A peg is a unit of
volume
Volume is a measure of regions in three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch) ...
, typically used to measure amounts of
liquor
Liquor ( , sometimes hard liquor), spirits, distilled spirits, or spiritous liquor are alcoholic drinks produced by the distillation of grains, fruits, vegetables, or sugar that have already gone through ethanol fermentation, alcoholic ferm ...
in the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...
. Informally, a peg is an undefined measure of any alcoholic drink poured in a glass.
The terms "large (bara) peg" and "small (chota) peg" are equal to and , respectively, with "peg" alone simply referring to a peg.
See also
*
Patiala peg
The Patiala peg is a peg of whisky in which the amount is decided based on the height between the top of the index and base of the little fingers when held parallel to one another, against the side of the standard 26.5 oz (750ml) glass bottle. ...
References
Bartending equipment
Cooking weights and measures
Units of measurement
Units of volume
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During a visit to the Imperial Hotel in Delhi in February 2025 a bar person instructed us in the definition of a Peg. It originates from the pre-match party given by the Maharajah of Patiala. He instructed that the visiting team be served a Patiala Peg but his home team only a 2 finger peg. The match result the next day was a win for the maharaja's team.
So, for the purposes of clarification, this defines a 'Patiala Peg' and the measures above may be considered more standardised and otherwise recognised measures.
According to the hotel's definition a peg is 120ml or a 4 finger measure.