How many beers are in a keg? A standard US keg, the half barrel, holds 15.5 gallons (1,984 oz). That is about 165 12-oz beers or 124 16-oz pints. A quarter barrel (pony keg) holds about 82 12-oz beers, and a sixtel holds about 55.
"Keg" covers several sizes, so the answer depends on which one you rent and how big the pour is. This guide lists every common keg in cans, pints, and UK pints, then shows how much alcohol a keg holds, so you can plan a party without guessing.
How many beers in a keg, by keg size?
| Keg | Volume | 12 oz beers | 16 oz US pints | UK pints (568 ml) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half barrel (full-size keg) | 15.5 gal / 58.7 L | 165 | 124 | 103 |
| Quarter barrel (pony or slim quarter) | 7.75 gal / 29.3 L | 82 | 62 | 51 |
| Sixth barrel (sixtel) | 5.16 gal / 19.5 L | 55 | 41 | 34 |
| Cornelius (homebrew) | 5 gal / 18.9 L | 53 | 40 | 33 |
| European 50 L keg | 50 L / 13.2 gal | 140 | 105 | 88 |
| European 30 L keg | 30 L / 7.9 gal | 84 | 63 | 52 |
| Mini keg | 5 L / 1.3 gal | 14 | 10 | 8 |
Counts are rounded down to whole servings, because that is what you can actually pour. Real kegs give a little less: foam, the first few cloudy pours, and the beer left below the spear usually cost a few percent.
How many beers in a half keg?
A half keg is the full-size keg in the US, despite the name. It is half of a 31-gallon beer barrel, so it holds 15.5 gallons. That is 1,984 oz, which gives 165 12-oz cans' worth or 124 pints. It equals almost seven 24-can cases.
How many beers in a quarter keg?
A quarter barrel holds 7.75 gallons, or 992 oz. That is about 82 12-oz beers or 62 pints. "Pony keg" and "slim quarter" both refer to this volume; the slim version is just taller and narrower.
How many beers in a sixtel?
A sixth barrel holds about 5.16 gallons, or 660 oz. That is about 55 12-oz beers or 41 pints. Craft breweries use sixtels because they fit more taps in a small fridge.
How many pints are in a keg?
Divide the keg's ounces by 16 for US pints, or its millilitres by 568 for UK pints.
- Half barrel: 1,984 ÷ 16 = 124 US pints
- Quarter barrel: 992 ÷ 16 = 62 US pints
- 50 L keg: 50,000 ÷ 568 = 88 UK pints
- 30 L keg: 30,000 ÷ 568 = 52 UK pints
UK pubs mostly use 50 L and 30 L kegs, and 11-gallon (50 L) is often how cellar staff describe the big one. If you are buying for a UK event, think in 50 L = 88 pints.
How much alcohol is in a keg?
Beer volume does not tell you how much alcohol people are drinking. The strength does. One US standard drink is 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol, which is one 12-oz beer at 5% ABV. One UK unit is 10 ml of pure alcohol.
| Keg | US standard drinks at 5% | UK units at 4.5% | UK units at 5% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half barrel (58.7 L) | 165 | 264 | 293 |
| Quarter barrel (29.3 L) | 83 | 132 | 147 |
| Sixtel (19.5 L) | 55 | 88 | 98 |
| 50 L keg | 141 | 225 | 250 |
| 5 L mini keg | 14 | 23 | 25 |
A 5 L mini keg of 5% beer is 25 UK units, which is more than the UK weekly low-risk guideline of 14 units. Spread across a group that is fine; finished by two people over a weekend, it is a lot.
For single servings, see how many standard drinks are in a beer and how many units are in a pint.
The formula for any keg
12-oz beers = gallons × 128 ÷ 12
UK pints = litres × 1,000 ÷ 568
US standard drinks = fluid ounces × ABV (as a decimal) ÷ 0.6
UK units = millilitres × ABV ÷ 1,000
Example 1: 12-oz beers in a quarter barrel
7.75 × 128 = 992 oz, and 992 ÷ 12 = 82.7, so plan on 82 full beers.
Example 2: UK units in a 30 L keg of 4% lager
30,000 × 4 ÷ 1,000 = 120 units, or 2.3 units per UK pint.
Example 3: standard drinks in a sixtel of 7% IPA
660 oz × 0.07 = 46.2 oz of pure alcohol, and 46.2 ÷ 0.6 = 77 standard drinks. That is 22 more than the 55 beers the keg pours, because each 12-oz IPA is about 1.4 drinks.
The standard drink calculator and the alcohol units calculator do the same sums for any size and strength.
How many kegs do you need for a party?
A common planning rule is one to two drinks per guest in the first hour and about one per hour after that. Using 12-oz servings:
- 50 guests, 3 hours, 3 beers each: 150 beers, so one half barrel (165) is enough.
- 25 guests, 3 hours, 3 beers each: 75 beers, so a quarter barrel (82) works.
- 15 guests or a beer selection: one or two sixtels (55 each) give you variety without waste.
Plan nonalcoholic drinks and water as well, and count drivers out of the beer total. The CDC defines binge drinking as 5 or more drinks on an occasion for men and 4 or more for women, so a party plan that assumes everyone has 5 or 6 is planning for heavy drinking. Our guide to how many drinks count as binge drinking explains the thresholds.
Never drive after a keg party. Arrange taxis, a sober driver, or places to stay before the tap opens.
Track drinks from the tap
At a party, nobody counts pours from a keg. If you want an honest total, log each cup as you take it. [Alcohol Tracker°](/) lets you add a drink from iPhone or Apple Watch with its size and ABV, and it keeps a running total of units or standard drinks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beers are in a full keg?
A full-size US keg is a half barrel of 15.5 gallons. It holds about 165 12-oz beers, 124 16-oz pints, or 103 UK pints. Expect a few less in practice because of foam and leftover beer.
How many cases of beer are in a keg?
A half barrel equals about 6.9 cases of 24 12-oz cans. A quarter barrel is about 3.4 cases, and a sixtel is about 2.3 cases.
How many pints are in a 50 litre keg?
A 50 L keg holds 88 UK pints of 568 ml, or about 105 US pints of 16 oz. In 12-oz servings it is about 140 beers.
How many beers are in a pony keg?
A pony keg is a quarter barrel of 7.75 gallons. It holds about 82 12-oz beers or 62 pints.
Is a keg cheaper than cans?
Usually, per ounce. A half barrel replaces nearly seven cases of cans. You also pay a keg deposit and need a tap or a kegerator, so small parties may find cases simpler.
The quick answer
A full-size half keg holds 15.5 gallons, about 165 12-oz beers or 124 pints. A quarter keg holds about 82 beers, a sixtel about 55, a 50 L keg about 140 (88 UK pints), and a 5 L mini keg about 14. At 5% ABV, each 12-oz beer is one US standard drink.
Sources: NIAAA: What is a standard drink?, CDC: About alcohol use, NHS alcohol units, and the UK Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines. Keg volumes are industry standard sizes; check the label on your keg for its exact volume.
Keep exploring
Use the calculator or continue with a related guide:
Put the guide into practice
Keep a clearer drink diary.
Track units, standard drinks, cost, calories, dry days and estimated BAC on iPhone and Apple Watch.
