A fifth of alcohol contains slightly over three cups of liquor. This implies you are measuring the alcohol using a regular 8-ounce cup.
How Many Ounces Are in a Fifth of Alcohol?
A fifth of liquor is equal to 750 millilitres. 1 millilitre is equal to 0.033814 ounces, so you can convert this amount to ounces using this formula: 1 millilitre = 0.033814 ounces. Multiply 750 by 0.033814 to get ounces from millilitres. This results in a total of 25.3605 ounces.
Converting Ounces to Cups
Now that you know that a fifth of whiskey contains 25.3605 ounces, you may convert this quantity to cups. Divide 25.3605 by 8 ounces to get that a fifth of alcohol contains 3.17 cups.
The Rationale Behind the Expression “Fifth” of Alcohol
Many people wonder why a 750-milliliter or 25-ounce bottle of alcoholic beverage is referred to as a “fifth.” The word “fifth” relates to the bottle’s capacity, which is one-fifth of a gallon.
A gallon consists of 128 ounces. When 25.3605 is divided by 128, the result is 0.1981 gallons. When the figure is rounded to 0.20, it represents a fifth of a gallon. A fifth of liquor is equivalent to four-fifths of a quart or 1.5 fluid ounces.
How to Determine the Number of Fifths to Buy
If you are planning an event or throwing a party, you may not know how many fifths of alcohol you need to purchase. This depends on how you intend to serve the alcohol, the amount of alcohol you intend to serve, and the number of guests.
Assume that you intend to mostly serve shots to your visitors. If you use a standard-sized shot glass that measures 1.5 ounces, each fifth of liquor will provide 16.907 shots. The number of shots in a fifth of liquor can be calculated by dividing 25.3605 by the size of the shot glass.
If you plan to serve each visitor three 1.5-ounce shots, you will need 135 ounces of liquor for 30 people. When you divide 25.3605 into 135, you’ll see that this yields 5.323 fifths of liquor. This number is rounded up to six.
You may prepare an alcoholic punch for the gathering. Consult the recipe for the appropriate proportions, then alter them to fit the size of your gathering. If the recipe calls for two cups of booze but only serves ten people, you only need a fifth of liquor.
However, if you’re hosting a party for thirty people, you’ll need six cups of liquor. Given that each fifth contains 3 cups of whiskey, you will need two fifths of liquor to accommodate your party’s visitors.
Size Alternatives Other Than a Fifth
Although the fifth used to be the traditional bottle size for whiskey, it is no longer the sole option on the market. If you need to purchase a substantial amount of liquor, you may wish to purchase a bottle with a handle. Each handle is 1.75 gallons or 59.2 ounces.
Need a smaller unit than a fifth? Look for a size of liquor known as a pint. A pint is 375 millilitres or 12.7 ounces in volume.
