I am sure everyone of you must have known what a Shot glass is? Right? Ok. So, these shot glasses are actually defined for a purpose, which most of us may not know. We may have all had one or two shots in our past or even do so frequently. So, what makes us go for these shots regularly? Do we even know how many ounces in a shot glass? Why is it important to know all of this information?
It is important to understand them all because
- We must have a basic understanding of what and how much we consume, right? If not, then there wouldn’t be a limit.
- Without knowing the purpose of these shot glasses, we often tend to overlook them.
Fine. Let us get into the thick of the topic and see what all we can learn today!
What is a Shot Glass?
These are small glasses usually with a thick bottom and have several purposes. These shot glasses can come in several sizes, depending on the country or region you live in and the capacity also differs depending on the sizes.
- They are usually used to measure drinks or spirits in bars and restaurants to be able to mix in a cocktail or other drinks.
- They have also become a drinking glass nowadays where Customers are served small amounts of liquor in shot glasses and it is customary for the customers to slam the drinks, meaning drink the liquor in shot glasses in one shot. This is one reason why shot glasses are thick at the bottom so that they don’t break when customers slam them on the table after gulping the drinks.
Now, since they are also used for measuring glasses in bars, you can also try doing so at your home bars, right? But, do you know how many ounces they contain?
How many Ounces in a Shot Glass?
It is a commonly prevailing misconception that one shot glass consists of 1 oz capacity and this is actually 90% wrong.
The capacity of each shot glass depends on the size of the glasses, as you already knew that shot glasses come in several sizes. However, there are certain standards as well.
For example, shot glass capacity in the United states is generally 1.5 oz while this is still not the accurate measurement. Even in this country, Utah is the only state that has a strict definition of shot glass that must be 1.5 oz.
It is also worth knowing that several other countries have their own measurements for a shot glass, which, for us, is equally important to know. Because, we may happen to travel to other countries and we may need this info to come in handy at those times.
Size of Shot Glasses by Country
We all just know that in the US, the standard size of Shot glasses is 1.5 oz but let us see a graphical illustration of other countries and their shot glass sizes.
In Germany, a single shot glass is just 20 ml or about 0.7 oz of capacity. Means, one shot is not enough for you. On the other hand, in countries like Japan and Israel, the capacity is upto 2 oz or roughly 60 ml.
Comparison With Other Measurements
Right! Let us move onto some other possibilities of measurements with a shot glass. We all know that fluid ounces is one such common measurement but what else are there?
How about a tablespoon? How about milliliters? Well, here you go!
Remember this conversion:
- One tablespoon = 0.5 oz
- One teaspoon = 0.3 tablespoon or 0.16 oz
- One ounce = ~30 ml
So, considering all the above measurements,
- One shot is equal to
- 1.5 ounces
- 3 tablespoons
- 9 teaspoons
- 45 ml
On the other hand, a double shot is twice that of the single shot size. A double shot in the US is 3 ounces.
Types of Shot Glasses
Ok, not since we have seen all these measurements, we do also want to know about other types of small measuring devices like the Jiggers, shooters and more.
Shot glass vs Jiggers vs Shooters:
Jiggers are also measuring cups that are usually used to measure upto 1 or 2 oz of liquors. On the other hand, shooters are usually used to drinking liquors and consist of 2 or 3 oz of capacity. These are slender and tall in comparison to the shot glasses.
Importance Of Measuring Using Shot Glasses:
It is very important even if you are trying to set up a home bar, to have such measuring instruments including shot glasses because
- Certain drinks need to include right qty of liquors, else they would not taste the same and provide the exact experience you were looking for.
- Understanding how much you drink is important because too much of these drinks can cause of hangover and spoil the entire next day.
So, mix well, drink safely and enjoy!
