Updated March 2026.
Buy the class on the label, then count the ethanol. A US standard drink is 0.6 fl oz (14 g) ethanol — a 1.5-ounce pour of 40% / 80-proof spirit. A 750 mL “fifth” at 40% is about 17 standard drinks. Proof is twice ABV. TTB identities (27 CFR part 5) tell you what the word on the neck has to mean. We will not reprint a 2022 aisle ranking or invent 2026 MSRPs.
Start with the spirit hub that matches the bottle: whiskey, bourbon, vodka, tequila, rum, gin, brandy. Pour math: how many mL is a shot, shots in a 750 mL, what a fifth is.
What the label has to mean
| Word | Keep | 750 mL drinks at 40%* |
|---|---|---|
| Whiskey / whisky | 27 CFR 5.143 type (bourbon, rye, corn, etc.) | ~17 |
| Bourbon | US whiskey type — mash, new charred oak, proof floors | ~17 |
| Vodka | 27 CFR 5.142; US typically 40% unless flavored/lower | ~17 |
| Gin | Juniper spirit; US floor 40% | ~17 |
| Rum | Cane; US rum class ≥40% | ~17 |
| Tequila | Mexican DO; CRT 35–55%; mixto vs 100% agave | ~17 if 40% |
| Brandy / cognac | Distilled wine; Cognac is the AOC subset | ~17 |
| Beer / wine | Not distilled. Different standard-drink sizes (12 oz ~5% beer; 5 oz ~12% wine) | — |
*If the neck is not 40%, scale: drinks ≈ (mL × ABV) ÷ 17.7. A 1.75 L handle at 40% is about 39.5 drinks — that is why it looks cheap per pour. Hours to buy the bottle are state/local ABC, not a store slogan: start with gas-station hours and Walmart hours.
Neat / rocks / straight-up are service words, not legal classes. “Smooth” is not a TTB classsmoothest whiskey. Four 1.5-ounce 40% pours are four drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Do not drive. Pour math: how many shots to get drunk.
Sources
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).
- TTB 27 CFR 5.142 (vodka), 5.143 (whiskey types), gin/rum identities; CRT/NOM for tequila; BNIC for Cognac ages.
- No invented ABV, ranking, or 2026 shelf prices.