Capacity Serving Measures

Capacity Serving Measures (Such as a drinking glass, jug or thimble measure)

A capacity serving measure is a container—such as a glass, jug, or thimble—used in the course of trade to determine and deliver a specified volume of liquid. It is used on premises where liquid is sold for immediate consumption, and its use constitutes a measurement for the purpose of sale.

Where a capacity serving measure is used for the purpose of trade, it must comply with the standards of denomination as defined under Part IV of the Metrology Act 1996.

These standards prescribe the legally recognised units and denominations for measurement, ensuring consistency and accuracy in the determination of quantity.

Compliance with these standards is essential to uphold consumer protection, facilitate fair trading practices, and meet the requirements of legal metrology enforcement in Ireland.

For a Capacity Serving Measure, the Denominations of Standard (the measurement units permitted for trade) are set out in Table 1.

A capacity serving measure shall be clearly and indelibly marked to indicate its nominal capacity.

The declared capacity must be accurate to within the limits of the stated Maximum Permissible Error (MPE) applicable to that measure. (see Table 2).

Please note:

While there is no specific law requiring a publican to sell alcoholic drinks in fixed quantities (e.g. by the pint or half-pint).

If a nominal capacity is declared (such as on a marked glass) the consumer is legally entitled to receive that stated quantity.

In such cases, the measure becomes subject to legal metrology regulations, and any short measure may constitute a breach of general consumer protection and trade measurement laws.

SECOND SCHEDULE

Denominations of Standards

1. SI System

Table 1

Mass:	20 kg	500 g	10 g	200 mg	5 mg
	10 kg	200 g	5 g	100 mg	2 mg
	5 kg	100 g	2 g	50 mg	1 mg
	2 kg	50 g	1 g	20 mg
	1 kg	20 g	500 mg	10 mg
Volume or Capacity:	10 L	200 ml	35.5 ml
	5 L	125 ml	20 ml
	2 L	100 ml	10 ml
	1 L	71 ml	5 ml
	500 ml	50 ml	2 ml
			1 ml
Length:	100 m	10 m	5 dm
	50 m	5 m	2 dm
	30 m	2 m	1 dm
	20 m	1 m	1 cm

2. Imperial System

Table 2

Mass:	56 lb	4 lb	4 oz	1/4 oz
	28 lb	2 lb	2 oz	1/8 oz
	14 lb	1 lb	1 oz	1/16 oz
	7 lb	8 oz	1/2 oz	1/32 oz
Volume or Capacity:	1 gal	1/2 pt	1/4 gill
	1/2 gal	1/3 pt
	1 qrt	1 gill
	1 pt	1/2 gill
Length:	100 ft	8 ft	2 ft
	50 ft	5 ft	1 ft
	20 ft	4 ft	6 in
	10 ft	1 yd	1 in

Table 3

	Line	Brim
Transfer Measures
< 100 ml	± 2 ml	- 0 + 4 ml
≥ 100 ml	± 3 %	- 0 + 6%
Serving Measures
< 200 ml	± 5 ml	- 0 + 10%
≥ 200 ml	± (5 ml + 2, 5 %)	- 0 + 10 ml + 5%