Updated August 2026.
A 750 milliliter bottle — the US fifth — holds about 17 US shots at the common 1.5-ounce (44 mL) pour. Exact math: 750 ÷ 44.36 = 16.9, so sixteen full jiggers and a splash, or about seventeen if pours run light. A 1-ounce pony gives about 25 shots. TTB lists 750 mL as an authorized distilled-spirits fill (27 CFR 5.203).
Shots in 750 mL by pour size
| Pour | US fl oz | mL | Shots in 750 mL | Full measured pours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pony | 1.0 | 30 | 25.4 | 25 |
| Short bar pour | 1.25 | 37 | 20.3 | 20 |
| US standard shot | 1.5 | 44 | 16.9 | 16 + splash (~17) |
| Double / rocks whiskey | 2.0 | 59 | 12.7 | 12 |
| Heavy cocktail (Old Fashioned style) | 2.5 | 74 | 10.1 | 10 |
| UK single (25 mL) | 0.85 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| UK large (35 mL) | 1.2 | 35 | 21.4 | 21 |
750 mL is 25.36 US fluid ounces. Divide 25.36 by 1.5 and you get 16.9. Competitor pages that print “16 shots” are counting full 1.5-ounce jiggers and leaving the last ~40 mL in the bottle. Pages that print “17” are rounding the same math. Both are the same bottle. For the name “fifth,” see how much a fifth of alcohol is. For whiskey, shots in a fifth of whiskey is the same count.
Other US bottle sizes, same 1.5-ounce shot
| Bottle (TTB 27 CFR 5.203) | Volume | US fl oz | 1.5 oz shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mini | 50 mL | 1.7 | 1.1 |
| Tenth / 100 mL | 100 mL | 3.4 | 2.3 |
| Half-pint (metric) | 200 mL | 6.8 | 4.5 |
| Pint (metric) | 375 mL | 12.7 | 8.5 |
| Europe / now US-legal | 700 mL | 23.7 | 15.8 |
| Fifth | 750 mL | 25.4 | 16.9 (~17) |
| Liter | 1.0 L | 33.8 | 22.5 |
| Magnum | 1.5 L | 50.7 | 33.8 |
| Handle | 1.75 L | 59.2 | 39.5 |
TTB’s January 2025 final rule (T.D. TTB-200) expanded 27 CFR 5.203. 750 mL and 1.75 L remain the everyday fifth and handle. 700 mL is now an authorized US fill — it is still not a fifth. Cans may use the same metric sizes as bottles.
Standard drinks vs shot count
Seventeen shots is a volume count, not a drunkness count. A 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof vodka is one US standard drink (14 grams of alcohol — NIAAA, December 2025). A 1.5-ounce shot of 21% Malibu is about half a standard drink. A 750 mL bottle of 80-proof spirits holds about 17 standard drinks. Volume shots and alcohol shots only match at 40% ABV. Body weight, food, and time change how those pours land. See how many mL is a shot before you treat the table as a session.
Cocktails, free-pours, and wet ice
If a cocktail uses 2 ounces of spirit, a 750 mL bottle yields about 12 drinks, not 17. At 2.5 ounces (a common Old Fashioned build) you get about 10. A punch that says “one fifth of rum” means the whole 750 mL — 25.4 ounces of rum in the bowl. Ice melt is not extra liquor. Count the spirit that left the bottle. A free-pour is not a jigger. If you are costing a home bar, write the ounces on a sticky note. That habit also keeps vodka shot math honest when the vodka is hiding under soda.
Sources
- 1 US fl oz = 29.5735 mL; 1.5 oz = 44.36 mL. 750 ÷ 44.36 ≈ 16.9.
- 27 CFR 5.203: 750 mL, 700 mL, 1.5 L, and 1.75 L are authorized distilled-spirits standards of fill (T.D. TTB-200, effective January 10, 2025). Older Part 5 put the metric-fill rule under 5.45 / 5.47a before recodification.
- NIAAA / CDC: 1.5 oz of 40% ABV spirits = one US standard drink (14 g alcohol).