Green’s Dictionary of Slang

top o’ reeb n.

a pot of beer.

1850		review of ‘London Labour...’ in Advocate 18 Dec. 346/1: ‘Jem,’ says another, a man just entering, you’ll stand a top o’ reeb?’.
1856		H. Mayhew Great World of London I 5: I say, Curly, will you do a top of reeb (pot of beer)? one costermonger may say to the other.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor I 23/2: Top o’ reeb ... Pot of beer.
1877		J. Diprose London Life 43: One may say to another, ‘Will you do a top of reeb.’.
1887		J.W. Horsley Jottings from Jail 4: Sap her a top o’ reeb and a tib of occabot.
1908		C. Rook London Side-Lights 277: [as cit. 1856].
1953		J. Franklyn Cockney 298: A few stray words and expressions, such as top o reeb (pot of beer) and on doog (no good) survive with restricted usage in cockney colloquial slang.
1995		(con. 1860s) P. Ackroyd Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem 174: I was asked to have ‘a top of reeb’ instead of a pot of beer.