Whisky · Explainer
What bottle sizes are there for spirits?
For spirits, European Directive 2007/45/EC names nine fixed bottle sizes between 100 and 2,000 ml: 100, 200, 350, 500, 700, 1,000, 1,500, 1,750 and 2,000 ml. The 750 ml size is not among them, whereas it is for still wine. In the United States, 750 ml is actually the prescribed size. Below 100 ml the European series does not apply.
In brief
The key figures
| European rule | Directive 2007/45/EC, nominal quantities for prepackaged products |
|---|---|
| Distilled in the EU | 100, 200, 350, 500, 700, 1,000, 1,500, 1,750 and 2,000 ml |
| Still wine in the EU | 100, 187, 250, 375, 500, 750, 1,000 and 1,500 ml |
| Where the series applies | Only within the interval stated in the annex |
| Below 100 ml | No prescribed series, so bottles of 3 and 5 cl are allowed |
| United States | 27 CFR 5,203, with 750 ml on the list of permitted sizes |
| Dutch rule | Warenwetbesluit hoeveelheden voorverpakkingen |
| Age limit | NIX18, geen verkoop onder de 18 jaar |
Which bottle sizes may spirits have in Europe?
Spirits sold prepackaged in the European Union between 100 and 2,000 ml may only be placed on the market in nine sizes.
Those sizes are 100, 200, 350, 500, 700, 1,000, 1,500, 1,750 and 2,000 ml. They are in point 1 of the annex to Directive 2007/45/EC. The Netherlands refers directly to it in the Warenwetbesluit hoeveelheden voorverpakkingen. In Bathmen the same list therefore applies as in Lisbon or Helsinki, and that is why the 70 cl bottle fills the shelf everywhere in Europe.
Why does Europe use 70 cl and the United States 75 cl?
The European list for spirits does include 700 ml and not 750 ml, whereas the American rule names 750 ml as a permitted size.
In the United States the permitted sizes are set out in 27 CFR 5,203, a regulation with twenty-five permitted container sizes. For imported bottles it applies from 1 January 1980. A distillery that sells on both sides of the ocean therefore bottles two sizes of the same whisky: 70 cl for Europe and 75 cl for the American market. The difference lies in two laws, not in the contents of the bottle.
Why may a 5 cl bottle have a free size?
The European series applies only within the range of 100 to 2,000 ml, so packs under 100 ml are not bound by it.
Article 3 of Directive 2007/45/EC ties the fixed sizes to products that are pre-packed within the interval named in the annex. A small bottle of 3, 4 or 5 cl falls outside that and may have any content. That is why samples, miniatures and tasting sets exist in all kinds of formats, while the ordinary bottle always has one of the nine sizes.
How many glasses come out of which bottle?
A bottle of 70 cl yields twenty drams of 3.5 cl, a bottle of 35 cl ten, and a sample bottle of 5 cl a generous dram.
A dram of 3.5 cl is the usual measure at tastings. If you count on smaller glasses of 2.5 cl, you get 28 from a 70 cl bottle and 40 from a litre. The size on the label therefore tells you straight away how often you can pour the bottle, and that helps when choosing between a full bottle and a smaller size.
Why does it say 75 cl on wine and not on spirits?
Directive 2007/45/EC gives still wine its own series, and in it 750 ml does appear: 100, 187, 250, 375, 500, 750, 1,000 and 1,500 ml.
Wine and spirits have two different lists in the annex. For wine the interval runs from 100 to 1,500 ml, for spirits from 100 to 2,000 ml. Place a bottle of wine of 75 cl next to a bottle of whisky of 70 cl and you see a difference that lies in the legislation, not in the shape or thickness of the glass.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which whiskies come in a size smaller than 70 cl?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 228 whiskies from 98 different brands from 13 countries. Prices range from € 5.99 to € 299.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 40% to 73.7%.
- 1770 Glasgow Distillery 2nd Release 46% · 50 cl · Scotland
- Aberfeldy Whisky 12Y 40% · 20 cl · Scotland
- Akashi Single Malt 5 Years Old Sherry cask 50% · 50 cl · Japan
- Akashi White Oak NAS 40% · 50 cl · Japan
- Akashi White Oak Single Malt Japanse Whisky 46% · 50 cl · Japan
- Akkeshi New Born Fondations 3 Mizunara Cask 20cl 55% · 20 cl · Japan
- Amrut The Dutch Kumbha Sherry Cask 46% · 50 cl · India
- Auchentoshan Collection 3×20 CL set 30 cl · Scotland
- Ballantine's Scotch Whisky 40% · 35 cl · Scotland
- Ballantine's Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old 40% · 20 cl · Scotland
Related questions
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Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- Is a 75 cl bottle of spirits allowed in the Netherlands?
- For prepacked spirits between 100 and 2,000 ml the European series applies, and 750 ml is not in it. American 750 ml bottles are therefore rarely found in Europe.
- How much is a dram?
- At tastings, 3.5 cl per glass is usually assumed. A 70 cl bottle then yields twenty glasses.
- Is there a largest permitted bottle size?
- The European series for spirits runs up to 2,000 ml. Larger packages fall outside the interval and are not bound to the fixed sizes.
- May I buy spirits if I am 17?
- No. In the Netherlands alcohol may only be supplied to those aged eighteen or older, and that comes with a valid proof of identity.
The reasoning
Sources
- Richtlijn 2007/45/EG, nominale hoeveelheden voor voorverpakte producten, EUR-Lex, European Union (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Warenwetbesluit hoeveelheden voorverpakkingen, Overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-05)
- 27 CFR 5,203 Standards of fill (container sizes), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, United States (accessed 2026-09-05)
- Alcoholwet (Dutch Alcohol Act), article 20, Overheid.nl (accessed 2026-09-05)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine and spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 7 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.