Quarter Gill

Quarter Gill is an older Scottish volumetric unit used for small whisky servings. It constitutes a quarter of a Gill, which in turn defines a quarter pint in the Imperial measurement system. A Quarter Gill is therefore about 35.5 milliliters.

Definition and size

• Gill: 1 Gill is 1/4 pint (Imperial) ≈ 142 ml.
• Quarter Gill: 1/4 of a Gill = 1/16 pint ≈ 35.5 ml.

Historical context

In the older Scottish measurement system, Quarter Gill was used for small whisky servings in bars and households. Values could vary over time and by region, but the general definition was fixed as 1/16 pint.

Usage

A Quarter Gill denotes a very small serving and was often used as a tasting sample or to gauge consumption during more extensive accounts. In modern practice, terms such as dram or milliliters are used instead, and Quarter Gill is rarely used today.

Etymology

The word Gill stems from the British imperial system; Quarter Gill denotes a quarter of a Gill, which in turn is a quarter pint.