Case of stout ready in bar (6)
I believe the answer is:
stripe
'bar' is the definition.
(I know that bar can be written as stripe)
'case of stout ready' is the wordplay.
'case of' means to remove the middle letters (outsides of).
'ready' becomes 'ripe' (similar in meaning).
'stout' with its middle removed is 'st'.
'st'+'ripe'='STRIPE'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for stripe that I've seen before include "Length of material, maybe showing rank" , "Streak" , "Band of colour - 3 of rank" , "Military sign of rank" , "Chevron; band" .)