How Many Shots Are in a Fifth of Liquor?
A fifth is a fixed volume, 750 milliliters or 25.4 fluid ounces, so the shot count only depends on how large a single shot is poured. Dividing the bottle's total ounces by the shot size gives an exact, repeatable number instead of a guess.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 5 min
- Servings
- 17
Ingredients
- 750 ml (one fifth) 80-proof liquor (vodka, whiskey, tequila, rum, or gin)
- 1 jigger jigger or shot glass, 1.5 fl oz capacity
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 72794
- Protein
- 0g
- Carbs
- 0g
- Fat
- 0g
Based on the recipe as written, one serving. Recalculates if you swap an ingredient above. An estimate only, exact values depend on the specific ingredients used.
Need different units or a different yield? Try our Conversion Calculator →
Instructions
- 1Start with a standard fifth, which holds 750 milliliters, or 25.4 fluid ounces, in the United States. This is the most common liquor bottle size sold on store shelves.
- 2Decide on the shot size in fluid ounces, since pours are not standardized nationwide: a 'standard' shot is 1.5 fl oz (44 mL), while many home pours and some states default to 1 fl oz (30 mL) or 2 fl oz (59 mL).
- 3Divide 25.4 fl oz by the shot size to get the total count: 25.4 ÷ 1.5 = about 17 standard shots per fifth, or 25.4 ÷ 1 = about 25 shots if pouring 1 oz shots.
- 4Fill a jigger or shot glass to its marked line every time rather than eyeballing the pour by hand.
- 5Measure the base spirit before adding ice, mixers, or juice, so the shot count stays accurate no matter what the drink becomes afterward.
- 6When serving a crowd, multiply the shot count by the number of bottles opened, then subtract one or two shots per bottle to account for spillage and the extra splash lost to shaken or muddled drinks.
Tips & variations
- Common bottle sizes and their standard 1.5 oz shot counts: a pint or 'half fifth' (375 mL) yields about 8 shots, a full liter (1 L) yields about 23 shots, and a 1.75 L handle yields about 40 shots.
- Switching to 1 oz shots instead of 1.5 oz stretches a fifth from about 17 shots to about 25 shots, useful for math when portioning drinks for a large group on a budget.
- Proof affects strength and calories per shot but not the volume-based shot count; an 80-proof 1.5 oz shot runs about 97 calories, while a 100-proof shot of the same size runs closer to 124 calories.
- For cocktails rather than straight shots, figure roughly 1.5 to 2 oz of spirit per drink, which puts a fifth at about 12 to 17 mixed cocktails depending on the recipe.
Storage & reheating
An unopened fifth of distilled spirits doesn't spoil and can be stored indefinitely at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and heat. Once opened, flavor is best within 6 to 12 months, since the small amount of air left in the bottle slowly oxidizes the spirit and can dull its aroma. Keep the cap tightly closed and the bottle upright between pours.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Marking a strip of tape at the expected shot lines on the bottle before a party makes it easy to see how many pours are left without measuring each one.
- A standard double-sided jigger has a 1.5 oz cup on one end and a 1 oz cup on the other, which makes it easy to switch shot sizes without extra tools.
FAQ
How many shots are in a fifth of vodka?
The same as any other 750 mL bottle: about 17 shots at the standard 1.5 fl oz pour, or about 25 shots at a 1 fl oz pour. Vodka's proof doesn't change the bottle's volume.
How many 1 oz shots are in a fifth?
About 25. A fifth holds 25.4 fluid ounces, so dividing by a 1 fl oz shot gives 25 full shots with a small amount left over.
How many shots are in a handle of liquor?
A handle is 1.75 liters, or about 59.2 fluid ounces, which works out to roughly 40 standard 1.5 oz shots, more than double a fifth.
Is a fifth the same size as a liter bottle?
No. A fifth is 750 mL and a liter bottle is 1,000 mL, a difference of 250 mL, or roughly 5 to 6 extra standard shots in the liter bottle.
Why is a 750 mL bottle called a fifth?
Before metric standardization, US liquor bottles were sized at one-fifth of a gallon, about 757 mL. When the industry switched to metric in the 1980s, the 750 mL bottle kept the old nickname.