The next time you’re out a bar, watch closely as the bartender pours a glass of wine or mixes a co*cktail. There’s a great chance that one bartender might add more liquor to a co*cktail than another or pour a bigger glass of wine. This can make drinking responsibly much more difficult.
“There’s a wide range of what’s considered ‘one drink’ when you’re out at a bar,” says Michele Davis, director of counseling atGeisinger Marworth. “This makes it much harder to monitor how much you’ve had, which can lead to negative, and even dangerous, side effects.”
Here’s what’s considered a standard drink, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
Beer
A standard drink of beer is 12 ounces, which is one can or bottle of beer. A decade ago, most beers you would find had about 5 percent alcohol, with light beers clocking in at around 4.5 percent alcohol. However, the craft beer movement has brought along beers that have a higher alcohol content.
“Some craft beers are 8- or 9-percent alcohol, which means you might feel the effects of just one beer,” notes Ms. Davis.
Liquor
A standard drink of liquor like whiskey, rum, gin or tequila is 1.5 ounces. Liquor is often around 40 percent alcohol (80 proof). You might find about 1.5 ounces in a simple mixed drink; however, more complex co*cktails contain several ounces of liquor depending on the recipe.
Wine
After a long day, you may pour yourself a glass of wine with dinner. But you’re likely pouring more than just 5 ounces, which is considered standard for a glass of wine. Wine glasses are meant to be larger than the actual serving, which can make it difficult to measure.
Instead of measuring a glass of wine by “eyeballing” it, try using a liquid measuring cup or filling a dry measuring cup just short of the 2/3-cup mark.
“Especially when it comes to mixed drinks and glasses of wine, you should be observant of how your drinks are mixed and know your limits with drinking,” says Ms. Davis.
How much is too much?
Binge drinkingis drinking excessively over a period of time, and it’s dangerous. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon.
“Many people binge drink without knowing it and they’re doing harm to their bodies—both in the short term and long term,” adds Ms. Davis. “Drinking too much can lead to injuries like falls, car crashes and alcohol poisoning, among others.”
Binge drinking is defined as drinking enough to raise your blood alcohol content (BAC) to .08 percent or higher. For men, this is typically five drinks in about two hours; for women, it’s about four drinks.
Over time, binge drinking can lead to serious health problems likehigh blood pressure,stroke,irregular heart beatsand fattyliver disease, and it can increase your risk of cancer.
“You’ll spare yourself the risk of causing injury to yourself or others—and you’ll also feel better when you wake up the next morning,” says Ms. Davis.
If you or a loved one is struggling with an addiction to alcohol or drugs, we can help. Please visitGeisinger Marworthor call1-800-442-7722.
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FAQs
In the United States, one "standard" drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol. 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol. 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol.
What is considered 1 standard drink? ›
A standard drink (SD) is any drink that contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol (about 0.6 fluid ounces).
What is one drink or a standard drink? ›
A standard drink has 13.45 grams (g) of alcohol, regardless of the kind of drink you're having. For example, a 142 millilitre (ml) glass of wine and a 341 ml glass of beer both have about 13.45 g of alcohol. So, they're each equal to one standard drink.
How much bourbon equals one beer? ›
Using this formula, we can determine that one 12-ounce beer with 5% ABV is equivalent to 1.5 ounces of whiskey with 40% ABV. Therefore, 1 beer equals approximately 1.5 ounces of whiskey in terms of alcohol content.
Which of these is considered a standard drink? ›
A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, four ounces of wine or 1-1/4 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits.
How much bourbon is one drink? ›
Liquor. A standard drink of liquor like whiskey, rum, gin or tequila is 1.5 ounces.
Which alcohol is least harmful to your liver? ›
Take a look at this list of the least-damaging alcoholic drinks from Legends at White Oak to help you drink consciously.
- Red Wine. ...
- Light Beer. ...
- Tequila. ...
- Gin & Rum & Vodka & Whiskey.
NIAAA defines heavy drinking as follows: For men, consuming five or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week. For women, consuming four or more on any day or 8 or more drinks per week.
What is equal to one 1 standard drink? ›
One standard drink is defined as containing 10 grams of alcohol. The number of standard drinks in a serving of alcohol varies between type, size, brand, packaged or poured drinks.
How much alcohol is in whiskey? ›
Legally, any whisky (or 'whiskey') sold in the UK must be at least 40% alcohol by volume (ABV). That means forty percent of the drink is pure alcohol - and if the ABV is higher, the percentage of alcohol is higher too. In comparison beer is often around 5% ABV, so an average whisky is eight times stronger.
How much is a serving of Whisky? A dram, 1.5 fluid ounces (45 ml) of Scotch. A finger, roughly equivalent to 1 fluid ounce (30 ml). Two fingers are considered a full serving (so named as it's the height of your finger against the glass).
Is bourbon harder on your liver than beer? ›
Myth 3: Drinking hard liquor is worse than drinking beer or wine. Contrary to popular belief, the type of alcohol you drink doesn't make a difference – what matters is how much you drink. "The safe limit is fixed at 14 units a week," explains Dr Lui. "Below this limit, alcoholic fatty liver is less likely to occur.
What organ is most affected by alcohol in the long term? ›
Liver: Heavy drinking takes a toll on the liver, and can lead to a variety of problems and liver inflammations including: Steatosis, or fatty liver.
What is considered one standard drink? ›
In the United States, one "standard" drink (or one alcoholic drink equivalent) contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol. 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol. 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol.
How much alcohol is safe to drink in a day? ›
A note on drinking level terms used in this Core article: The 2020-2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines states that for adults who choose to drink alcohol, women should have 1 drink or less in a day and men should have 2 drinks or less in a day.
Is one shot equal to one beer? ›
Generally speaking, the National Consumer League reports that one 12-ounce beer is equal to one shot, though this varies depending on the specific ABVs of both the liquor and the beer. However, the alcohol content directly impacts how much of a particular liquor you can safely consume.
How much is 1 standard drink? ›
Standard drinks are a way to measure how much alcohol you drink. Drinks come in different sizes and some are stronger than others. They have different amounts of alcohol in them. A standard drink is always equal to 10 g of pure alcohol.
What is approximately one standard drink? ›
A standard drink contains 10 grams of alcohol. This is equal to: 285 mL of full strength beer. 425 mL of low strength beer.
How long does it take for 1 standard drink? ›
Alcohol is processed at a fixed rate. It generally takes about one hour to break down the alcohol content of one standard drink.
Is 3.5% a standard drink? ›
A pot/middy 285ml (3.5% alcohol) of mid-strength beer contains 0.8 standard drinks.
