- One standard drink is equal to:
- 12 fluid ounces of regular beer in a can containing about 5% alcohol, which is equal to:
- 8 to 10 fluid ounces of malt liquor or flavored malt beverages such as hard selzter containing about 7% alcohol, which is equal to:
- 5 fluid ounces of table wine containing about 12% alcohol, which is equal to:
- 3 to 4 fluid ounces of fortified wine such as sherry or port containing about 17% alcohol, which is equal to:
- 2 to 3 fluid ounces of cordial, liqueur, or aperitif containing about 24% alcohol, which is equal to:
- 1.5 fluid ounces of brandy or cognac containing about 40% alcohol, which is equal to:
- 1.5 fluid ounces shot of distiilled spirits such as gin, rum, tequila, vodka, whiskey containing about 40% alcohol, which is equal to:
- One standard drink.
How do you know how much alcohol is in your drink?
Even though they come in different sizes, the drinks below are each examples of one standard drink.
Each beverage portrayed above represents one standard drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent), defined in the United States as any beverage containing 0.6 oz or 14 grams of pure alcohol. The percentage of pure alcohol, expressed here as alcohol by volume (alc/vol), varies within and across beverage types. Although the standard drink amounts are helpful for following health guidelines, they may not reflect customary serving sizes.