Free pour
TechniqueA free pour means pouring a spirit by counting, with a pour spout on the bottle instead of measuring with a jigger.
Also called: pour spout · speed pourer · free pouring · pour count
- Common US shot pour
- 1.5 oz (44 ml)
- One count, quarter-ounce system
- 0.25 oz (7 ml), so 1.5 oz is 6 counts
- One count, half-ounce system
- 0.5 oz (15 ml), so 1.5 oz is 3 counts
What free pour means
You will see free pours behind a busy bar, where a bartender counts each pour instead of stopping to measure it. The method trades some accuracy for speed. A free pour depends on the spout, the angle of the bottle and the pace of the count.
A common belief is that a count is a fixed measure. Bars count at different rates, and spouts pour differently, so each bartender should check their count against a jigger. A common US shot is 1.5 oz (44 ml). At 0.25 oz (7 ml) per count, that is 6 counts. At 0.5 oz (15 ml) per count, it is 3.
If you track how much alcohol goes in, a free pour can vary more than a jigger does, so a standard drink is harder to hit. Practice with water before you pour for anyone else, so you know your count before a guest sees it.
How to free pour a cocktail
You need a standard pour spout, a bottle and a jigger for practice, then a steady count for every pour.
- 1.Fit a standard pour spout and tip the bottle fully upside down so the stream stays steady.
- 2.Start counting the moment the liquid flows, at an even pace.
- 3.Practice with water, pouring into a jigger and adjusting your count until it hits the line.
- 4.Check which count your bar uses, since some pour 0.25 oz (7 ml) per number and others 0.5 oz (15 ml).
Free pour compared
- JiggerA jigger measures every pour exactly. A free pour swaps the measure for a count.
Related terms
Put it to use in your next drink
Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.