A glass? A sip? A pint?
Picture your favorite bartender. You know, the one with the strong arm- the heavy hand. How much do you think he's actually pouring into your glass?
Did you know that a pint of beer in Britain DOES NOT equal a pint of beer in America?? (We may have won the war, but we drew the short straw on that one!)
Whether you're a bartender, a restaurant owner, or a frequent party-thrower (like me!) knowing how much to pour and when is very important.
Let's begin with my favorite beverage...
WINE
Standard Pour: 5 or 6 ounces (25.4 ounces in a 750mL bottle of wine)
What?? I thought you were going to give me a standard and you give me a range?? Gee, thanks Rebecca!
It's true, though! Airlines used to say 4-5 ounces was "standard" and many restaurants and bars followed that model. 5 ounces became THE standard (and in my opinion makes the most sense) because that amount gives you FIVE 5-ounce glasses for each bottle of wine. Lately, however, I've noticed more and more places serving 6 ounce pours for their "Wines by the Glass." 5 or 6 ounces is a perfectly acceptable pour- 4 ounces would be too little.
Tasting Pour: 1.5 or 2 ounces (Around 12 tastings for each 750mL bottle of wine)
This is the standard amount to use during a tasting event, wine club night, or something of that nature. I like to showcase at least 5 wines during a tasting event, and 1.5 or 2 ounce pours work perfectly for this! If you're ordering a wine flight at a restaurant or bar you will either see 2 or 3 ounce pours. 2 ounces is more standard and a good amount to get a sample of the wine- 3 ounces might be a better value, though. Be sure to check the price!
BEER
Standard British Pint: 570mL or 19.274 ounces
A British pint is 20 Imperial Fluid Ounces- and, yes, that is different from American ounces! In 1824 the British Weights and Measures Act standardized (among other things) the gallon, and a pint was defined as 1/8 of a gallon. At that time, the Imperial Gallon was more than an American Gallon- so even though Americans and Brits each drank 1/8 of a gallon and called it a pint, the British people were drinking more! Many of these units fell out of fashion when Britain switched to the Metric System, but the pints amounts still remain the same. God love 'em!
Beer Flight/ Tasting Pours: NOT STANDARD
These range from 2-6 ounces depending on the brewery/bar. If you want to do a tasting at your home, anywhere in this range is perfectly acceptable.
SPIRITS
Standard Single Shot: NOT STANDARDIZED
In the USA you could, very loosely, say that 1.5 ounces is the "standard" size for a single shot. In reality, though, many places pour anything from 1 ounce to 2 ounces and call it "a shot." Interestingly, Utah is the only state in The Union that DOES mandate a standard shot size...and it is 1.5 ounces.
There you go, thirsty readers.
I'm about to press "publish" on this and take a peek in my wine fridge...I think a cool 5 ounces are in order! Until next time!