Scotch Addict » Dram http://scotchaddict.com journal chronicling my celebration of the spirit of Scotland Tue, 17 Aug 2010 15:07:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 What is a Dram? How Much is a Dram? http://scotchaddict.com/what-is-a-dram-how-much-is-a-dram.html http://scotchaddict.com/what-is-a-dram-how-much-is-a-dram.html#comments Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:46:06 +0000 admin http://scotchaddict.com/?p=388 You’ll most often hear people talk about how they’re going to enjoy a dram of Scotch or pour themselves a wee dram, which is a unit of measure not often used in the United States. It usually refers to a “small amount” but it actually has a definition according to the U.S. Customary System. A US fluid dram is an eighth of a fluid ounce, 60 min (minim, about a drop) or around 3.7 mL of liquid. It is actually smaller than a teaspoon, which is measured as 80 min, so chances are someone is pouring themselves several drams of whisky. :)

]]> http://scotchaddict.com/what-is-a-dram-how-much-is-a-dram.html/feed 0 How much is a dram of Scotch? http://scotchaddict.com/how-much-is-a-dram-of-scotch.html http://scotchaddict.com/how-much-is-a-dram-of-scotch.html#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:15:36 +0000 admin http://scotchaddict.com/?p=169 Dram of ArdbergIf you do any reading about Scotch, or whiskey in general, you’ll often read people talk about having a dram of Scotch. Intuitively we know it’s some measurement, that we pour a bit of the golden (or amber or whatever, depending what you prefer!) elixir, call it a dram, and go about our merry way enjoying it.

But, what exactly is a dram?

Historically, a dram was a coin, a unit of mass, and a unit of volume.

For volume, it’s an eighth (1⁄8) of a fluid ounce.

So there you have it, a dram is an eighth of an ounce… but in reality it just means “a wee bit” when you talk about Scotch. No one is holding a measuring spoon when they measure out their drams!

(Photo: stephangeyer)

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