How Many Ounces are in a Shot? It Depends Where You Are

If you’ve ever looked up a cocktail recipe lately, one thing you’ll discover is that they almost always have you pour a shot of something be it vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey, or any of the other fine alcohols in the world. Of course, it’s never specified as to actually how much liquid is in a shot which as you’ll discover will vary widely depending on where you’re located.

In the United States, the typical shot glass is 1.48 ounces however, there is no official standard for this. Many people assume a typical shot is one ounce, but that’s only in Utah where a shot is defined as an ounce. In the rest of the United States, one ounce is generally the standard amount for a drink, not a shot.

So, it’s safe to say that when recipes refer to a shot in a cocktail recipe, they probably mean to put 1.48 ounces, or 44 ml, of alcohol into the cocktail. If you put one ounce in there, then you may not be putting enough leading to a cocktail that doesn’t taste right. However, this does vary quite a bit from country to country so if you’re reading a recipe book from outside the United States, it may be referring to a different amount of alcohol.

Here’s a list of countries in the world with their standard shot sizes: