Standard Drink Calculator
HealthCalculate how many US standard drinks (14g pure alcohol each) are in any beverage from its volume and ABV percentage. A quick reference for tracking alcohol intake.
US Standard Drinks
1
Pure Alcohol Content
14
What is a Standard Drinks?
The Standard Drink Calculator computes how many US standard drinks (defined as roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol each) are contained in any beverage, based on its volume and ABV percentage. Enter any drink's size and strength for an instant standard drink count.
For a related UK-style reference, see the Alcohol Unit Calculator.
How to use this Standard Drinks calculator
- Enter the drink's volume in millilitres.
- Enter the drink's ABV (alcohol by volume) percentage, found on the label.
- Read the US Standard Drinks and Pure Alcohol Content results instantly.
- Repeat for each drink to build up a running total for the day or week.
Formula & Methodology
Pure Alcohol (g) = Volume (mL) × (ABV% ÷ 100) × 0.789 g/mL Standard Drinks = Pure Alcohol (g) ÷ 14 Worked example — a 355 mL beer at 5% ABV: Pure Alcohol = 355 × 0.05 × 0.789 = 14.0 g Standard Drinks = 14.0 ÷ 14 = 1.0 standard drink
Frequently Asked Questions
In the United States, a standard drink is commonly defined as containing about 14 grams of pure alcohol, roughly equivalent to a 12 oz beer at 5% ABV, a 5 oz glass of wine at 12% ABV, or a 1.5 oz shot of spirits at 40% ABV.
The calculator first finds the pure alcohol content in grams by multiplying the drink's volume by its ABV percentage and the density of ethanol (0.789 g/mL), then divides that figure by 14 grams to get the standard drink count.
ABV describes alcohol content by volume, but the standard drink definition is based on grams of alcohol (mass), so converting volume to mass requires multiplying by ethanol's density (0.789 grams per millilitre).
No — a UK unit represents 10 mL (about 8 grams) of pure alcohol, while a US standard drink represents about 14 grams, meaning the same beverage produces a different count depending on which system is used. See the [Alcohol Unit Calculator](/alcohol-unit-calculator/) for the UK units version.
A standard 750 mL bottle of wine at 12% ABV works out to roughly 5 standard US drinks, based on the same formula this calculator uses.
Yes — many health guidelines express recommended limits in terms of standard drinks per day or week, which is part of why converting any specific beverage into standard drink units is a useful reference calculation.
Yes — because the calculation uses your entered ABV directly, it automatically adjusts for stronger or weaker versions of any drink type, rather than assuming a single fixed ABV for each beverage category.
The [AUDIT-C Calculator](/audit-c-calculator/) screens broader drinking patterns and frequency, while this calculator computes the precise standard drink count for a specific beverage — the two tools complement each other for understanding alcohol consumption.
Pure alcohol content is expressed in grams, matching the standard drink definition's basis, which is a mass-based rather than volume-based measure.
No — this is a general reference calculation tool based on standard formulas. It does not provide personalized health guidance about alcohol consumption, which should come from a healthcare professional if you have concerns.
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