How Many Shots Are In A 750 Ml Bottle Of Liquor?
Whether it's rum, Everclear, vodka, or bourbon, determining how many shots are in a 750-milliliter bottle of liquor (also known as a "fifth") depends on how you define "a shot." American consumers often think of a shot as a one- or two-ounce drink of hard liquor. But the National Institute of Health (NIH) has a different definition of a "standard drink."
The NIH defines a standard drink as any drink containing 14 grams or 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. A 14-gram shot of liquor would be 1.5 ounces, if the liquor in question is 80 proof or 40% alcohol by volume, like vodka or whiskey. Using this as an example, a 750-milliliter bottle contains just under 17 shots. If we instead define a shot as two ounces, our number changes a bit. Since 750 milliliters is equal to just over 25 fluid ounces, a bottle contains a little more than 12.5 shots. However, there's no regulation saying that a shot glass must be a specific size, so it's difficult to pin down the exact number of informally-measured shots in a fifth of liquor.
Ultimately, standard drink rules are the only consistent way we have to measure the number of drinks in a bottle. Using the NIH's definition, calculating the number of serving sizes in other bottles of liquor, wine, and even beer kegs becomes much easier.
How many standard drinks are in different forms of alcohol?
Many folks love liquor, so naturally it comes in a plethora of different shapes and sizes to meet consumer demand. A 1.75-liter jug, also known as a handle, contains 1,000 milliliters more than a fifth, and has a volume of barely over 59 fluid ounces. It totals just over 39 1.5-ounce shots, and just under 30 two-ounce shots, making a handle perfect for large gatherings or to keep your cabinet stocked for quite a while.
Like liquor, wine often comes in 750-milliliter bottles, but wine has less than half the alcohol of most liquors. By NIH standards, a standard drink of wine with 12% ABV is five ounces, leaving just over five standard drinks in each bottle. However, variations in alcohol content (such as how table wine can be weaker than regular wine) both factor into standard drink calculations, and can muddy the waters a bit.
When it comes to beer kegs, standardization becomes a bit more blurry. A full-sized, 15.5-gallon keg of 5% ABV beer yields over 165 standard drinks, enough to keep a bar or restaurant well-stocked. However, kegs range from full half-barrels to 169-ounce mini-kegs with only 14 standard drinks. Since restaurants and bars serve tap beer by volume, calculating standard drinks for standard pours or beer flights can use the same 14-gram alcohol standard, but each brew presents drastically different variables.