How Many Beers Are in a Case? (Charts)

Are you wondering how many beers are in a case? It is a simple question, but you might be surprised. You could get as many different answers as many people you ask. It could get confusing.

However, you need not worry. Today, we will answer this question, clear up your confusion, and much more! We have plenty to talk about, so without further delay, let’s go!

How Many Beers Are in a Case?

There is no official description or rule on how many bottles or cans of beer there are in a case. With that, as we have said above, many answers inevitably arise. However, there are two generally accepted answers by many. Let’s talk about those.

Beer Cases Can Have 24 Beers

Generally, and probably the most widely accepted answer, is 24 12 oz beers. Whether we are talking about bottles or cans, the consensus is 24.

There are a few theories why 24 beer bottles or cans make up a case. Some allude to the influence of an actor. On the other hand, some points to convenience. However, there is one that is regarded by many.

Supposedly when beers or beer bundles first came out, it was in bundles of 24 that often came in a box that looked like a briefcase. In time, it simply got to be known as a case.

Beer Cases Can Have 12 Beers

24 is the general answer, as beers mostly come in 12oz. However, as you probably already know, like other beverages, beers do not only come in one size. When talking about bombers (i.e., 22oz beers), a case can have as low as 12 beers.

However, you might have already been the victim of wanting a beer case and getting a beer bundle of 12 12oz beers instead.

If this bundle is not a beer case, you are probably wondering what it is now. The many different beer bundles could be confusing but worry not. We will talk about that in a bit.

Beer Cases, Beer Packs, and Beer Racks

As discussed above, 24 and 12 are the most common answers to this question. However, you have likely heard of other numbers besides these two.

To add, if you have ever been to the beer section of a store, you have probably seen beers bundled in 4s, 6s, 8s, and many others. When others give answers other than 24 and 12, they are likely referring to these.

The thing is, they are not cases. However, often, they are confused with them. With that, let us discuss what these are next.

What Are Beer Packs? Beer Cases VS Beer Packs

Packs are often mixed-up and used interchangeably with other beer bundle names, likely because it is one – if not the most – used beer bundle name. It is even possible some people may refer to any and all beer bundles as packs. With that, as you can guess, it also gets confused with the beer case.

Like beer cases, there is no official description or rule on how many bottles or cans of beer there are in a pack. However, unlike beer cases, there does not seem to be a consensus regarding its size.

It often has 6 12oz beers (just check out some big brands like Budweiser, Heineken, and Blue Moon). However, it is not unusual to see beer packs come in other sizes. Other than 6 12oz beers, some of the most common beer pack sizes are 4, 8, and 12 12oz beers.

As you can see, beer packs can also come in 12s. However, you can expect this pack to have 12 12oz beers, unlike beer cases with 12 22oz beers. When you ask for a beer case and get 12 12oz beers, as you can guess, you are getting a beer pack of 12.

Packs might be the most known beer bundle, but it is not the only one that gets mixed up with the beer case.

What Are Beer Racks? Beer Cases VS Beer Racks

Beer cases are also often mixed-up with beer racks.

Like beer cases and packs, there is no official description or rule on how many bottles or cans of beer there are in a rack. However, like beer cases, there are two generally accepted answers by many.

Most commonly, it has 30 12oz beers. On the other hand, some say a rack is two dozen 12oz beers. As you can see, this is probably where the confusion comes from.

The Comparison Chart: Beer Cases VS Beer Packs VS Beer Racks

We have discussed beer cases, packs, and racks. Before we move to the next part, let us briefly compare the three here side-by-side to give you a better picture.

As you might have noticed, beer packs tend to be smaller bundles, cases are the average ones, and racks are the larger ones. However, that is not always the case. It is most likely a beer pack if you find a larger beer bundle than a beer rack.

If you plan on drinking alone or with a friend, you might want to go for a beer pack. On the other hand, a beer case and rack might be the best choice if you plan on drinking with a small group of friends.

Beer Cases, Beer Kegs, and Beer Balls

After clearing the confusion among cases, packs, and racks, let’s discuss the mix-up among cases, kegs, and balls here. Unlike beer packs and beer racks, volume is the focus with beer kegs and balls. It is not bottles and cans.

What Are Beer Kegs?: Beer Cases VS Beer Kegs

As we have said, unlike packs and racks, the confusion with cases and kegs is more focused on the volume.

Simply put, a keg is a container that holds beer. With that, it could be hard to quantify how much beer it has in terms of bottles or cans. Additionally, there are many keg sizes, which makes it harder to compare it with a case.

However, if you want to know the difference between the two, the only thing you might want to keep in mind is that whatever the size, a keg almost always holds more beer than a case.

Here are some examples of keg sizes and the corresponding gallons they hold:

On the other hand, let’s look at how many gallons a beer case has.

As we have said above, a beer case generally has 24 12oz beers. If we go and add everything up, we would have 288oz, which is ultimately 2.25 gallons. With that and looking at the table above, a case only holds more beer than a mini barrel.

As you can see, a keg holds lots of beer. Lots! With that, it should not be surprising to see parties often opting for beer kegs than cases or other beer bundles.

What Are Beer Balls? Beer Cases VS Beer Balls

On the other hand, there is not much confusion with beer cases and balls. However, we’ll still compare the two as they can both be at a party.

Simply put, a beer ball is similar to a keg. It holds beer. However, unlike the previous container, it is almost always hard plastic. Also, unlike it, it does not usually come in different sizes. It is known to generally hold 5 gallons.

As we discussed earlier, a case holds around 2.25 gallons of beer. As you can see, it takes approximately two beer cases to fill a beer ball.

The Comparison Chart: Beer Cases VS Beer Kegs VS Beer Balls

Here, let’s compare the three, so you can have a better picture.

The Case of Beer Cases

The beer case might be the best option if you are with a small group. On the other hand, you might want to get a beer ball for a slightly large group. However, going with a beer keg would be ideal for a party.

While we have established that a beer case generally holds 24 12oz beers, you will likely still hear and read other answers. However, correction is not due!

Again and again, we mentioned that there is no official rule on how many beers each bundle has. Hence, there are many factors that could affect how one would define a beer case. With that, it might be best to specify you want 24 12oz beers when you want a beer case.

Final Words

Are you still asking how many beers are in a case? We sure hope not!

Today, we answered this question, differentiated a beer case from other beer bundles, and discussed how complex this simple question is. We hope we got to help with your concern today. If you have other beer problems and matters you want some answers to, you might want to check out our other talks.