Whisky can be sipped on its own or incorporated into a more complex cocktail. The term “whisky” generally refers to any fermented grain alcohol aged in wood barrels or casks in Scotland, Canada, or Japan; the spelling “whiskey” refers to the American and Irish spirits. There are proper ways to drink it, and even specific glasses to use. A serving of this beverage can be given as anything from a single shot to a glass on the rocks, though you might sometimes hear it measured as a dram.
The dram, to put it simply, refers to however much whisky you would comfortably drink at once. The specific amount varies depending on who is serving you and what country you’re in. The term comes from the Ancient Greek term “drakhme,” which translates to “coins and treasure.” But over time, the term’s meaning changed to describe a coin’s weight, making it a loose unit of measurement. It later became a way to measure medicine, and eventually, other liquids, such as whisky. The “drakhme” term went through various language translations, too, and by the time the term reached Scotland, it was referred to as a dram — the same way it’s used today when referencing a whisky pour.
The amount of whisky in a dram varies by country
The phrase is more popular in Europe than it is in the United States, and in England, a dram might be as little as 25 milliliters, which amounts to less than one ounce. In Ireland, the pour could be as many as 35.5 milliliters, or 1.2 ounces. But in the U.S., if you happen to ask for a dram, you’ll likely get closer to a shot, which is 1.5 ounces. So, a glass and dram of whisky in the United States might be used interchangeably because a standard glass of whisky is often around 1.5 ounces. Whisky comes with other funky terms, too, including a finger — another loose unit of measurement.
Today, the term dram is still used in other measurement contexts outside of whisky. It is sometimes used by apothecaries and pharmacists as a unit of measurement, and it’s referred to as ⅛ of an ounce in that context, which is a smaller unit than when used for pouring whisky.
