what size is a bottle?

[Marvin]

Why do we get 70cl bottles in UK but over the pond they get 75cl bottles? Doesnt seem fair to me!

[Elagabalus]

Isn't 70cl 750ml?

[Marvin]

No.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

70cl is 700ml

or 750ml is 75cl

Blame the EU for this freak of nature but I have my suspicions that the Whisky industry had a big input into the regulations.

[Deactivated Member]

The laws of respective countries dictate this. It's really too bad, as it requires bottlers to release different bottlings to different countries, which necessarily limits choices. Language is one thing--just a matter of different labels for, say, German bottles or Italian ones--but having to recalibrate the bottling line, and try to figure out how much you're going to send to North America and how much to Europe, is a burden I wish the industry could shed.

[Jan]

Does it really matter all that much ?

[Spirit of Islay]

Just think how much more we'd have to pay for that extra 5cl , bet it wouldn't be just the 5cl worth of whisky and duty.......

[Marvin]

Does it really matter all that much ?

It does in the value for money aspect.

[Deactivated Member]

The pricing differences between the two regions--and actually, within them--are so great that it's virtually impossible to judge the issue on a cost-per-unit basis. The only thing sure is that if we here changed from 75 to 70cl, the price would probably stay the same; and if you over there changed from 70 to 75cl, the price would likely jump more than the proportional 7.14%. So maybe we are better off to leave it alone.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Jan is right... it does not really matter... no use complaining about something that happened 20years ago we just have to live with it.

[Aidan]

The launch of the Michael Collins Irish whiskey has been delayed in Europe, because, as it's such an unusual bottle, it's taking time to be remade as a 70 cl version this side of the pond. So for now, it's only available in the U S of A.

[hpulley]

I thought it was a prohibition hangover that you couldn't send 70cL bottles to the USA? Some states at least? We get both here since we're in North America but we don't have their requirement.

Harry

[Deactivated Member]

Harry, I believe it dates only to the metrification of bottle sizes, which is considerably more recent (1970's? I'll have to look it up). At the time of Prohibition, we were all using English measure. For whatever reason, the standard whisky bottle size here was the fifth, if I'm not mistaken--25 3/5 oz. 750ml comes to 25.36oz, the nearest round equivalent.

I'd be happy if they allowed 70cl bottles here, but happier still if it was all standardized. I can just picture Frodo standing in the aisle at the LCBO trying to figure out if that 70cl bottle really is a bargain....

[Lawrence]

I just had a quick look through my Canadian purchased bottles and they are all marked 70cl, however some of the older ones are marked 750. It seems all the current bottlings are marked 70cl or 700 ml.

[Deactivated Member]

Makes sense--if it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for you. The US mandate is a consumer protection thing, of course, the idea being that any time you pick up a bottle, it will be a standard size, so you know what you're getting without having to check all the time. Unfortunately, it doesn't match the industry standard.

Maybe we should all just go to litre and half-litre bottles!

[Marvin]

Makes sense--if it's good enough for the Queen, it's good enough for you. The US mandate is a consumer protection thing, of course, the idea being that any time you pick up a bottle, it will be a standard size, so you know what you're getting without having to check all the time.

In other words, it's to protect stupid people. You have got a lot of them I guess.

[Marvin]

Why is wine, Port and Sherry still sold in 750ml/75cl/0.75l bottles?

Because France was always metric?

[bamber]

Why is wine, Port and Sherry still sold in 750ml/75cl/0.75l bottles?

Because France was always metric?

You know what they call a Quarter Pounder in France?

[Marvin]

Why is wine, Port and Sherry still sold in 750ml/75cl/0.75l bottles?

Because France was always metric?

You know what they call a Quarter Pounder in France?

No remind me please

[bamber]

Jules: "Do you know what they call a Quarter Pounder in France?"
VV: "They don't call it a quarter pounder with cheese?"
Jules: "Hell no, they got the metric system. They don't know what the f**k a quarter pound is. They call it a royale with cheese."
VV: "A Royale with cheese. What do they call a Big Mac?"
Jules: "Well, a Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it le Big-Mac."

[Lawrence]

Jules: "Do you know what they call a Quarter Pounder in France?"
VV: "They don't call it a quarter pounder with cheese?"
Jules: "Hell no, they got the metric system. They don't know what the f**k a quarter pound is. They call it a royale with cheese."
VV: "A Royale with cheese. What do they call a Big Mac?"
Jules: "Well, a Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it le Big-Mac."

Excellent!

[bamber]

I'm going to have to watch it tonight now.

[Marvin]

Jules: Le Big Mac [laughs]. What do they call a Whopper?
Vincent: I don't know, I didn't go into Burger King ... You know what they put on french fries in Holland instead of ketchup?
Jules: What?
Vincent: Mayonnaise.
Jules: Damn [laughter]
Vincent: I seen them do it, man. They fuckin' drown them in that shit.
Jules: Yuck.

[bamber]

Aaah - just realised, I've muddled up VV and Jules

Worth a look: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction

[Marvin]

I remember years ago a flatmate of mine printed off a Welsh version of that Quarter Pounder thing, it was really funny but I have never been able to find it online.

[Andrew_Toronto]

and at duty free you can get 1 litre bottles of Scotch!

i still have a Macallan Elegancia thats lasted a year and a half (and still 1/5 left!)

[hpulley]

Hence the reason why you can return with 1.041L duty free in Canada.

Harry

[Deactivated Member]

At duty-frees entering Canada from the US, you can often find 1.14 litre bottles (or 1.13, rounded up or down). This amounts to an imperial quart, which I assume is the legal amount that can be brought into Canada duty-free.

[hpulley]

Oops, my bad on the quart size...

Harry

[Deactivated Member]

Heh, you have reminded me of a story Bobby told me. He walked into a pub quite late, and already reasonably inebriated, and asked for a pint. The doubtful bartender, one eye on the clock and the other on Bobby's wobbliness, said, "How about a half-pint?" Bobby, who stands maybe 5'5" soaking wet, replied, "Who you calling half-pint?" in mock umbrage. The flustered and embarrassed bartender gave him a pint.

[korolev]

ah this is exactly where i'll like to ask a question.

a friend of mine got me a bottle of macallan 12 elegencia from the duty free store and i am very suprised to receive it in a 1 litre bottle! so can i actually purchase any bottle of whisky say ardbeg, talisker and what not in a 1 litre bottle?

thank you

[irishwhiskeychaser]

More often than not Duty free bottles will all be 1 litre bottles. However Duty free bottles are usually only the big sellers or special duty free only bottlings. Therefore your choice will be limited depending from where you are flying. If I remember correctly Singapour Duty free shops have a good selection and sometimes offer the 1litre and 70cl version of the same bottle. I'd be fairly sure there would be a 1litre version of Ardbeg but I cannot say for certian. They deffinately had the likes of Laphroaig 10yo, Talisker 10yo and Lagavulin 16yo all available in 1litre versions.

[Thesh]

Is there a limit on how much you can buy? I'm not sure I see the point on restricting just bottle size. I mean, you can still buy two bottles an have 1.4 liters.

[Scotchio]

The Auchentoshan 12 QE2 is a litre bottle so I assume it was meant for duty free shops. Good value at £30

[Marvin]

Well here in UK you can get 1.5L bottles so it cant be anything to do with limiting people's consumption.