Drink size calculator

Do you know how many “standard drinks” (also known as alcoholic drink-equivalents) are in a:

• 21-fluid ounce ballpark souvenir cup of beer?

  1.8 standard drinks per container

• 40-fluid ounce bottle of malt liquor?

  4.7 standard drinks per container

• "half-pint" of 80-proof distilled spirits?

  4.5 standard drinks per container

• 25-fluid ounce bottle of wine?

  5 standard drinks per container

Chances are, your cup or beverage label won't tell you the answer—but this calculator will. See this drop-down menu for common container sizes and alcohol content for different beverages.

Examples:
Select an example 12 oz light beer 16 oz light beer 21 oz light beer 24 oz light beer 40 oz light beer 12 oz regular beer 16 oz regular beer 21 oz regular beer 24 oz regular beer 40 oz regular beer 12 oz ice beer 40 oz ice beer 12 oz flavored malt beverage 16 oz flavored malt beverage 12 oz malt liquor 16 oz malt liquor 21 oz malt liquor 24 oz malt liquor 40 oz malt liquor 200 mL "half pint" 80 proof distilled spirits 375 mL "half bottle" 80 proof distilled spirits 750 mL "fifth" 80 proof distilled spirits 200 mL "half pint" 100 proof distilled spirits 375 mL "half bottle" 100 proof distilled spirits 750 mL "fifth" 100 proof distilled spirits 25 oz table wine 50.7 oz table wine

(The alcohol content of different types of beer, other malt beverages, and wine may vary.)

Why is this information important?

Knowing U.S. standard drink (or alcoholic drink-equivalent) sizes and the number of drinks per container can help you make informed decisions about your drinking. You’ll be able to:

• Count drinks more accurately
• Pace yourself better
• Stay within low-risk drinking levels

Can't find your beverage on the menu?

To check beverages or container sizes not listed in the drop-down menu, you can enter your own amounts into the calculator. Here’s how:

• Find the alcohol content of the beverage. For all distilled spirits and most wine, the container label lists the percent "alcohol by volume" or alc/vol. Many beer and malt liquor labels do not list this information, however. To find it, search online for the beverage bottler or other reliable sources.
• Enter the alc/vol in the first column of the calculator.
• Enter the container size in the third column of the calculator.

The calculator will show you how many standard drinks the container holds.

You may also be interested in …

• Interactive quizzes and tools to privately evaluate your drinking
• Other calculators for beer and wine drink sizes, alcohol calories and spending, and blood alcohol concentration

Disclaimer: This calculator is for educational purposes only, to show how the number of standard drinks and the alcohol content (% alc/vol) of a cocktail can vary depending on the type of spirits and the recipe. Any differences between the data you enter in the calculator and the actual amount in a drink could significantly affect the accuracy of the estimates. Because of this and individual variations in alcohol sensitivity and metabolism, the calculator should not be relied upon to predict blood alcohol level or any other measure. Do not drink if you are under the legal age (21 in the United States), and do not drive or engage in other potentially dangerous activities after drinking.