Other forms: hogsheads
A hogshead is either a large cask that holds liquid, or a unit of liquid measurement. The owner of a pub might order a few extra hogsheads of cider on a particularly busy weekend.
The term hogshead is almost always used for beer, ale, or wine — although you can use it as a unit of measurement for anything that comes in a big wooden barrel. A wine hogshead is about 79 gallons, but there tends to be some variation on the exact amount. During the colonial era, traders used a tobacco hogshead for both measuring and transporting, and in the 19th century, a sugar hogshead was a common measurement in the American South.