Volumes & measurements

Slinging drinks can be almost an exact science. Many drinks are straightforward, especially the non-alcoholic ones. Measures are not so commonly known and even if you under- of over pour a glass of milk a bit, the customer will usually just be fine with it. This is not to say for alcoholic drinks of any kind with most common alcoholic drinks being:

• Beer

• Wine

• Mixed drinks

• Cocktails

Beer is the easy one, it either comes in a bottle of can so the brewer did the measuring for you. On draught you have to fill the designated glass for that particular beer which the brewer will supply you with. Everywhere in the world that glass is expected to be full when served, usually including foam. A regular serving is between 7oz-10oz/210ml-300ml.

Normal wines, which is every wine except for champagne or dessert wine is served at around 4.5oz/130ml. It varies per country but this is a good estimate. Wine holds anywhere between 5% and 18% ABV(alcohol by volume).

Mixed drinks come with a standard single shot of alcohol. The amount of this shot varies again per country or region and is somewhere between 0.5oz-1.5oz/20ml-40ml. It should be poured in a glass of at least 180ml so the minimum amount of mixer is 140ml but usually a bit more.

Cocktails are the hardest of them all since they contain different sorts of spirits, all with their own different ABV. Flavored liquors typically range from 15% to 32% ABV, spirits 40% or more. When making cocktails you have to realize not all ingredients of a cocktails are a full pour of 1 shot. Recipes are designed to create balanced drinks. For measurements please refer to the shot-section above.

Personal note:

In theory it shouldn’t matter which drink you consume, every drink(when served with right measurements) contains roughly the same ABV. So drinking 3 glasses of wine or 3 shots with standard pours will get you the same amount of alcohol. With beers it is the same story. I believe a regular serving is 7oz-10oz/210ml-300ml but I know some people which do not agree when it comes to beer and then my calculations are flawed. So just keep your measurements as applicable law states and do not pour more. It does not make your drink tastier and that kid begging for extra alcohol can do without.

Sincerely,

Den The Man