Spirits
Whisky, whiskey, and the 30 mL count
The spelling follows tradition. The grams follow the label. A 30 mL nip at 40% is about one Australian standard drink.
- Common labelled ABV
- ~40%
- About one standard drink at 40%
- 30 mL
- A double nip
- ~2
- Whisky vs whiskey
- Spelling
Whisky and whiskey are spelling variants of the same distilled-spirit family — Scotch and many Australian and Japanese labels use “whisky”; Irish and many American labels use “whiskey”. It is not a strength difference. Most bottled whisky is labelled around 40% ABV or higher. NHMRC’s example of about one standard drink is 30 mL at 40%.
Definition
Whisky / whiskey. A distilled grain spirit. The spelling is regional tradition. Cask strength and overproof bottlings sit above everyday 40% labels.
Everyday bottle versus stronger bottle
| Compare | Many 40% bottles | Cask strength / overproof |
|---|---|---|
| 30 mL nip | About one standard drink. | More than one — do the formula. |
| What the name tells you | Almost nothing about grams. | Still almost nothing — read the percentage. |
| Mixing | Water or mixer does not remove alcohol already poured. | Same rule. |
Questions
Questions people actually ask
Spelling and tradition, not a different alcohol. Scotch and many Australian labels use “whisky”; Irish and many US labels use “whiskey”. Count the ABV either way.
Spelling is not a serve
Use the spirits hub to compare a nip with beer, and the guidelines before you treat a tasting as an exception.