MIND THE POUR
Drink Smart
What is a standard drink, a peg, a large and a patiala peg?
A peg is 60ml, a large peg is 90ml and a patiala peg is 120ml. These are India's informal measures for spirits, and they refer only to the liquor poured — not the water, soda or ice that follows. What they don't tell you is how much alcohol you're actually drinking, which depends on both the volume and the drink's strength (ABV). This guide gives you the full chart, then converts each pour into standard drinks so the numbers mean something.
| Measure | Volume | Pure alcohol* | Standard drinks* | Pours per 750ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small peg (chhota) | 30 ml | ≈ 10 g | ≈ 1 | 25 |
| Peg (regular) | 60 ml | ≈ 20 g | ≈ 2 | 12.5 |
| Large peg | 90 ml | ≈ 30 g | ≈ 3 | 8 |
| Patiala peg | 120 ml | ≈ 40 g | ≈ 4 | 6 |
*Calculated at 42.8% ABV, the standard strength for Indian whisky. One international standard drink = 10g of pure alcohol.
What a peg means in India
In everyday bar lingo, a ‘peg’ refers to a single pour of a spirit such as whisky, rum, or vodka. The term is not legally defined, but it is widely understood as a modest serving meant for one person.
Because the exact volume can vary between establishments, a peg is often described as roughly 30 millilitres of spirit. This volume, multiplied by the drink's ABV, gives the amount of pure alcohol in that peg.
Large peg and patiala peg
A ‘large peg’ is simply understood as twice the volume of a regular peg, while a ‘patiala peg’ is understood as four times that volume. These terms are used when someone wants a stronger pour without ordering multiple drinks.
Thus, a large peg contains about 60 millilitres of spirit, and a patiala peg contains about 120 millilitres. Again, the actual alcohol content follows from the ABV of the spirit being served.
Connecting pour size to the standard drink concept
Publichealth guidance often uses the idea of a `standard drink' to express a fixed amount of pure alcohol, regardless of the beverage type. In India, a standard drink is commonly taken as 10 grams of pure alcohol.
By knowing the approximate volume of a peg, large peg, or patiala peg and the ABV of your spirit, you can calculate how many standard drinks each pour represents. This makes it easier to track consumption across different drinks and settings.
Why accurate measures matter
Taxation and licensing for alcohol in India are handled through state excise, not GST, and advertising restrictions mean surrogate branding is common. Clear serving measures help consumers stay informed despite limited direct marketing.
Understanding pour sizes also supports responsible drinking habits, allowing you to compare your intake to health guidelines without relying on vague glass sizes.
Key takeaways
- A peg is 60ml, a large is 90ml, a patiala is 120ml, and a small (chhota) peg is 30ml.
- A 30ml chhota peg of standard 42.8% whisky is almost exactly one standard drink — the only common Indian pour that is.
- One regular 60ml peg is already about two standard drinks, which surprises most people.
- A patiala peg packs roughly four standard drinks into a single glass.
- A 750ml bottle yields 12.5 regular pegs, 8 large pegs, or 6 patiala pegs.
- Peg sizes are convention, not law — no Indian regulation fixes them, so bars can and do vary.
FAQs
How many ml is 1 peg?
One peg is 60ml. This is the standard 'chhota' or regular peg served across most of India. Some bars pour 50ml, but 60ml is the accepted default.
How many ml is a large peg?
A large peg is 90ml — one and a half times a regular 60ml peg. When you order a 'large' at an Indian bar, this is what you get.
How many ml is a patiala peg?
A patiala peg is 120ml, double a regular peg. It is the largest of the common Indian measures and contains roughly four standard drinks of alcohol in a single glass.
What is a small peg in ml?
A small peg — also called a chhota peg — is 30ml. It is exactly half a regular peg, and at typical whisky strength it works out to almost precisely one international standard drink.
What is 'large' in alcohol?
'Large' is Indian bar shorthand for a 90ml pour of spirits, as opposed to a regular 60ml peg. It refers only to the volume of liquor poured, not the size of the glass or the amount of mixer added.
What does peg mean in a drink?
A peg is India's informal unit for a measure of spirits — whisky, rum, brandy, vodka or gin. It refers strictly to the liquor poured, before any water, soda or ice. Ordering 'two pegs' means 120ml of spirit in total.
What is the full form of peg in alcohol?
There is no official full form. Acronyms like 'Peg Measure of English Gin' circulate online but are folk inventions with no historical basis. The word most likely descends from the medieval English peg tankard — a shared drinking vessel with pegs set inside it to mark each drinker's fair measure.
How many pegs are in a 750ml bottle?
A standard 750ml bottle holds 12.5 regular pegs (60ml), about 8 large pegs (90ml), or roughly 6 patiala pegs (120ml).
Is one peg of whisky a lot?
One 60ml peg of 42.8% ABV whisky contains about 20g of pure alcohol — roughly two international standard drinks. So a single 'one peg' is already at the daily low-risk limit many health guidelines suggest for men, and above it for women.
Is a peg the same across all bars in India?
No, the term is informal and the actual poured volume can vary; it is generally understood as a modest serving but is not legally standardized.
How does ABV affect the alcohol content of a peg?
Alcohol‑by‑volume tells you the percentage of pure alcohol in the spirit; multiplying that percentage by the poured volume (in millilitres) gives the grams of pure alcohol in the peg.
Can I use the peg system to count standard drinks for wine or beer?
The peg measure is traditionally used for spirits; for wine or beer you would use their typical serving sizes and ABV to calculate standard drinks.