THE FIFTH

The fifth reminds me of booze.  Prior to 1980, the liquor industry in the U.S. was on it's own standard.  The size of a standard bottle of booze was one-fifth of a gallon - commonly known as a fifth.  In 1980, the U.S. shifted to the metric standards.  A bottle of booze, just like the hoity-toity wine, was now sold in 750 ml bottles.  The 'ml' stands for milliliters.  There are 1000 milliliters in a liter.  Yes, there was a little less in each bottle. 

When I was a kid, Coke came in 8 oz bottles.  I think that's all you could get.  I distinctly remember my parents friend telling us in the early 1950s that he thought the Coke didn't taste as good in those large 10 oz  or 12 oz bottles.  He knew a warehouse where he could still get the small ones.  Now all we find is 16 oz, liter and 2-liter bottles. 

Beer has stayed pretty true to its beginnings.  Most beer is put into 12 oz bottles.  Watch out for foreign bottled beer - some comes in 330 ml size which is just a little less than 12 oz.  If you have a serious beer problem, you may be ordering growlers - 64 oz or 32 oz for lightweights.

When I was first married, I bought a one gallon glass jug with a compression cap.  They were common at the time.  I carried it to the local bar with me and ordered a draft beer to be drank immediately and the jug filled half way.  I got charged for a half-gallon of beer but always got more.  The bartender couldn't tell what half full was because the shape of the jug was irregular, so to be safe, she always gave me a little extra.  I didn't necessarily drink it all the same night but it would sit well in the fridge until the next.  The good ol' days. 

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