What Is a Handle of Liquor?

There are many liquor bottle sizes that a bartender is expected to keep track of in their role. You’ll need to make purchase orders, make drinks properly, and continue managing liquor inventory. It's all part of managing the responsibility of having learned how to get a liquor license.

Whether you’re creating new recipes for spring cocktails, summer cocktails, fall cocktails, and winter cocktails or just sticking to common drinks, it’s vital you know what measurements you’re using so you don’t leave customers unhappy.

Keep reading to learn what a handle of liquor is, other terms for it, and how to convert it as needed.

The 1.75 L bottle is also called a handle of liquor or a handle of alcohol. Or it’s referred to as a handle of whatever type of liquor it is.

A handle of vodka, for example. It's big enough to have a handle on the bottle, hence the “handle of alcohol” name.

A handle of liquor is a 1.75 L bottle of liquor. That means it too has 39 1.5-ounce shots in it. Doesn’t matter if it’s a handle of vodka, a handle of rum, or a handle of whiskey.

A handle of alcohol is a different name for a 1.75 L alcohol bottle. It’s also one of the most common sizes you'll see in online liquor sales.

How Many Ounces and Shots Are in a 1.75 Liter Bottle?

While you may buy alcohol in a 1.75 L bottle, you’ll never actually use the handle itself. Instead, you’ll be pouring that handle in one of the following ways: an ounce, a pint, or a shot. These are the measurements you’ll need to know when crafting the drinks every bartender should know and the most popular cocktail recipes.

With this in mind, let's now take a look at how many ounces, pints, and shots a 1.75 L of alcohol has. Also affectionately known as a handle of liquor.

How Many Ounces Is 1.75 Liters?

There are approximately 59.18 ounces in a liquor bottle size of 1.75 liters. A 1.75-liter liquor bottle size is also half a gallon.

Ounces are likely one of the most common amounts you’ll need to pour out of a handle, so make sure you are measuring as you pour. It’s easy to lose track or spill some alcohol if you aren’t used to pouring out of such a large bottle.

Since this is also a very odd number, calculating on the fly isn’t a good idea. Instead, use a spreadsheet to create a list of the most common conversions you’ll need for your bar operations and add the data to a bartender cheat sheet and keep it behind the bar.

This will make it much easier to figure out when needed and less experienced bartenders will be very grateful.

How Many Pints in a 1.75 Liter Bottle?

There are approximately 3.7 US liquid pints in a 1.75-liter bottle.

‍We specify the US here because British imperial measurements are not the same, so bars in the UK will need to do different calculations.

However, it’s important to note that it’s highly unlikely you’ll be using a pint of spirits or hard liquor. This is the serving size for a glass of beer, so that much alcohol would greatly overwhelm any mixed drink.

That being said, you may come across special circumstances where a pint is called for. This may include a large party bowl or a communal mixed drink. So, you’ll be able to pour three and three-quarters pints and come reasonably close. You may also want to learn how many ounces in a pint, for even more options.

How Many Shots in a 1.75 Liter Bottle of Liquor?

A 1.75-liter liquor bottle has 39 1.5-ounce shots in it. ‍

However, you may not always be pouring a single shot, or you may run into issues with shrinkage, so don’t always expect to be able to get 39 full servings out of a handle.

If you have issues pouring alcohol without spillage, you should take the time to learn how to use a jigger and pour spout. Make sure you have good bartender tools that you use daily and it will become second nature.

How Many Shots In A Handle?

There are approximately 39 1.5-ounce shots in a single handle of liquor. ‍

Since a handle is 1.75 liters, you’ll find that it has the same number of shots. It’s important to learn different bartending terms so you’ll be able to understand this while in the middle of a busy service.

If you’re at all concerned, use a cheat sheet or take the extra time to pick up some of the best bartending books or take a few courses to master your craft.

Frequently Asked Questions About Handles of Liquor

How Many Shots Are in a Handle of Liquor?

There are 40 shots in a handle of liquor. The average shot glass holds 1.75 ounces of liquor, and 1 handle holds 1.75 liters of liquor. 1 liter equals 33.814 ounces of liquor., and 1.75 liters equals 59.1745 ounces. Divide that number by 1.5 (size of a standard shot glass) and you have 40 shots.

What Is the Volume of a Handle of Liquor?

A handle of liquor contains 1.75 liters or 59.1745 ounces of liquor.

How Many Ounces in 1.75 Liters?

A 1.75-liter bottle contains 59.1745 ounces.

Can You Handle That?

Handles are a common measurement that every bartender needs to know. You’ll often need to purchase a handle of vodka or other spirits, so you can expect to come across the term regularly.

If you've gone to bartending school or have your bartender license, this should be burned in your brain because you’ll be using both measurements day in and day out.

Once you have that under control, you’ll need to learn how to properly pour a beer and understand the different wine bottle sizes, standard liquor pours, and standard wine pours.