Standard Drink Calculator
A U.S. standard drink is 14 grams of pure alcohol — about a 12 oz beer at 5%, a 5 oz glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5 oz shot of 40% liquor. Enter the drink's size and the ABV from the label, and set how many you had to see the total.
How many standard drinks are in common drinks?
| Drink | Size | ABV | Standard drinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Beer | 12 oz | 4.2% | 0.8 |
| Beer | 12 oz | 5% | 1.0 |
| IPA Beer | 12 oz | 6% | 1.2 |
| Wine | 5 oz | 12.5% | 1.0 |
| Shot | 1.5 oz | 40% | 1.0 |
| White Claw | 12 oz | 5% | 1.0 |
| Margarita | 6 oz | 15% | 1.5 |
| BuzzBallz | 6.76 oz | 15% | 1.7 |
| Long Island Iced Tea | 8 oz | 14% | 1.9 |
| Four Loko | 23.5 oz | 14% | 5.5 |
How standard drinks are calculated
Size × ABV gives the volume of pure alcohol. Multiply by ethanol's density (0.789 g/ml) to get grams, then divide by 14. A 12 oz beer at 5% holds 0.6 oz (17.7 ml) of pure alcohol — about 14 grams, or one standard drink.
Standard drinks count alcohol, not glasses. A tall can, a heavy wine pour, or a cocktail with two shots can each be two or more. Our guide to standard drink sizes has more examples.
Standard drinks alone don't tell you your BAC — that also depends on your weight, sex, and timing. Use the BAC calculator for that.