What is a standard drink?
In the US, one standard drink contains 0.6 fl oz (14 grams) of pure alcohol. That’s the amount in roughly 12 oz of regular beer at 5% ABV, 5 oz of wine at 12%, or 1.5 oz of 80-proof (40%) liquor. Guidelines and screening questions — including the AUDIT-C — count drinks in these units, not in glasses or cans.
How the calculator works
Standard drinks = (volume in fl oz × ABV%) ÷ 0.6. The math is simple, but real-world pours rarely match the textbook examples:
- A 16 oz pint of 7% IPA: 16 × 0.07 ÷ 0.6 ≈ 1.9 standard drinks.
- A 9 oz restaurant glass of 13.5% red wine: ≈ 2.0 standard drinks.
- A cocktail with 2.5 oz of 40% spirits: ≈ 1.7 standard drinks.
- A 12 oz can of 8% hard seltzer or craft beer: ≈ 1.6 standard drinks.
Why it matters
Most people undercount how much they drink because they count containers, not alcohol. Two “beers” of strong craft IPA can be closer to four standard drinks. Knowing the real number makes guidelines and your own goals meaningful.
Frequently asked questions
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine?
A 750 mL (25.4 oz) bottle of 12% wine contains about 5 standard drinks; at 14% ABV it is closer to 6.
Is a pint of beer one drink?
Usually not. A 16 oz pint of 5% beer is about 1.3 standard drinks, and stronger craft beers can approach 2.
Is a standard drink the same in every country?
No. The US standard drink is 14 g of alcohol; the UK unit is 8 g and many other countries use 10 g, so guidelines are not directly comparable.