# Standard Drink Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/health/standard-drink/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The standard drink calculator converts any drink – by volume and alcohol percentage – into grams of pure alcohol and into standard drinks for the US (14 g), UK units (8 g), Australia (10 g) and other countries, and compares the total with low-risk drinking guidelines.

## Inputs

- Drink volume (mL, L, fl oz)
- Alcohol by volume (%)
- Number of drinks

## Results

- Pure alcohol
- US standard drinks (14 g)
- UK units (8 g)
- Australian standard drinks (10 g)
- Japanese standard drinks (20 g)
- Calories from alcohol

## Formula

```
Alcohol (g) = volume (mL) × ABV ÷ 100 × 0.789
Standard drinks = alcohol (g) ÷ grams per standard drink
```

## Explanation

Different countries define a standard drink differently, from 8 g of alcohol in the UK to 14 g in the US and 20 g in Austria. Counting in standard drinks shows how much alcohol you actually drink, since glass sizes and strengths vary a lot.

### How to use the Standard Drink Calculator

- **Drink volume**
- **Alcohol by volume**
- **Number of drinks**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter the volume and strength of the drink and how many you had.

### Standard drink sizes by country

CountryGrams of alcoholUK (unit)8Australia, New Zealand10Canada13.45USA14Japan19.75 (about 20)Austria20

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterDrink volumeUnits: mL, L, fl ozAlcohol by volumeIn %Number of drinksA number

### What each result means

- **Pure alcohol** = [Drink volume]×[Alcohol by volume]÷100×0.789×[Number of drinks]
- **US standard drinks (14 g)** = [Pure alcohol]÷14
- **UK units (8 g)** = [Pure alcohol]÷8
- **Australian standard drinks (10 g)** = [Pure alcohol]÷10
- **Japanese standard drinks (20 g)** = [Pure alcohol]÷20
- **Calories from alcohol** = [Pure alcohol]×7

*Health note: this calculator is for education and screening only and is not a diagnosis or treatment advice. Discuss your results with a qualified clinician.*

## Worked example

Inputs — Drink volume: 355 mL; Alcohol by volume: 5 %; Number of drinks: 1.

Results — Pure alcohol = 14 g; **US standard drinks (14 g) = 1**; UK units (8 g) = 1.8; Australian standard drinks (10 g) = 1.4; Japanese standard drinks (20 g) = 0.7; Calories from alcohol = 98 kcal.

## Key terms

- **ABV**: Alcohol by volume.
- **Standard drink**: A defined amount of pure alcohol used in guidelines.

## FAQ

**How much is one US standard drink?**
14 g of alcohol: 12 oz of 5% beer, 5 oz of 12% wine or 1.5 oz of 40% spirits.

**What are low-risk limits?**
US: up to 2 drinks a day for men and 1 for women; UK: no more than 14 units a week spread over 3 or more days.

**Is any amount of alcohol safe?**
The WHO says no level is completely without risk; less is better.


## Sources

- [NIAAA – What is a standard drink?](https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/alcohols-effects-health/what-standard-drink)
- [WHO – Alcohol fact sheet](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/alcohol)