Standard drink and unit calculator
How much alcohol is in a drink, counted the way your country counts it. Last reviewed October 13, 2026.
Why the same drink counts differently
A standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, but countries don’t agree on the amount. A 12 oz can of 5% beer holds about 14 g of alcohol. That is 1.0 standard drink in the US, 1.8 units in the UK, 1.4 standard drinks in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, and 1.0 in Canada. Compare your drinking with your own country’s guideline, using its definition.
| Country | One standard drink | Roughly equal to |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 14 g of alcohol (NIAAA) | 12 oz of 5% beer, 5 oz of 12% wine or 1.5 oz of 40% spirits |
| United Kingdom | 1 unit: 10 ml, or about 8 g, of alcohol (NHS) | A 25 ml single measure of 40% spirits |
| Australia | 10 g of alcohol (NHMRC) | About 285 ml of 4.5% beer |
| Ireland | 10 g of alcohol (HSE) | A half pint of 4.5% beer, a 100 ml glass of 12.5% wine or a 35.5 ml measure of 40% spirits |
| New Zealand | 10 g of alcohol (Health New Zealand) | About 330 ml of 4% beer |
| Canada | 13.45 g, or 17.05 ml, of alcohol (CCSA) | 341 ml of 5% beer, 142 ml of 12% wine or 43 ml of 40% spirits |
Standard drinks in common drinks
Strength varies by brand, so check the label. Pours at home are often larger than these.
| Drink | ABV | US | UK | AU, NZ, IE | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Can or bottle of beer, 12 oz | 5% | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| US pint of beer, 16 oz | 5% | 1.3 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 1.4 |
| US pint of IPA, 16 oz | 6.5% | 1.7 | 3.1 | 2.4 | 1.8 |
| UK pint of beer, 568 ml | 4.5% | 1.4 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| UK pint of strong lager or cider, 568 ml | 5.2% | 1.7 | 3.0 | 2.3 | 1.7 |
| Glass of wine, 5 oz | 12% | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Medium glass of wine, 175 ml | 13% | 1.3 | 2.3 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
| Large glass of wine, 250 ml | 13% | 1.8 | 3.3 | 2.6 | 1.9 |
| Bottle of wine, 750 ml | 13% | 5.5 | 9.8 | 7.7 | 5.7 |
| Shot of spirits, 1.5 oz | 40% | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
| Single UK measure of spirits, 25 ml | 40% | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.6 |
| Hard seltzer, 12 oz | 5% | 1.0 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 |
UK figures are units. The others are standard drinks.
How to work it out yourself
Multiply the volume in millilitres by the strength, then by 0.789, the density of alcohol, to get grams:
grams of alcohol = ml × (ABV ÷ 100) × 0.789
Divide by your country’s standard drink: 14 in the US, 10 in Australia, New Zealand and Ireland, or 13.45 in Canada. A 175 ml glass of 13% wine holds 175 × 0.13 × 0.789 = 18 g, which is 1.3 US standard drinks or 1.8 in Australia.
UK units are simpler, because a unit is 10 ml of alcohol:
units = ml × ABV ÷ 1,000
The same glass is 175 × 13 ÷ 1,000 = 2.3 units.
Low-risk drinking guidelines by country
No level of drinking is free of risk, and the less you drink, the lower the risk. These are each government’s current advice for healthy adults.
- United States
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030, published in January 2026, say to “consume less alcohol for better overall health” and no longer give a daily number. The previous guidelines set a limit of 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women. Pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control how much they drink, and people whose medicines or conditions interact with alcohol should not drink at all. Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
- United Kingdom
- No more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, for men and women. If you drink as much as 14 units a week, spread it over 3 or more days, and have several drink-free days each week. Source: NHS
- Australia
- No more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 on any one day, for healthy men and women. Source: NHMRC
- Ireland
- No more than 11 standard drinks a week for women and 17 for men, with 2 to 3 alcohol-free days, and no more than 6 standard drinks on any one occasion. Source: HSE
- New Zealand
- No more than 10 standard drinks a week and 2 a day for women, and 15 a week and 3 a day for men, with at least two alcohol-free days. To lower the risk of injury, no more than 4 at one time for women and 5 for men. Source: Health New Zealand
- Canada
- Risk is low at 2 standard drinks a week or fewer, moderate at 3 to 6, and increasingly high at 7 or more. More than 2 on one occasion raises the risk of injury and harm. Source: CCSA, Canada’s Guidance on Alcohol and Health
If you drink heavily every day, or feel shaky, sweaty, anxious or sick when you stop, stopping suddenly can be dangerous. Speak to a doctor first about cutting down safely. Find a confidential helpline.
Let the app do the arithmetic
Wendlow converts every drink you log to standard drinks or UK units for your region, using the same calculation as this page, and tracks your week against the target you set. Your record stays on your devices. See how Wendlow works, or read how to cut down on drinking.
Figures were checked against each source on October 13, 2026. Guidelines change, so follow the links for current advice.