Standard Drink Calculator — Alcohol Content Converter
Convert any alcoholic beverage to standard drinks (US, UK, AU, CA). Calculate pure alcohol grams, calories, metabolism time, and compare 15+ common drink types.
Alcohol Units Calculator
Convert drinks to UK units, US standard drinks, and Australian standard drinks. Calculates alcohol grams, calories, estimated BAC, and weekly risk assessment.
⚠️ Health Notice: If you're concerned about your drinking, contact SAMHSA's helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (US). BAC estimates are approximations and should never be used for driving decisions.
Your Drinks
ml
%
kg
Total Alcohol
2.8 UK units
22.4g pure alcohol • 157 calories
UK Units⧉
2.8
1 UK unit = 10 ml (8g) pure alcohol
US Standard Drinks⧉
1.6
1 US drink = 14g pure alcohol (12 oz beer at 5%)
AU Standard Drinks⧉
2.2
1 AU drink = 10g pure alcohol
Pure Alcohol⧉
22.4 g
28.4 ml pure ethanol
Calories (alcohol)⧉
157
7 kcal per gram of alcohol — 'empty' calories with no nutritional value
Est. Peak BAC⧉
0.047%
Widmark estimate for 70 kg male. Do NOT use for driving decisions.
Weekly Projection⧉
8.4 units
Low risk
Drink Breakdown
| Drink | Volume | ABV | Qty | UK Units | US Drinks | Grams | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🍺 Beer / Lager | 568 ml | 5% | 1 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 22.4g | 157 |
International Drinking Guidelines
| Guideline | Weekly Limit | Daily | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK Chief Medical Officers | 14 units (M & F) | ~2 units/day | 14 units = 6 pints or 10 small glasses wine |
| NIAAA (US) | ≤14 drinks/wk (M), ≤7 (F) | ≤2/day (M), ≤1/day (F) | 1 US standard drink = 14g alcohol |
| NHMRC (Australia) | ≤10 standard drinks/wk | ≤4 on any occasion | 1 AU standard drink = 10g alcohol |
| WHO | No safe level; minimize | — | Lower risk below 20g/day |
Planning notes, formulas, and examples
About the Alcohol Units Calculator
The Alcohol Units Calculator converts your drinks into standardized measurements used worldwide — UK units (8g alcohol), US standard drinks (14g), and Australian standard drinks (10g) — helping you understand exactly how much alcohol you're consuming and how it relates to health guidelines.
Understanding alcohol consumption is challenging because serving sizes, strengths, and measurement systems vary enormously between countries and establishment types. A "glass of wine" in a restaurant may contain 250 ml at 14% ABV (3.5 UK units), while at home it might be 125 ml at 11% (1.4 units). This calculator removes the guesswork by computing precise alcohol content from the actual volume and ABV of each drink.
The calculator also provides calorie counts (alcohol contains 7 calories per gram — nearly as calorie-dense as fat), projects weekly consumption from your current pattern, estimates peak BAC using the Widmark formula, and compares your intake against international guidelines from the UK CMO, NIAAA, NHMRC, and WHO. Multiple drinks can be added to analyze an entire session, day, or week.
When This Page Helps
Most people significantly underestimate their alcohol consumption. By entering actual volumes and ABV, it shows an honest assessment of intake, making it easier to compare against health guidelines and make informed decisions.
How to Use the Inputs
- Select a drink type or choose Custom for unlisted beverages.
- Adjust the volume in ml and ABV percentage for accuracy.
- Set the quantity if you had more than one of the same drink.
- Click "+ Add Another Drink" to add different beverages.
- Select whether this represents a single session, daily, or weekly intake.
- Enter your weight and sex for BAC estimation.
- Review units, grams, calories, and weekly risk assessment.
Formula used
UK Units = (Volume in ml × ABV%) / 1000
Pure Alcohol (grams) = Volume (ml) × (ABV / 100) × 0.789 g/ml
US Standard Drinks = grams / 14
AU Standard Drinks = grams / 10
Calories = grams × 7
BAC (Widmark) = grams / (body weight kg × 1000 × r) × 100, where r = 0.68 (male) or 0.55 (female)Example Calculation
Result: 6.8 UK units, 4.9 US drinks, 6.7 AU drinks, 67.2g alcohol, 376 calories
Three pints of 5% lager contain 85.2 ml of pure alcohol (67.2 grams). This is 6.8 UK units — nearly half of the recommended weekly maximum of 14 units in a single session.
Tips & Best Practices
- Check the ABV on the label — craft beers can be 7-10%, much stronger than the assumed 5%.
- Home-poured wine glasses are often larger than pub measures; measure once to calibrate.
- Spread your 14 weekly units over at least 3 days, with drink-free days in between.
- Cocktails can contain 2-4 standard drinks each due to multiple spirits.
- The 14-unit guideline carries roughly the same risk as driving 125 miles on a motorway.
Understanding Different Measurement Systems
The world uses three main alcohol measurement systems: UK units (1 unit = 8g), US standard drinks (1 drink = 14g), and Australian/New Zealand standard drinks (1 drink = 10g). This creates confusion when reading international health guidelines. For example, the US low-risk limit of "2 drinks per day for men" equals 28g or 3.5 UK units — which already exceeds the UK recommended daily equivalent of 2 units.
Alcohol and Health Risks
Evidence shows that alcohol increases the risk of 7 types of cancer including breast, liver, colon, and esophageal cancer. Risk increases linearly with consumption — there is no "safe threshold." At 14 UK units per week, the lifetime risk of dying from an alcohol-related condition is approximately 1%, comparable to other widely accepted risks in daily life.
Tips for Reducing Alcohol Intake
Evidence-based strategies include: keeping a drink diary (this calculator helps), alternating alcoholic drinks with water, using smaller glasses, choosing lower-ABV options, having at least 3 drink-free days per week, and avoiding "rounds" which pressure you to keep pace with others.
Sources & Methodology
Last updated:
Methodology
This page converts beverage volume and ABV into pure alcohol grams, then derives UK units, U.S. standard drinks, Australian standard drinks, calories, and a rough Widmark-style BAC estimate. It is a measurement and comparison worksheet built to make different alcohol-unit systems easier to reconcile.
The weekly guidance notes are broad public-health reference points only. The page does not replace country-specific medical advice, and the BAC estimate should never be used for driving or legal decisions.
Sources
- Calculating alcohol units (NHS) — NHS explanation of UK alcohol-unit calculations and examples by drink type.
- What Is A Standard Drink? (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) — NIAAA definition of U.S. standard drinks used for cross-system comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
One UK unit equals 10 ml (8 grams) of pure alcohol. A standard pub measure of spirits (25 ml at 40% ABV) is exactly 1 unit. A pint of 5% beer is about 2.8 units.
A US standard drink contains 14 grams (0.6 oz) of pure alcohol, nearly twice a UK unit. Examples: 12 oz beer at 5%, 5 oz wine at 12%, or 1.5 oz spirits at 40%.
Pure alcohol provides 7 calories per gram — almost as much as fat (9 cal/g). A pint of 5% beer has about 180 alcohol calories, plus additional calories from carbohydrates.
No. The Widmark formula provides a rough approximation but doesn't account for food intake, hydration, metabolism rate, medications, or drinking speed. Never use any calculator to decide if you're safe to drive.
UK guidelines recommend no more than 14 units per week (spread over 3+ days). The US recommends ≤2 drinks/day for men and ≤1 for women. The WHO states there is no safe level of alcohol.
Women generally have lower body water content and less alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme in the stomach, resulting in higher blood alcohol concentrations from the same amount of alcohol.
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