A fifth of vodka is a 750 mL bottle. That is 25.36 fluid ounces, about 17 shots at 1.5 oz, and about 17 standard drinks at 80 proof. It is the size most vodka comes in, and the name is a leftover from a bottle the United States stopped using in 1980. Here is where the name comes from, how a fifth stacks up against every other size on the shelf, how many drinks it makes, and what the federal rules say a vodka has to be.
Last verified September 13, 2026. Bottle sizes are from 27 CFR 5.203, the vodka standard from 27 CFR 5.142, the standard-drink figures from NIAAA and CDC, and the calorie figures from USDA FoodData Central. Full list at the end.
| A fifth of vodka | Figure |
|---|---|
| Volume | 750 mL (25.36 US fl oz) |
| Shots at 1.5 oz | 16.9 |
| Shots at 1 oz | 25.4 |
| Cocktails at 2 oz of vodka | 12.7 |
| Standard drinks at 80 proof | 16.9 (NIAAA rounds this to 17) |
| Pure alcohol at 80 proof | 300 mL (10.14 fl oz) |
| Calories at 80 proof (USDA) | About 97 per 1.5 oz shot, about 1,640 per bottle |
| The original fifth (before 1980) | One fifth of a US gallon: 25.6 fl oz, 757 mL |
| Legal basis for the size | 27 CFR 5.203, one of 25 authorized sizes for spirits |
Why it is called a fifth
Before 1980, American liquor bottles were sized in fractions of a US gallon. The federal list (the old 27 CFR 5.47) ran from a full gallon down to a sixteenth of a pint, and the everyday bottle was the “4/5 quart,” meaning four fifths of a quart, which is exactly one fifth of a gallon. A US gallon is 128 fluid ounces, so a fifth held 25.6 fluid ounces, or 757 mL.
On March 10, 1976, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms adopted metric bottle sizes (Treasury Decision ATF-25) with a phase-in period, and metric sizes became mandatory on January 1, 1980. The 750 mL bottle replaced the fifth. It is about 7 mL smaller, which is roughly half a tablespoon, or about 1 percent of the bottle. Nobody noticed, and the name stuck.
One thing to get right: a fifth is not called a fifth because 750 mL is one fifth of a gallon. A true fifth of a gallon is 757 mL. The 750 mL bottle is the metric size that replaced it.
Every old size got a metric neighbor at the same time. These are the closest pairings; the old figures are the customary sizes converted to metric.
| Old US size (before 1980) | Old volume | Metric size that replaced it | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Half gallon | 1,893 mL | 1.75 L (the “handle”) | 7.6% smaller |
| Quart | 946 mL | 1 L | 5.7% larger |
| Fifth (4/5 quart) | 757 mL | 750 mL | 1% smaller |
| Pint | 473 mL | 375 mL | 21% smaller |
| Half pint | 237 mL | 200 mL | 16% smaller |
That table explains the two names that confuse everyone. A liquor “pint” is 375 mL, not the 473 mL pint you get in a beer glass, because the name carried over even though the bottle shrank by a fifth. And a “handle,” named for the grip molded into the 1.75 L bottle, is a fifth plus a liter, not two fifths.
A fifth next to every other size
Federal rules (27 CFR 5.203) allow 25 bottle sizes for spirits in the US, from 50 mL to 3.75 L. These are the ones you will actually see for vodka, with the math done. Fluid ounces are mL divided by 29.5735. Standard drinks assume 80 proof (40 percent alcohol) and use the NIAAA definition of 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol per drink.
| Nickname | Size | Fluid ounces | 1.5 oz shots | Standard drinks at 80 proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nip, mini, airplane bottle | 50 mL | 1.69 | 1.1 | 1.1 |
| (no common name) | 100 mL | 3.38 | 2.3 | 2.3 |
| Half pint | 200 mL | 6.76 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Pint | 375 mL | 12.68 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| European standard bottle | 700 mL | 23.67 | 15.8 | 15.8 |
| Fifth | 750 mL | 25.36 | 16.9 | 16.9 |
| Liter | 1 L | 33.81 | 22.5 | 22.5 |
| Handle | 1.75 L | 59.17 | 39.4 | 39.4 |
Shots and standard drinks come out the same in that table for a reason: a standard drink is defined as 1.5 oz of 80 proof spirits, which is also the standard shot. At a higher proof the two split apart. A 1.5 oz shot of 100 proof vodka is 1.25 standard drinks.
How many drinks a fifth makes
It depends on the pour. At the 1.5 oz standard shot, a fifth is 16.9 drinks, so plan on 16 with a little left over. A cocktail recipe that calls for 2 oz of vodka, which is typical for a Martini or a Moscow Mule, gets 12 drinks from a fifth with about an ounce to spare. Vodka sodas built with a 1 oz pour stretch a fifth to 25.
For a party, the simplest planning math is to count the drinks you expect to pour, multiply by the ounces in each, and divide by 25.36 to get the number of fifths. Forty two-ounce cocktails is 80 oz, which is a little over three fifths, so buy four. If you are buying anyway, a handle covers 39 shots for one bottle, and a liter covers 22.
Two cautions on the math. NIAAA’s own container chart rounds a fifth to 17 standard drinks; the exact figure is 16.9, and both are right depending on how you round. And bars pour shots anywhere from 1 oz to 2 oz. The 1.5 oz figure is the one NIAAA and CDC use for a standard drink.
Calories in a fifth of vodka
Unflavored vodka has no sugar, fat or protein to speak of, so its calories come from the alcohol alone. That means the count depends on proof and not on brand. USDA FoodData Central lists 80 proof vodka (FDC ID 174818) at 231 calories per 100 grams, which works out to about 97 calories in a 1.5 oz shot and about 1,640 in a full fifth.
| Proof | USDA calories per 1.5 oz shot | Calories in a fifth (16.9 shots) | USDA FDC ID |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 proof (40%) | 97 | About 1,640 | 174818 |
| 90 proof (45%) | 110 | About 1,860 | 171920 |
| 100 proof (50%) | 124 | About 2,100 | 173664 |
Flavored vodkas are a different story. They can contain added sugar, so the producer’s own nutrition information is the only reliable source. The full method for spirits, beer and wine is in How Many Calories Are in a Shot of Rum.
What the law says a vodka is
The federal standard of identity is 27 CFR 5.142. Vodka is neutral spirits, which means spirits distilled from any suitable material at or above 95 percent alcohol by volume (190 proof) and, if bottled, bottled at not less than 40 percent (80 proof). Vodka may be treated with up to 2 grams per liter of sugar and up to 1 gram per liter of citric acid, and it may not be aged or stored in wood barrels (with a narrow exception for paraffin-lined barrels on bottled-in-bond products). So 80 proof is not a tradition; it is the legal floor for anything labeled vodka in the United States.
Until 2020 the rule also said vodka had to be “without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.” TTB removed that language on April 2, 2020 (T.D. TTB-158, effective May 4, 2020), stating that the requirement “no longer reflects consumer expectations and should be eliminated.” The 190 proof distillation floor, the 80 proof bottling floor and the sugar and acid limits all stayed.
Proof itself is defined in 27 CFR 5.1 as twice the percentage of alcohol by volume, measured at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Federal excise tax is charged on the alcohol, not the bottle: $13.50 per proof gallon at the general rate, which comes to about $2.14 on a fifth of 80 proof vodka and $2.67 on a fifth at 100 proof.
Fifths outside the United States
The word “fifth” means nothing on a European label. In the EU (Directive 2007/45/EC) and the UK (SI 2009/663), spirits are sold in fixed sizes of 100, 200, 350, 500, 700, 1,000, 1,500, 1,750 and 2,000 mL, and the everyday bottle is 700 mL (70 cl), about 23.7 fl oz, or 50 mL less than a fifth. There is no 750 mL size for spirits on those lists; 750 mL is a wine bottle there.
For years that meant an imported vodka needed one bottle for Europe and another for America. On December 29, 2020, TTB added 700 mL to the US list (T.D. TTB-165), along with 720 mL, 900 mL and 1.8 L, after inquiries from foreign governments about trade harmonization. On January 10, 2025, TTB added 15 more sizes (T.D. TTB-200), bringing the total to 25. So if you see a 700 mL bottle of vodka on a shelf in the US, it is legal and it holds about one shot less than a fifth.
| Region | Standard spirits bottle | Fluid ounces | 1.5 oz shots |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 750 mL (the fifth) | 25.36 | 16.9 |
| EU and UK | 700 mL | 23.67 | 15.8 |
Frequently asked questions
Is a fifth the same as 750 mL? Yes, in the United States today. The original fifth was 757 mL; the 750 mL bottle replaced it on January 1, 1980, and the name carried over.
How many ounces are in a fifth? 25.36 fluid ounces. Many sites round to 25.4, and the pre-1980 fifth was 25.6.
How many shots are in a fifth of vodka? 16.9 at 1.5 oz, 25.4 at 1 oz and 12.7 at 2 oz.
Is a handle two fifths? No. A handle is 1.75 L, which is 2.33 fifths, or one fifth plus one liter.
How many fifths are in a gallon? A US gallon is 3,785 mL, so 5.05. Five fifths come up 35 mL short of a gallon.
Why is a pint of vodka only 375 mL? Because the 1980 metric switch replaced the 473 mL pint with 375 mL, the closest size on the new list, and the old name stayed on the shelf.
Does the size change the proof? No. Proof is a property of the liquid. A nip and a handle of the same vodka are the same strength.
Sources
- 27 CFR 5.203, Standards of fill for distilled spirits (eCFR), checked September 13, 2026
- 27 CFR 5.142, Neutral spirits or alcohol, including vodka (eCFR), checked September 13, 2026
- 27 CFR 5.1, Definitions, including proof (eCFR), checked September 13, 2026
- Old 27 CFR 5.47, pre-1980 sizes (Cornell LII), checked September 13, 2026
- TTB proposed rule, July 1, 2019, with the history of the 1976 metric rule and the January 1, 1980 date, checked September 13, 2026
- T.D. TTB-165, December 29, 2020 (700 mL and other sizes added), checked September 13, 2026
- T.D. TTB-200, January 10, 2025 (15 sizes added), checked September 13, 2026
- T.D. TTB-158, April 2, 2020 (vodka “without distinctive character” language removed), checked September 13, 2026
- TTB tax and fee rates, checked September 13, 2026
- NIAAA, What is a standard drink and drinks in common containers, checked September 13, 2026
- CDC, Standard drink sizes, checked September 13, 2026
- NIST Handbook 44, Appendix C (gallon and fluid ounce conversions), checked September 13, 2026
- USDA FoodData Central, vodka 80 proof (FDC 174818), with 90 proof (171920) and 100 proof (173664), checked September 13, 2026
- Directive 2007/45/EC (EU bottle sizes) and UK SI 2009/663, checked September 13, 2026
Saucey carries vodka in every size from nips to handles and delivers in as fast as 25 mins in the cities we serve. For the brand-by-brand comparisons, see Smirnoff vs Svedka, Tito’s vs Grey Goose and Belvedere vs Grey Goose.
The fine print
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