Peg Measure
Also called: peg size, patiala peg, standard peg
What is Peg Measure?
A peg is the customary unit for serving spirits in India. A small peg is generally 30ml and a large or Patiala peg 60ml, though the exact measure is a house decision rather than a national standard and varies between venues. Peg size is the hinge of all bar costing: it determines how many servings a bottle yields, and therefore the cost of every drink poured from it.
Theoretical yield versus what you get
A 750ml bottle gives twenty-five 30ml pegs on paper and twelve and a half large ones. No bar achieves that. Liquid clings to the bottle, the final pour often does not fill a measure, and free-poured drinks run generous when the bar is busy. The gap between twenty-five and twenty-three is around eight percent of liquor cost, which is large enough to explain an entire unexplained margin problem on its own.
Use one figure everywhere
The pours-per-bottle number you use for pricing has to be the same one you use when valuing stock and comparing theoretical against actual consumption. Bars that price on twenty-five and count on twenty-two produce a variance that looks like leakage and is really an arithmetic mismatch.
Measuring it
A jigger used consistently is the cheapest control in any bar. Where drinks are free-poured, the honest test is to pour a few into a measure and see what the actual size is; the result is usually larger than the staff estimate, and the difference compounds across every drink of the night.
Frequently asked questions
No. 30ml and 60ml are the customary small and large measures and are what most venues and menus use, but the serving size is set by the house and by state excise conditions rather than by a single national standard. Whatever you serve, state it on the menu and pour it consistently — guests notice variation faster than they notice size.