Convert Cup (US) (cup (US)) to Hogshead (hogshead) instantly.
About these units
Cup (US) (cup (US))
A US cup equals 8 fluid ounces, or approximately 236.588 mL. It is indispensable in American cooking, baking, and beverage measurement. Although not an SI unit, the cup remains deeply entrenched in recipes, cookbooks, and kitchen culture. Its intuitive size makes it ideal for measuring flour, sugar, liquids, and many everyday ingredients. American cups differ from metric and UK cups, leading to variation across international recipes, but within the US culinary tradition, the cup is a central volumetric tool.
Hogshead (hogshead)
A hogshead is a traditional barrel volume whose size varied by commodity, region, and era. In British and colonial American contexts, a hogshead for beer or ale was commonly 54 imperial gallons, while for wine it was 63 gallons. Hogsheads were central to colonial commerce, especially in the tobacco trade, where standardized hogsheads—large wooden barrels—became essential for shipping cured leaves across the Atlantic. These giant casks often doubled as storage containers, shipping crates, and even temporary furniture. While the hogshead is not used in modern measurement, it occupies a prominent place in historical literature, trade records, and maritime archaeology. Its enduring cultural footprint reflects the importance of cooperage (barrel-making) in pre-industrial economies.