How many shots are in a 1.75 ml handle?

Whether you're stocking up for a party or just trying to estimate your own needs, it's helpful to know how many drinks you can expect to get out of a bottle of liquor. The answer will vary depending on the size of the bottle and your preferred shot, but there are some general guidelines.

A standard shot consists of about 1.5 fluid ounces of liquor, about 44 mL. Bottles of liquor come in a range of sizes, with a typical full-size bottle holding 25.36 fluid ounces, or 750 mL. This size of bottle will therefore contain just over 17 average shots. However, not all shots are identical -- and neither are all bottles.

The 1.5-fluid-ounce shot is standard, but outside of the context of a bar, where shots are carefully measured, it's normal to see some variation. If a bottle of vodka only produces a dozen shots, it probably means that you're slightly over-serving. Even in a bar, many customers order double shots -- these generous servings will go through a bottle much more quickly.

Obviously, a larger bottle will yield more shots. The standard bottle sizes in the U.S. range from the 50-mL miniature to the 1.75-liter "handle." A 1.75-liter bottle will produce around 40 standard-size shots, while a miniature bottle will provide just one slightly larger shot.

Tips

Unlike beer, liquor bottles are always identified by metric rather than Imperial measurements.

Even if they're similar in volume, two shots of liquor may not have the same alcohol content. Most liquor is around 80 proof, meaning that it contains about 40 percent alcohol. However, some drinks may have higher or lower alcohol content, meaning that their shots are more or less potent.

Knowing how many shots are in a bottle of liquor will help you stock a bar and plan for a party. For instance, a standard 750-milliliter bottle (also called a "fifth") is 25.4 ounces. That results in about 16 shots of liquor, and if it's the base spirit (such as vodka, tequila, or whiskey), you can generally expect to make 16 cocktails from one bottle.

However, liquor bottles come in many sizes, and drink recipes don't use a conventional 1 1/2-ounce shot of every liquor. A few charts can take the guesswork out of estimating how much liquor and mixers you need to make the drinks you intend to serve.

The Average Cocktail Pour

The number of cocktails you can make with one bottle of liquor will vary from drink to drink. When estimating your needs, it's helpful to know that the average cocktail uses:

  • The base liquor (e.g., gin, rum, vodka, etc.) is often a standard shot of 1 1/2 ounces.
  • Liqueurs are typically poured between 1/2 ounce and 3/4 ounce.
  • Accent juices, such as lemon and lime, usually use 1/4 ounce to 1/2 ounce.
  • Filling a highball or tall drink with juice or soda often requires four to six ounces.

Liquor Shots per Bottle

The majority of distilled spirits and wines are available in 750-milliliter bottles. Some alcohol producers also offer pints, half-pints, and liters, while liquor may be sold in miniature bottles as well. The largest sizes (magnums and handles) are extremely rare, so don't expect to find many of these bottles.

The chart represents popular bottle sizes in both metric and U.S. imperial volumes and the average number of standard 1 1/2-ounce shots each will yield. 

How Many Shots Are in a Bottle?BottleMillilitersOuncesShots per BottleMiniature (aka Mini or Nip)50 ml1.7 oz1 shotQuarter Pint100 ml3.4 oz2 shotsHalf Pint200 ml6.8 oz4 shotsPint375 ml12.7 oz8 shotsStandard Bottle (aka Fifth)750 ml25.4 oz16 shotsLiter1 L33.8 oz22 shotsMagnum1.5 L50.7 oz33 shotsHalf Gallon (aka Handle)1.75 L59.2 oz39 shotsDouble-Magnum (aka Jeroboam)3 L101.4 oz67 shotsRehoboam4.5 L152.2 oz101 shots

How many glasses are in a bottle of wine?

Unless you're making wine cocktails, wine is an entirely different story. The standard pour of wine is five ounces, so a 750-milliliter bottle is enough for about five glasses.

Estimating Mixer Yields

Mixers such as juices, syrups, and sodas are not as easy to estimate because there are no standard bottle sizes. However, mixers are less expensive than liquor, so it's a good idea to overstock rather than be unprepared and run out.

The following chart includes the average mixer pours found in cocktail recipes. Not every drink uses each type of mixer, and some need more or less than others, so this is just a general guide.

For instance, a cosmopolitan requires 1/2 ounce of lime juice, but you might need twice that amount of lemon juice if you offer a whiskey sour. Similarly, tall drinks like a gin and tonic require four or more ounces of soda to fill the glass, while a booze-filled highball like the Long Island iced tea will need just an ounce of cola.

Mixers in the Average CocktailDrink StyleAccent JuiceSyrupSodaMartinis, Sours, & Short Drinks1/4-1/2 oz1/4-1/2 ozSplashHighballs, Collins, & Tall DrinksSplash–1/2 oz1/4-1/2 oz4–6 oz

The average soda bottle or can is 12 ounces, so estimate two to three drinks per container. Two-liter bottles are a cost-effective option for the more popular sodas and hold about 67 ounces.

Other mixers like bitters are easy. One bottle of each required style will be more than enough, and it will often last years in the average home bar.

Fresh Citrus Fruit Juice

When using fresh citrus juice, this chart will help you decide how many pieces of fruit you will need. Keep in mind that lemon and lime juices are often accents, while orange and grapefruit juices may require three or more ounces per drink. Either way, you'll get about two or three drinks per piece of fruit.

Fresh Citrus Fruit Yields1 Average-Sized FruitJuice YieldLime1/2–1 ozLemon1 1/2 ozOrange2–3 ozGrapefruit5–6 oz

There are a couple of tricks to maximizing the juice yield of citrus fruits. First, let the fruits reach room temperature if you store them in the refrigerator. Then, before cutting the fruit open, roll it between the palm of your hand and the cutting board, pressing firmly but not enough to squash the fruit. 

Juiced fruit is not usable for garnishes, though you can cut twists before juicing. Have extra produce on hand to cut wheels and wedges for your drinks. Prepare garnishes in advance; store sliced fruits in sealed containers and peels or twists in ice-cold water to keep them fresh.

An Example Stock for a Party

When you know the drinks you want to serve at a party, you can estimate how many bottles of each liquor are needed to create a certain number of drinks. As an example, let's say that you're hosting a party for 20 guests with a limited drink menu, so you might serve as many as 60 drinks.

How many shots are in a 1.75

How Many Standard Drinks Are in a Handle? There are 40 1.5-ounce shots in a 1.75-liter handle of liquor. Most cocktail recipes need 2 ounces of alcohol, for a total of 30 drinks per handle.

How many drinks does 1.75 l serve?

The typical 1.75-liter handle contains 40 1.5-ounce shots. If you're mixing cocktails, which typically call for two ounces of booze each, you'll get 30 drinks out of that same bottle.

How many shots are in a Titos 1.75 ml handle?

How much alcohol is in a handle of Tito's? The amount of alcohol in a handle of Tito's Handmade Vodka is 1.75ml or 0.46 gallons. The amount of shots that you can get from a handle is approximately 40 - which is about 35-36 more than the amount it takes to get you drunk.

Is 1.75 liters a fifth?

The standard size is 750 ml, also known as a fifth (one-fifth of a gallon). Other common sizes include 50 ml, 100 ml, 200 ml, 375 ml, 1 L, and 1.75 L.