Have you ever wondered what is a fifth of alcohol and where the term originated? A standard-size bottle of whiskey, rum, vodka, or tequila is commonly called a fifth. While the United States primarily uses the metric system for alcohol bottle measurements like the 750ml bottle, we’ve kept the traditional name from a time when we measured spirits in ounces and gallons. But a fifth is a fifth of what, exactly? In this guide, we’ll break down exactly how much is in a fifth of alcohol, its history, and how many drinks you can expect to pour from one.
How Much Liquid is in a Fifth of Alcohol?
- The Amount: A fifth of whiskey or other liquor is exactly 750ml of liquid by volume.
- How Many Ounces in a Fifth? 750 milliliters is just about 25.4 ounces.
- The Equivalent: A fifth of alcohol is approximately the same amount as a standard wine bottle.
- The History: The term fifth comes from when bottles were 4/5 of a quart, which is the same as 1/5 of a gallon. In summary.
History of the Fifth: Why is Alcohol Measured This Way?
We no longer measure bottle sizes by fractions of a pint or gallon, and the term fifth may be archaic. However, 1/5 gallon, or 4/5 quart is 25.6 ounces, which it is so very close to 750ml (25.4oz) that we still use the term fifth to describe this size bottle.
The fifth stopped being the standard size of a U.S. liquor bottle on January 1, 1980. Look at the explanation above, and you may start to see why.
Why didn’t a bottle of liquor contain a quart? Why only 4/5 of a quart? These 4/5 quart bottles were called “short quarts” or “commercial quarts.” This had to do with the difference between being a liquor wholesaler versus a liquor retailer, and selling liquid by the quart was a general threshold for wholesalers.
Although the laws governing the definition of a retailer differed by state, it was common for a customer to ask for a quart from a retailer and get something a bit less than a quart, but which was still called a quart.
See also: Why is Alcohol Called Spirits?
You can buy a still on the internet! Does this mean it’s legal to distill your own whiskey? NO. Sellers who try to fool you it’s legal to produce your own liquor “for personal use” are lying and defrauding you.
Don’t Fall For It: Find Out Why It’s Distill Alcohol for Personal Use
The Evolution of Alcohol Bottle Sizes
Imagine if supposedly quart-sized didn’t have a quart in them? Would you know? Now imagine if liquor came in 40 different size bottles. It did! For years.
Efforts began as early as the 1960s to eliminate the confusing fractions brought about by the pint, quart, and gallon measurements and by the late 1970s efforts were underway to convert liquor bottle sizes to the metric system.
Are you old enough to remember when we were “just about to switch to metric” and you had to try to learn the new system in grade school? Well, liquor is one of the only things we’ve managed to switch. We Americans have our priorities, and it’s liquor, God bless our hearts.
Now You Know What a Fifth Is, But What is Alcohol “Proof?” Learn precisely what the proof of a bottle of whiskey or other liquor refers to and how the term is connected to gunpowder.
Read More: What Does the Term “Proof” Mean in Alcohol Liquors? Alcohol Proof vs. ABV Explained
How Many Drinks Are in a Fifth of Alcohol?
The number of drinks in a fifth depends on what kind of drink we are talking about. A shot of whiskey or other alcohol is usually considered to be 1.5 ounces. Most standard cocktails A whiskey ‘neat’ or on the rocks is 2 ounces. Different cocktail recipes contain differing amounts of liquor, but we can estimate that most cocktails contain 1 to 2 ounces. Given that a modern fifth is 25.4 ounces (25.36 to be more exact), then:
- A fifth of alcohol contains just about 17 shots of liquor
- A fifth of whiskey contains just about 12.5 “whiskey neats” or “whiskey on the rocks”
- A fifth of liquor is enough to make around 12 to 25 cocktails.
How Did Whiskey Get It’s Name? Where did it come from? Find out the history of the word whiskey and why it only really means “water of life.”
Read More: Where Did Whiskey Come From? The History of the Word and the Spirit
Guide to Modern Alcohol Bottle Sizes (Metric)
The new law took away most of the old bottle sizes, and made liquor available in the modern “fifth”, the now-familiar 750ml, as well as a 1.75 liter bottle, one liter, 500 milliliters, 200 milliliters, and the minis: 100 milliliters and 50 milliliters, equivalent to a shot, depending on who you ask.
After the switch, a fifth became 750ml, shaving off 7 milliliters. A quart bottle became a liter bottle, adding about 53.5ml. Furthermore, a half gallon became 1.75 liters, which subtracted about 143ml.
In contrast, one pint (actually 4/5 pints) is now 375ml, deleting 98ml, although 500ml bottles existed until June 30, 1989, when they were phased out.
Additionally, a half pint became 200ml, which is roughly 36.6ml less than before. You can rest assured that we paid the same whether the amount was reduced or not.
To make it clearer, I’ve included a modern alcohol bottle sizes table below, giving the metric liquor bottle sizes, the equivalent ounces (approx.), and their supposed correspondence in terms of gallons, quarts or pints.
Key Summary Points for “How Much Is A Fifth Of Alcohol?”
- Today, a standard-size bottle of alcohol contains 750ml or 25.4 ounces, the same amount as a standard wine bottle.
- The term “fifth” originates from when bottles were 4/5 of a quart, which equals 1/5 of a gallon.
- We still use the term “fifth” even though bottle sizes are now measured in the metric system, as 1/5 gallon (4/5 quart) is very close to 750ml (25.4oz).
- Liquor once came in 40 different-sized bottles. However, in the 1960s, efforts began to eliminate the confusing fractions of pints, quarts, and gallons.
- By the late 1970s, liquor bottle sizes were converted to the metric system.
- The modern “fifth” is 750ml, while other standard sizes are 1.75 liters, 1 liter, 500ml, 200ml, 100ml, and 50ml.
- A fifth of alcohol contains about 17 standard shots, 12.5 “neat” pours, and enough for 12 to 25 cocktails.
Further Reading About Alcohol
- Does Bottled Whiskey Get Better With Age?
- Grizzly Bear Forts & Kelp Stills: The True Story Behind ‘Hooch’
- Liqueur Guide: Definitions, History, and Popular Brands
- Small Batch and Single Barrel Bourbon: What’s the Difference?