Alcohol measurements

Alcohol measurements are units of measurement for determining amounts of beverage alcohol. The following tables are applicable to the US only, as measurements vary with each country (for example, a shot of vodka is equal to 50 mL in Poland as opposed to 25 mL in England).

Also, note that there are widely varied definitions of measurements throughout history, even when just considering books published in the United States' short history. A good collection of these contradictory measurements can be found in Virginia Mescher's When is a Cup Not a Cup?[1]

Beer measures

Name US customary units Imperial units Metric units (approx.) Notes
snorkel 2 US fl. oz. 59.15 milliliters (mL)
nip ⅓ imp. pint 189.42 mL Barley wine was usually bottled in nips[2]
small ½ US pint 236.59 mL
half ½ imp. pint 284.13 mL
large 1 US pint 473.18 mL
pint 1 imp. pint 568.26 mL
flagon 1 US quart 946.35 mL
40 40 US fl. oz. 1.18 liters (L) Malt liquor is often bottled in "40's"
pin 4.5 imp. gal. 20.46 L
pony keg 7.75 US gal. 29.33 L Quarter US barrel
anker 10 US gal. 37.85 L
firkin 9 imp. gal. 40.91 L 2 pins
keg 15.5 US gal. 58.67 L Half US barrel
kilderkin 18 imp. gal. 81.83 L 2 firkins
US barrel 31 US gal.[3] 117.35 L 2 kilderkins
UK barrel 36 imp. gal. 163.66 L 2 kilderkins
hogshead 54 imp. gal. 245.49 L 6 firkins or 3 kilderkins
puncheon 72 imp. gal. 327.32 L 2 barrels
butt 108 imp. gal. 490.98 L 2 hogshead
tun 216 imp. gal. 981.96 L 3 puncheons or 2 butts

Liquor measurements

The following table lists common sizes for liquors and spirits.[4][5]

Name US customary units Imperial units English units Metric units (direct conversion) Metric units (legal/convention) Notes
Hint  1⁄128 tsp[6]
Drop  1⁄64 tsp[6]
Dash  1⁄8 tsp[6]
Bartender's Teaspoon (U.S.) or Splash[6]  1⁄8 fl oz[7]
Count 0.5 fl oz 14.8 mL 15 mL Using calibrated pour spouts that restrict flow to 0.5 fl oz/s
Bartender's Tablespoon (U.S.)  3⁄8 fl oz[7]
 1⁄6 Gill (Imp.) 23.7 mL 25 mL Legal serving of spirits (Gin, rum, vodka and whisky) defined in 1963 Weights and Measures Act (1963-1984)
Shot (U.K.) 25 mL Legal serving of spirits (Gin, rum, vodka and whisky) in the U.K. since 1985.[8]
roquille (France) ~29.75 ml A measure of spirits[9] in the Ancien Régime of France (before 1795), being  1⁄32 of a French pinte (~952.1 ml).
Shot (U.K.) 35 mL Legal serving of spirits (Gin, rum, vodka and whisky) in the U.K. since 1985.
 1⁄5 Gill (Scottish) Traditional Scottish spirits measure
 1⁄4 Gill (Irish) Traditional Irish spirits measure
Pony (U.S.) 1.0 fl oz 30 mL Defined as  1⁄2 of a jigger.[10] Was used to measure a cordial.
Pony (Eng.)  3⁄4 fl oz (6 dram) May be derived from holding a "pennyworth" of beer.
Jigger (U.S.) 1.5 fl oz 45 mL Typical size after U.S. Prohibition, but varies
Short shot (U.S.) 1.5 fl oz 45 mL [11]:12
Jigger (Imp.)  1⁄8 Gill 35.52 mL Legal U.K. spirits measure from 1826 to 1984, for Gin, rum, vodka and whisky.
Jigger (Eng.) 1.5 fl oz (3 tablespoons, 2 pony)
Jigger (U.S.) 2.0 fl oz 60 mL Before U.S. Prohibition[11]
Hooker 2.5 fl oz 1  1⁄4 jigger[11]:12 (5 tablespoons)
Snit 3.0 fl oz 88.72 mL Two jiggers.[12][13]
Gill (U.S.) 4.0 fl oz 118.294 mL 120 mL Pronounced "Jill", and defined as 1/2 of a Jack.
Gill (Imp.) 5.0 fl oz 142.065 mL Pronounced "Jill", and defined as  1⁄2 of a Jack.
Jack (Imp.) 10.0 fl oz Shortened from Jackpot, and defined as 2 gills.

Liquor bottles

Name US customary units Imperial units Metric units (approx.) Notes
Miniature 1.7 US fl oz 1.8 Imp fl oz 50 mL Typically served on airline flights. Also known as a "nip" in certain locales.
half pint 6.8 7.0 200 mL Called a naggin in Ireland.[14] Called a "dickie" in Canada.
shoulder 11.8 12.3 350 mL Common in Ireland; also called a "daddy naggin"[15]
pint 12.7 13.2 375 mL Called a mickey in Canada
European spirit bottle 23.7 1 pt 4.6 fl oz 700 mL Common worldwide outside the Americas.
fifth 25.6 1 pt 6.4 fl oz 750 mL Formerly 0.2 gal. or 25.6 oz., equivalent to 757 mL. Called a "two six" or "26er" in Canada; as in 26oz, also known as a "BOTII" in Kenya.
1.14 liter 38.5 2 pints 1.14 L Referred to as a "forty" in Canada.
half gallon 59.2 3 pts 1.6 fl oz 1.75 L Also known as a "handle", due to most 1.75 L bottles having a handle. Called a "sixty" or "sixty-pounder" in Canada; as in 60oz.

Wine measurements

The following table contains various measurements that are commonly applied to wine.[16]

Name US fluid ounces (approx.) Metric units No. of 750 mL bottles Notes
Quarter bottle 6.3 187.5 mL ¼ Also known as a piccolo, pony, snipe or split
Chopine 8.5 250 mL ⅓ Bordeaux region
Half bottle 12.7 375 mL ½ Also known as a demi
Bottle 25.4 750 mL 1
Litre 33.8 1 L 1⅓ Popular size for Austrian wines
Magnum 50.7 1.5 L 2
Double Magnum 101.4 3 L 4 Bordeaux region
Jeroboam 101.4 3 L 4 Champagne region
Jeroboam 152.2 4.5 L 6 Bordeaux region
Rehoboam 152.2 4.5 L 6 Champagne and Burgundy regions
Imperial 202.9 6 L 8 Bordeaux region
Methuselah 202.9 6 L 8 Champagne and Burgundy regions
Salmanazar 304.3 9 L 12
Balthazar 405.8 12 L 16
Nebuchadnezzar 507.2 15 L 20
Melchior 608.7 18 L 24

References

  1. ↑ Mescher, Virginia. "When is a Cup Not a Cup?" (PDF). Ragged Soldier Sutlery and Vintage Volumes. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  2. ↑ "Nipperkin". World Wide Words: Investigating the English language across the globe. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  3. ↑ 27 CFR § 25.11.
  4. ↑ http://fooduniversity.com/foodu/food_c/reference/bottle_size_for_liquor.htm Liquor Bottle Size
  5. ↑ "Bartending/Glossary/Table of measures and conversions". Wikibooks. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 eliacopoulos, lew. "Dash, Pinch, and Smidgen and other Unusual Measurements". Festibrate: Your Holiday & Seasonal Guide for Food & Lifestyle. Retrieved 27 October 2016.
  7. 1 2 Rowlett, Russ. "How Many? A Dictionary of Units of Measurement". University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Gov.UK. "Weights and measures: the law". Official U.K. Government website. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Schwarz-Bart, Simone. "Schwarz-Bart: Pluie et Vent sur Télumée Miracle". Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  10. ↑ Kappeler, George J. (1895). Modern American Drinks: How to Mix and Serve All Kinds of Cups and Drinks. p. 19.
  11. 1 2 3 Willett, Andrew (2016). Elemental Mixology. p. 8. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
  12. ↑ "snit". Wictionary. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "snit". Wordnik. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  14. ↑ http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/health-news/sneaky-naggin-students-downing-dangerous-5154573
  15. ↑ http://www.anacreofpints.com/index.php/the-naggin
  16. ↑ http://sherlocks.com/wine-measurements-guide/ Wine Measurements Guide

External links

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