A hogshead is a large wooden barrel, traditionally used to store and transport liquids like wine, beer, rum, or molasses. Picture a barrel almost as tall as an adult and bulging in the middle, bound together with metal hoops.

In colonial America and throughout the 1700s and 1800s, hogsheads were everywhere. Ships carried hogsheads filled with sugar from the Caribbean, tobacco from Virginia, or rum from New England. A full hogshead of liquid weighed hundreds of pounds, so rolling these massive barrels onto ships and into warehouses required real muscle and skill.

The exact size of a hogshead varied depending on what it held. A hogshead of wine contained about 63 gallons, while a hogshead of beer held around 54 gallons. That's roughly enough liquid to fill about 500 water bottles!

Today, hogsheads are rarely used for shipping, replaced by steel drums and modern containers. But distilleries and wineries sometimes still age spirits and wines in hogsheads, and you might see antique hogsheads displayed in museums or historic sites, reminders of when these sturdy barrels were the standard way to move goods across oceans.