because packaged beer has no required sizes. The pint rule covers draught beer only. Cans and bottles can be any size, provided the quantity is marked in metric, so 330 ml, 440 ml and 500 ml are all common. Since September 2024, wine has also been allowed in 568 ml “pint” bottles in Great Britain.
Why do some pint glasses have a crown on them?
The crown is a decorative mark again, not a legal guarantee. For centuries a crown stamp showed a glass had been verified as a true measure. From 2006 that role passed to the CE and metrology “M” markings under European rules, now joined by the UKCA mark. In 2022 the government allowed manufacturers to add a crown again voluntarily, but it has no legal meaning on its own; the conformity marks are what count.
Frequently asked questions
How many ml is half a pint of beer?
Half a UK pint is 284 ml, or exactly 284.130625 ml. That is 10 imperial fluid ounces.
Can a pub sell beer in 500 ml glasses?
Not for draught beer or cider. Draught beer must be sold in a third, half or two-thirds of a pint, or multiples of half a pint. Bottled and canned beer can be any marked size.
How much head is allowed on a pint?
Industry guidance from the British Beer and Pub Association says a pint should be at least 95% liquid, which is about 540 ml. You can ask for a top-up if your pint looks short.
How many fluid ounces are in a UK pint?
A UK pint contains 20 imperial fluid ounces. A US pint contains 16 US fluid ounces, which is why it holds only 473 ml.
Sources
- Weights and measures: specified quantities, GOV.UK
- The Weights and Measures (Specified Quantities) (Unwrapped Bread and Intoxicating Liquor) Order 2011, legislation.gov.uk
- Sale of alcohol in licensed premises, Business Companion (Chartered Trading Standards Institute)
- Don’t lose your head, warn Trading Standards, Aberdeenshire Council, July 2024
- Weights and Measures Act 1985, Schedule 1 (definition of the pint), legislation.gov.uk