Q&A for How to Understand Cocktail Measurements

A splash is a dash, but if you need an exact measurement, it would be a 1/4 teaspoon to a 1/2 teaspoon. Try the 1/4 teaspoon first, and see what you think. You can always increase on the next drink.

A cup is a unit of fluid measurement equal to 8 ounces US.

Ct means "count" so if it specifies "a 4 ct" that means you will pour it upside down for a four second count. Note that this assumes you have a liquor pourer fitted onto your bottle.

A "measure" is simply the proportion of alcohol to other ingredients in a drink. Using a conventional shot glass as the measure, 4 shots of brandy would be 6 oz, or 180 ml.

Standard: 25ml alcohol to 50ml mixer as a rule. It depends how many different alcohol substances are used. But traditionally, 1 alcohol is 100ml to 200ml mixer. 2 alcohol is 50ml for both with 200ml mixer. Anything with more than 1 type of alcohol is 25ml per type with 200ml mixer.

An online conversion calculator is your best bet for converting measurements, but in this instance, 100 ml = 3.4 US fluid ounces.

One "measure" in alcohol measurements equates to 25ml (or a single shot).

A single shot of whisky is 25ml, while a double shot of whisky is 50ml.

A standard shot is 1 fluid ounce (30 mL) of alcohol. A double shot refers to 2 shots, which is 2 fluid ounces (59 mL). A shot that is 1.5 fluid ounces (44 mL) of alcohol is referred to as a jigger and is a common measurement for classic cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Cosmopolitans.

A jigger is a measurement often used for classic cocktail recipes and refers to 1.5 fluid ounces (44 mL) of alcohol. Though the exact history is unknown, a common theory is that the name comes from the British navy, when each sailor was allotted a daily ration of rum or gin. According to this theory, the sailors nicknamed the measuring device after the lowest sail on the fourth mast on a sailing ship, which is called the jiggermast.

The short cocktail glass is a short tumbler that can be called a number of different names. A few common names include the "old-fashioned glass" a "lowball" or a "rocks glass." They're often used for cocktails like the Old-Fashioned, White Russian, Negroni, and Sazerac.