Quick answer
A 750 ml full bottle of gal arrack holds 25 measures of 30 ml, a 375 ml half holds about 12 and a 180 ml quarter holds six. Sri Lankan home and bar pours are often around 50 ml in a tall glass, which gives roughly 15 drinks from a full bottle, seven or eight from a half and three or four from a quarter. Gal arrack is roughly 33.5 per cent alcohol, so each 30 ml measure is about one UK unit.
Key takeaways
- A full 750 ml bottle of gal arrack holds 25 measures of 30 ml, or about 15 generous local pours.
- A half bottle gives about 12 measures and a quarter gives six.
- Local pours are often around 50 ml, much larger than a bar measure.
- At roughly 33.5 per cent alcohol, a 30 ml measure of gal is about one UK unit.
- Counting drinks by the bottle is the simplest way to pace an evening.
Bar measures and local pours
Bars and hotels in Sri Lanka usually pour arrack in measures of 25 or 30 ml, sometimes called a shot or a tot. Hotel menus generally state the measure, and a double is twice that.
At home and in local bars the pour is a matter of judgement, and generosity is part of hospitality. A host may pour 40 to 60 ml into a tall glass of ice before adding soda or cola, and a guest's glass is topped up before it is empty. Around 50 ml is a fair average for counting purposes.
That difference matters. The same bottle that gives 25 bar measures gives only about 15 local drinks, so plans built on bar measures run out early.
- →Bar measure: 25 or 30 ml.
- →Typical local pour: around 50 ml.
- →Hosts top up glasses before they are empty.
Drinks per bottle size
The three standard gal arrack sizes break down neatly. A full bottle of 750 ml holds 25 measures of 30 ml or 30 of 25 ml. A half of 375 ml holds about 12 of 30 ml. A quarter of 180 ml holds six of 30 ml.
At local pours of about 50 ml, that becomes roughly 15 drinks from a full bottle, seven or eight from a half and three or four from a quarter. Those are the figures to use when buying for a group.
At shop prices, a full bottle at roughly US$10 to US$14 gives drinks at well under a dollar each before mixers. The price-per-drink page compares that with bars and hotels.
- →Full, 750 ml: 25 measures or about 15 pours.
- →Half, 375 ml: 12 measures or seven to eight pours.
- →Quarter, 180 ml: six measures or three to four pours.
Strength and units
Gal arrack is bottled at roughly 33.5 per cent alcohol by volume, a little below the 40 per cent of most whisky, vodka and rum. The exact figure is on the label.
In UK units, where one unit is ten millilitres of pure alcohol, a 30 ml measure of gal contains almost exactly one unit. A full bottle contains about 25 units, a half about 12.5 and a quarter about six. A generous local pour of 50 ml is close to 1.7 units.
Other countries count standard drinks differently, but the bottle figures make the arithmetic simple: a quarter bottle shared between two is roughly three units each.
- →30 ml measure: about one UK unit.
- →Full bottle: about 25 units.
- →50 ml local pour: about 1.7 units.
Pacing a bottle in the heat
Pacing matters more in Sri Lanka than at home. Heat and humidity dehydrate quickly, sunset drinking often follows a day in the sun, and generous top-ups make it hard to keep count. Gal arrack's light, sweet taste with cola also hides its strength.
The simplest method is to count by the bottle. Decide in advance how many quarters the table will order, or mark the level on a full bottle. Drink a glass of water with every arrack, eat the bites that come with it, and stop well before any swim, since drinking and the sea do not mix.
In company, it is fine to cover your glass with a hand to decline a top-up. Hosts understand, and it avoids the half-full glass that is always being refilled.
- →Count by the bottle, not the glass.
- →Water with every drink.
- →Eat the bites.
- →Never swim after drinking.
Using the count to buy the right amount
Once the drinks are counted, buying is easy. Allow roughly one full bottle for every four or five people for an evening of steady drinking, or one quarter per person for a lighter evening. Add plenty of mixer: about a litre of soda or cola for every four or five drinks.
Lankan Stays & Trails guides can help a group work out quantities before a villa stay, so the driver stops once at a licensed shop rather than several times.
- →One full bottle per four or five people per evening.
- →One quarter per person for a lighter evening.
- →About a litre of mixer per four or five drinks.
Frequently asked questions
How many shots are in a bottle of gal arrack?
A 750 ml bottle of gal arrack holds 25 shots of 30 ml or 30 of 25 ml. A half bottle holds about 12 of 30 ml and a quarter holds six. Local pours are usually bigger, so expect fewer drinks than these bar-measure figures suggest.
How many drinks does a quarter bottle of arrack make?
A 180 ml quarter makes six measures of 30 ml. At the generous pours common in Sri Lankan homes and local bars, around 50 ml per tall glass, it makes three or four drinks, enough for one person over an evening.
How many units are in a bottle of gal arrack?
At roughly 33.5 per cent alcohol, a 750 ml bottle of gal arrack contains about 25 UK units, a half bottle about 12.5 and a quarter about six. A 30 ml measure is roughly one unit, and a 50 ml local pour about 1.7 units.
How big is a typical arrack pour in Sri Lanka?
In bars and hotels a measure is usually 25 or 30 ml. At home and in local bars the pour is a matter of hospitality and is often 40 to 60 ml in a tall glass with ice and soda or cola. Around 50 ml is a fair average.
How much gal arrack should I buy for a party of ten?
For ten people drinking steadily over an evening, plan on two to three full bottles, based on roughly 15 generous drinks per bottle, plus extra quarters in reserve. Buy plenty of soda, cola, ice and water, and finish shopping the day before any poya day.
Is gal arrack weaker than whisky?
Slightly. Gal arrack is usually bottled at roughly 33.5 per cent alcohol, while most whisky is 40 per cent. A measure of gal therefore holds a little less alcohol, but generous local pours easily cancel the difference, so count drinks carefully.
How long does a bottle of gal arrack last for two people?
At moderate drinking of two or three tall drinks each per evening, a full bottle lasts two people around three evenings and a half bottle around one or two. A quarter covers a single shared evening of lighter drinking.