Set the Trend: What is One Drink?
This seems like an easy question to answer but….. It may be surprising to hear from someone that they get drunk off of one beer… until it comes out that he/she is talking about one 40 ounce bottle, rather than a 12 ounce glass. Conversely, it may be shocking to learn that a friend reports drinking 6 glasses of wine with dinner… until it is discovered that those "glasses" are champagne flutes that hold 2 ounces at a time. Understanding what how much alcohol we put into our bodies is the first step to healthier, smarter, and safer alcohol use. And, for most people, counting how many drinks they've had while partying/socializing is the number one way to have the type of social/party experience they want and to decrease risk of negative consequences.
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So, why is it so difficult to actually count drinks? Think about it…. There are many different types of alcohol (beer, wine, hard alcohol/spirits) all with differing percentages of alcohol or proof. Also, there are different serving sizes and often the alcohol is packaged in a variety of ways. For example, a 12 ounce can of beer is 1 drink but a 40 ounce can of beer is 3 - 6 drinks, depending on the percentage of alcohol or proof. This is where risk and experiencing negative consequences such as hangover, getting sick, black-out, regrets/embarrassment, etc. start to happen.
What really happens at the party? People tend to count each glass or container they drink as one drink and not pay attention to the percentage of alcohol or number of ounces they are actually consuming. With good intentions and smart planning, someone can start out keeping track of their drinks but then he/she looses count and just keeps drinking. People also "pour to taste" with hard alcohol which means they often put more than a standard shot of alcohol into the mixer so it has a strong taste and even burns the back of the throat. Sometimes partiers drink hard alcohol right out of the fifth or pint. Other times, there is a "spodie" or one big common container for everyone at the party. Spodie is made with fruit juice and has a variety of different types and quantities of hard alcohol added. When all of these potential scenarios are put together it means that, often inadvertently, people drink more than they intended to drink and end up more intoxicated or drunk, which can result in a higher level of risk and negative consequences.
OK, so what is one drink? A "standard drink" is any beverage that contains ½ oz. of ethyl alcohol. Check out the chart below for types of alcohol and numbers of standard drinks. Although the alcohol content of beer can vary depending on the brand, the following beverages all contain roughly the same amount of alcohol:
-
12 oz. beer
-
10 oz. microbrew
-
8 oz. ice beer or malt liquor
-
4 oz. wine
-
2 ½ oz. fortified wine
-
1 ¼ oz. of 80 proof alcohol
-
1 oz. of 100 proof alcohol
So, set your own trend and count your drinks! For more information see our website.
What is "One Drink" Chart?
|
Type of Alcohol Beverage |
% of Alcohol by volume |
Serving Size |
|
|
|
1 drink in ounces |
As packaged |
|
|
Hard Alcohol |
40% 80proof |
1.25 |
Can be a single serving, miniatures, ½ pint, pint, fifth, quart, or ½ gallon |
|
Beer |
4.0 - 5.5% |
12 (12.25 - 9) |
12, 16, 22, 40 oz. |
|
Beer - Ice |
5.6 - 5.9% |
8.0 (9 - 8.47 oz.) |
12 |
|
Beer - Ice Malt |
7.5 - 9.0% |
6.6 - 5.5 |
12, 40 oz. |
|
Beer - Microbrew |
5% |
10 |
12, 16 |
|
Wine (table) |
10 - 13% |
4 - 4.5 oz. |
Fifth |
|
Wine (fortified) |
14% - 20% |
2.5 oz. |
Pint, Quart |
|
Champagne |
12% |
4 oz. |
Fifth, ½ fifth |
|
Hard Cider |
6.0% |
8 oz |
Multiple serving options |
*** Percentage of alcohol varies depending on manufacturer. Always check the label.
Other things to keep in mind!
Not all shot glasses are the same size. Bottles and glasses can be very deceptive in how much they hold. Know how much your glass really holds.
Drink equivalents by container type
|
Beer |
Number of drinks |
||
|
12 oz (4.5%) |
1 |
||
|
Keg cup (16 oz) |
1.3 |
||
|
40 oz (4.5%) |
3.3 |
||
|
40 oz (OE malt at 8.0%) |
6.4 |
||
|
Hard Alcohol (80 proof) |
Number of drinks |
||
|
1.25 oz |
1 |
||
|
2.5 oz |
2 |
||
|
3.75 oz |
3 |
||
|
5.0 oz |
4 |
||
|
Container |
Number of drinks |
||
|
1 pt of 80 proof liquor |
12.8 |
||
|
1 pt of 100 proof liquor |
16 |
||
|
1 fifth of 80 proof liquor |
20.48 |
||
|
1 fifth of 100 proof liquor |
25.6 |
||
|
1 fifth of wine or champagne |
6.4 |
||
|
Container Size |
Metric |
Ounces |
Number of drinks of 40% alcohol |
|
Miniature |
50ml |
1.69 oz |
1.35 |
|
Half-pint |
236.59ml |
8 oz |
6.4 |
|
Pint |
473.18ml |
16 oz |
12.8 |
|
Fifth |
757.08ml |
25.6 oz |
20.48 |
|
Quart |
0.946 liter |
32 oz |
25.6 |
|
Fifth |
757.08ml |
25.6 oz |
20.48 |
|
Half-Gallon |
1.89 liters |
64 oz |
51.2 |