Alcohol equivalency calculator – The Equivalent (2024)

FAQs

How do you calculate drink equivalents? ›

Drink-equivalents = (%ABV x ounces consumed) / 0.6

Imagine how complicated this gets with distilled spirits at a dinner or bar!

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.

Standard Drinks and BAC

For every one drink, your BAC goes up by about 0.02 percent, so reaching a BAC of 0.08 percent takes about four to five drinks.

On average, one standard American drink will produce a blood alcohol concentration of between 0.02 and 0.04. Most light and moderate drinkers will feel subtle effects at this level.

The simplified version of the Widmark formula is: BAC = [Alcohol consumed in grams / (Body weight in grams x r)] x 100. In this formula, “r” is the gender constant: r = 0.55 for females and 0.68 for males.

Widmark's formula states that one's blood alcohol content (BAC) is equal to the number of ounces of alcohol consumed, multiplied by a constant — for men by 3.75 and for women by 4.7 — and then divided by that person's weight.

The standard drink

A standard drink is 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. The picture below helps visualize how “one drink” looks across beverage types.

One standard drink equals:

43 ml (1.5 oz) shot of 40% hard liquor (vodka, rum, whisky, gin etc.)

This means that 12 oz (354ml) of 5% beer contains 0.6 oz (17.7ml) pure alcohol. The vodka shot at 1.5 oz (44ml) has 0.6 oz (17.4ml) of alcohol. When you compare alcohol content, this fairly simple math shows that one regular beer is equal to one shot.

Reaching . 08 on the Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) Scale depends on many factors, such as the type of beer and how much alcohol content it contains. Generally, a . 08 BAC level requires an average adult male to consume about four drinks (12-ounce beers) over two hours.

How many beers is 0.08 alcohol? ›

Many experts believe that it takes about 3 drinks (12 oz beer, 5 oz glass of wine, or a shot of liquor) taken within an hour for a 100 lb person to reach . 08% BAC.

A 0.05 illegal BAC is not typically reached with a couple of beers after work or with a glass of wine or two with dinner. It takes at least four drinks for an average 170-pound male to exceed 0.05 BAC in 2 hours on an empty stomach (three drinks for a 137-pound female).

1.480 BAC. After a car crash that resulted in serious injuries, a Polish man's BAC was taken and it was 1.480%. That's the highest BAC ever recorded in known history. Doctors said he survived his brush with death due to drinking, but he later died due to his injuries from the car crash.

Can You Get A DUI After Only Two Beers? A typical 12 ounce beer is about 5% alcohol. An average man weighing 180lbs who has two 12 ounce beers would expect to reach a peak BAC of only 0.043%. An average woman weighing 160lbs would expect to reach a peak BAC of 0.057%.

The average person would have to consume 25 standard drinks to reach 0.40 percent BAC. Bear in mind that the drink you're holding might be larger than a standard drink.

Scores of 1–13 reflect a low level of alcohol dependence, scores of 14–21 moderate levels, scores of 22–30 substantial levels, and scores of 31–47 severe alcohol dependence (H.A.

You can calculate your BAC a number of ways, but getting an absolute, accurate measurement is impossible without a blood test. Use a BAC chart or online calculator to give you a reasonable estimate of blood alcohol level.

It is impossible for an online blood alcohol content calculator or chart to be 100% accurate. The information provided above is merely an estimate and should not be used to make decisions about drinking or driving. If you are ever unsure of your ability to pass a breathalyzer test, do not depend on a BAC calculator.

What is the basic drink ratio? ›

Almost all the classic drinks you know and love, from the Daiquiri to the Gimlet or the Margarita come down to the same basic ratio: 2:1:1. That's two parts spirit, one part sweet, and one part sour, commonly known as the Golden Ratio.

While there is no federally-mandated shot-glass size, many U.S. bartenders consider a standard volume to be 1.5 ounces, or 44 milliliters. (For what it's worth, Utah is the only state that has officially defined a shot measurement—and it's 1.5 ounces.)

One drink = 1.5 ounces of liquor (40% alcohol or 80 proof). This is how much whiskey, vodka, gin, tequila, brandy, cognac, etc. is in a measured mixed drink or in a standard-size shot glass. Remember that mixed drinks may not be measured and often contain far more than 1.5 ounces of alcohol.

As you can see, both shots and beers have 0.6 oz of alcohol. While the two's features are undeniably different, ultimately, they have the same alcohol content. Usually, a single serving of beer equals a single serving of a shot.

Drink Equivalencies

A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, four ounces of wine or 1-1/4 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits.

Beer has the same effect as straight scotch. One 12-oz. beer has as much alcohol as a 1.5-oz. shot of whiskey or a 5-oz.

Heavy Alcohol Use:

NIAAA defines heavy drinking as follows: For men, consuming more than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week. For women, consuming more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week.

Heavy drinking includes binge drinking and has been defined for women as 4 or more drinks on any day or 8 or more per week, and for men as 5 or more drinks on any day or 15 or more per week.

In conclusion, when comparing alcohol content, one standard can of White Claw Hard Seltzer is roughly equivalent to one standard shot of vodka.

This leaves many drivers wondering, “is it safe to drive myself home if I've only had one or two beers?” The answer is no. While one to two drinks will usually keep you below the legal limit, any amount of alcohol CAN impact your ability to drive safely, and in ways you may not even realize.

How long to pass a breathalyzer after 4 beers? ›

For the average person, it only takes about three or four drinks in one hour to reach a BAC of 0.08. Given the general rule, if your blood alcohol content is at the limit of 0.08, it would go down to 0.065 after one hour.

A 180-lb man may be able to drink 3.5 regular 12-ounce beers in one hour and keep his Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) under the legal limit of . 08%. Similarly, a 140-lb woman may be able to consume 2.5 regular beers in an hour and maintain a BAC of less than . 08%.

How Many Beers Is . 08 Alcohol Level? The experts agree that you need two to three 12-ounce beers to reach the legal blood alcohol limit in California.

It does not fall as fast as people assume

There are a lot of factors that contribute to how fast it rises, such as your weight and your gender, but most people are going to see their BAC drop at roughly the same rate. This rate is 0.015 % per hour, or very close to that standard.

The legal limit of alcohol is .08%. Three times the legal limit would be 0.24%. If your BAC is three times above the legal limit, you would likely face enhanced drunk driving penalties in many states. Was this article helpful?

In the first hour after you put your drink down, your BAC would only fall to 0.065 percent. Another hour after that, you would hit 0.05 percent. In three hours, you'd reach 0.035 percent, and then you'd get to 0.02 percent after the fourth hour.

How Fast Can You Sober Up? Alcohol leaves the body at an average rate of 0.015 g/100mL/hour, which is the same as reducing your BAC level by 0.015 per hour. For men, this is usually a rate of about one standard drink per hour.

For example, if you weigh 120 pounds and drink six beers in four hours, your BAC will be around . 11, which is well above the legal threshold. On the other hand, if you weigh 180 pounds and drink six beers in four hours, your BAC will be around . 06, which is below the legal limit.

0.914% – In December 2004, a Bulgarian man who hit a car was taken to a hospital and measured to have a 0.914% BAC. The doctors were so stunned by this measurement that they tried him with five different tests, which supported this amazing BAC reading.

A lethal dose of alcohol is around 4 grams of alcohol per 100 ml of blood (i.e. BAC ≥ 0.4).

What is the lowest lethal BAC? ›

At a BAC greater than 0.3%, people may experience total loss of consciousness and show signs of severe alcohol intoxication. A BAC of 0.40% or higher is potentially fatal and can result in a coma or respiratory failure.

In some cases, the breathalyzer may detect alcohol for up to 12 hours. In other individuals, the breathalyzer test may work for twice that long. Although the average person metabolizes about 1 alcoholic drink per hour, this rate varies.

Behonick said if a 150 pound man has one standard drink, it would give him a BAC of about 0.025 percent. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer, 4 ounces of wine or one shot of 80 proof alcohol.

BAL . 02%-. 03%: YOU FEEL MILDLY RELAXED AND MAYBE A LITTLE LIGHTHEADED. Your inhibitions are slightly loosened, and whatever mood you were in before you started drinking may be mildly intensified.

After a man has three standard drinks, the equation changes even further: At 100 pounds, a man will have a BAC of 0.11. If he drinks them over one hour, he will have a BAC of 0.10, and if he drinks them over two hours, he will have a BAC of 0.08.

It holds 60 ounces, which can fill three pint glasses, five 12-ounce glasses or six 10-ounce glasses.

Always start by figuring out the basic measurement (1 part). Then divide or multiply to figure out the other ingredients. For example, 1 part could equal 1 shot glass. Half a shot glass would equal ½ part, and 2 shots would equal 2 parts.

To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury, healthy men and women should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.

What is the formula for 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.

Malt liquor ranges from 6-9% alcohol, so 12 ounces of malt liquor is approximately 1.5 drinks; 40 ounces of malt liquor is 4.5 drinks. One drink = 1.5 ounces of liquor (40% alcohol or 80 proof).

One standard drink equals:

43 ml (1.5 oz) shot of 40% hard liquor (vodka, rum, whisky, gin etc.)

One US fluid ounce is 29.57 ml. So, to convert fluid ounces to ml, multiply the ounces by 29.57. Remember that how many ml in a shot depends on the shot being poured. If it's a 1-ounce shot, there are 29.57 ml in a shot.

Spirits (40% alcohol) • A nip or shot (30ml) of spirits (e.g. vodka, gin) contains 1 standard drink.

A double shot usually contains 3 to 4 ounces of liquor. Since there is no standard size for a shot glass, there is also no standard measurement for a double shot. More American bars would consider a shot to be 1.5 oz., making a double shot 3 oz.

In the U.S., a standard shot is 1.5 ounces. There are no federal laws mandating what a shot should be, although Utah has made it the legal maximum. Still, it's up to the bars to decide how many ounces are in a shot, and this can range from 1.25 ounces to 2 ounces depending on the state.

An official jigger measures 1.5 ounces on one side and 1 ounce on the other. The 1.5-ounce side is referred to as a “jigger shot.” The 1-ounce side is often called a “pony shot.” Of course, just like the shot glass, these double-barrelled measuring vessels are available today in different sizes and shapes.

How Many Counts Is a 1 Oz Pour? A 1-ounce pour is 2 counts using a pour spout. A good way to get there is using “one one-thousand” as a counting device.

Our 16-oz. cup measures 4 1/2 inches tall. The diameter is 3 1/2 inches at the brim and 2 5/8 inches across the bottom. This is the most popular cup size.