What's a Drink?

Standard Drinks
Alcoholic beverages have varying levels of actual alcohol in them and thus affecting how much alcohol you may be consuming in a given drink. A standard drink is identified as a drink that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (0.6 fluid ounces or 1.2 tablespoons). Below you can find a breakdown of common alcoholic beverages and how much of each beverage equals one standard drink.

BEER

• 12 oz. bottle or can of beer (~5% alcohol) = 1 drink
• 8 oz. glass of malt liquor (~7% alcohol) = 1 drink
• 40 oz. of beer (A “forty”) = about 3.5 drinks
• 40 oz. of malt liquor (A “forty”) = 5 drinks
• 16 oz. “keg cup” of beer = about 1.3 drinks

WINE

• 5 oz. of wine (~12% alcohol) = 1 drink
• 25 oz. of wine (~1 bottle) = 5 drinks

LIQUOR/HARD ALCOHOL/SPIRITS

• 1.5 oz. “shot” of 80 proof distilled spirits or liquor (40% alcohol) = 1 drink
• 25 oz. “fifth” of 80 proof distilled spirits or liquor = about 17 drinks
• A mixed drink may contain more than 1 drink depending on how much liquor was poured into the drink. Popular cocktails contain several drinks.
  • 1 Long Island Iced Tea = about 4 drinks
  • 1 Martini = about 2 drinks
  • 1 Margarita = about 1.5 drinks

Adapted from:
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of the National Institutes of Health