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).

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
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
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.

Name	US fluid ounces (approx.)	Metric units (approx.)	Notes
shot	1.5	44 mL	U.S. size given but sizes vary widely from country to country (see shot glass sizes). A jigger measure generally has a one shot cup on one end.
miniature	1.7	50 mL	Also known as a "nip" in certain locales.
gill	4	118 mL	An imperial gill is 5 imperial fluid ounces (approx. 142 mL)
half pint	6.8	200 mL	Called a naggin in Ireland.
pint	12.7	375 mL	Called a mickey in Canada: a pint in Ireland.
fifth	25.36	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.
liter	33.8	1 L	Referred to as a "forty" in Canada.
half gallon	59.2	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.

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

• Schott's Original Miscellany