Standard Drinks Calculator
A US standard drink holds 0.6 fluid ounces of pure alcohol. Enter a beverage volume and its ABV to see the pure alcohol it contains and how many standard drinks that is.
How to use the standard drinks calculator
- Enter the volume of the drink in fluid ounces.
- Enter the alcohol by volume as a percent, such as 5 for beer.
- Read the pure alcohol in ounces and the standard drink count.
Examples
Beer
12 oz at 5% ABV
0.6 oz pure alcohol, 1 standard drink
Spirit shot
1.5 oz at 40% ABV
0.6 oz pure alcohol, 1 standard drink
Frequently asked questions
What is a US standard drink?
A US standard drink contains 0.6 fluid ounces, or about 14 grams, of pure alcohol. By design 12 oz of 5 percent beer, 5 oz of 12 percent wine and 1.5 oz of 40 percent spirit each equal one standard drink.
How do I calculate standard drinks?
Multiply the volume in ounces by the ABV as a decimal to get the pure alcohol in ounces, then divide by 0.6. For a 16 oz beer at 7 percent that is 1.12 oz of alcohol, or about 1.87 standard drinks.
Why is a strong craft beer more than one drink?
Standard drink counts scale with both size and strength. A 16 oz pour of a 7 percent IPA has far more alcohol than a 12 oz can of 5 percent lager, so it can count as nearly two standard drinks.
Are US and other countries' standard drinks the same?
No. This tool uses the US definition of 0.6 oz (14 g) of pure alcohol. The UK unit is 8 g, Australia uses 10 g, and other countries vary, so a US standard drink is larger than many others.
Does this tell me my blood alcohol level?
No. It only counts the alcohol in a drink. Blood alcohol depends on body weight, sex, time, food and metabolism, so use a dedicated BAC estimate and never drive after drinking.
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