Whisky Forum - ml Bottle Size Differences between Canada and Europe

Quaich1

It dawned on me that many of the bottles of single malt scotch sold here in Canada contain more whisky than the equivalent bottles sold in Europe. The standard size in Europe appears to be 70 cl or 700ml. Here in Ontario, Canada many of the same brands are in 75cl or 750ml bottles. Example, The Glenlivet 21 year Archive. It doesn't account for the total higher price markup here in Ontario, but at least perhaps for some of it.
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"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946)

Innes · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:36 pm Post subject:

The standard bottle size in the UK used to be 750ml until the EEC or EU as they call it now decided to standardise the size across Europe and made it 700ml Evil or Very Mad

Quaich1 · Posted: Sat Dec 01, 2012 9:47 pm Post subject:

bifter · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 8:39 am Post subject:

bifter · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 8:47 am Post subject:

Incidentally, I'm curious which measurement is used in Canada. When you describe 'ounce' drams is that imperial (UK) or US ounces. A UK ounce is around 28.4ml whereas the US measurement is a more generous 29.6ml.
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"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

Quaich1 · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 12:54 pm Post subject:

William · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject:

Bottle size in the UK

In the UK up until 1980 standard size bottles were 26 2/3 flozs, they then changed to 750ml in 1980.

About 1991/1992 the EEC (or EU as now know it) changed the standard size from 750ml to 700ml Evil or Very Mad

Proof to ABV in the UK

Up until January 1st 1980 the UK used the Sikes system of measuring the proof strength of spirits, the Sikes system had been used in Britain for 162 years.

Like other EEC countries they replaced the Sikes system with the OIML system (International Organisation of Legal Metrology). The OIML system measures alcoholic strength as a Percentage of Alcohol by Volume (%ABV) at a temperature of 20°C.

The Proof system we used in the UK was different from the Proof system used in the US and Canada. For example 40% ABV would have been 80 Proof (x2) in the US and Canada but in the UK 40% ABV would have been 70° Proof (x1.75). Note that in the United States and i believe Canada the term "degrees proof" was not used.
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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

Quaich1 · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:12 pm Post subject:

bifter · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:33 pm Post subject:

You used to get lots of pubs in Scotland called the Quarter Gill. Still a few of them around these days:

http://www.oldglasgowpubs.co.uk/quartergilldumbarton.html

Now here's a query that maybe someone can help me out with. I used to wonder where the term 'half'n'half' (or 'hauf'n'hauf in the vernacular) came from but I've not been able to find an authoritative answer. My theory is that it originally meant a half pint and a double nip, which would have been quarter gill units, hence half a gill - half'n'half. Can anyone validate this or otherwise?
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"Whisky is liquid sunshine."
[George Bernard Shaw]

Quaich1 · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 5:41 pm Post subject:

Alastair · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 10:24 pm Post subject:

To me hauf'n'hauf is a half a gill and a half pint.

William · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2012 11:54 pm Post subject:

I remember my father would always offer friends or visitors a "wee hauf" then he would proceed to pour a large measure.

I have alway thought of a "hauf" as being a 1/2 gill. But I suppose it is a bit like - how big is a dram? It depends who's pouring it!
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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

James T · Master Of Malts Joined: 05 Feb 2011 Posts: 2978

huaf'n'huaf to me was always a whisky and a beer but no particular measure, it could be a pint and a double whisky. I am the same as William i have always considered a hauf as a !/2 gill which is 70 ml if i remember correctly so it is a large dram Very Happy