SoberNow

Pure Alcohol Calculator

Enter what you drink and how often, and this tool works out the grams of pure alcohol per drink, per day and per week — plus how that compares with the CDC/NIAAA low-risk drinking limits.

Enter what you drink

Picking a drink fills in the volume and ABV. You can edit both to match the label or the pour.

Sex (used only to pick the limit)

Your result

Pure alcohol per day

Within the low-risk limit

20 g

about 1.4 standard drinks

  • Low-risk limit: 2 standard drinks a day (28g) for men
  • 1 US standard drink = 14g of pure alcohol

About 20g of pure alcohol a day (1.4 standard drinks) — within the CDC/NIAAA low-risk limit of 2 drinks a day (28g) for men.

Per drink
20g
about 1.4 standard drinks
Per week
100g
about 7.1 standard drinks / 5.0 × 500ml beers

This is a general estimate, not a medical diagnosis. The effects of alcohol are said to vary considerably between individuals.

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The formula

pure alcohol (g) = volume (ml) × ABV (%) ÷ 100 × 0.8

The 0.8 at the end is the density of ethanol in grams per millilitre. A 500ml beer at 5% ABV comes to 500 × 5 ÷ 100 × 0.8 = 20g, which is about 1.4 US standard drinks (1 standard drink = 14g).

For what a standard drink actually means and how the units differ by country, see What Is a Standard Drink? How Much Alcohol Is Too Much, Explained.

Pure alcohol by type of drink

Grams of pure alcohol in one serving of some common drinks. Selecting a drink in the tool above fills in these numbers.

Drink Volume ABV Pure alcohol Standard drinks
Beer (500ml can) 500ml 5% ~20g ~1.4
Canned chuhai (350ml, 7%) 350ml 7% ~20g ~1.4
Sake (180ml, 15%) 180ml 15% ~22g ~1.5
Wine (120ml glass) 120ml 12% ~12g ~0.8
Shochu (90ml, 25%) 90ml 25% ~18g ~1.3
Whisky (double, 60ml) 60ml 43% ~21g ~1.5
Strong canned chuhai (350ml, 9%) 350ml 9% ~25g ~1.8

US low-risk drinking limits

  • •Men: 2 standard drinks or fewer per day, which is about 28g of pure alcohol.
  • •Women: 1 standard drink or fewer per day, which is about 14g of pure alcohol.
  • •These are described as limits for drinking in moderation, not targets. Drinking less is said to carry less risk, and some people — including those who are pregnant, under 21, or taking certain medications — are advised not to drink at all.

Sources: CDC, "Dietary Guidelines for Alcohol" / NIAAA, "Drinking Levels and Patterns Defined"

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate grams of pure alcohol?

Volume (ml) × ABV (%) ÷ 100 × 0.8, where 0.8 is the density of ethanol. A 500ml beer at 5% works out to 500 × 5 ÷ 100 × 0.8 = 20g of pure alcohol.

How many grams are in a US standard drink?

A US standard drink contains 14g of pure alcohol — roughly a 12oz (355ml) beer at 5%, a 5oz (148ml) glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5oz (44ml) shot of 40% spirits.

What are the low-risk drinking limits?

The CDC and NIAAA describe drinking in moderation as 2 standard drinks or fewer per day for men and 1 or fewer per day for women. That is about 28g and 14g of pure alcohol respectively. Drinking less is always lower risk, and some people should not drink at all.

Why is the limit lower for women?

Women are on average smaller and have less body water, so the same amount of alcohol tends to produce a higher blood alcohol concentration. US guidelines therefore set a lower daily limit for women.

Should I look at daily or weekly totals?

Both are useful. The daily figure is what US low-risk limits are written around, while the weekly total shows how the days add up — including whether you take any alcohol-free days at all.

Can this tool tell me whether my drinking is a health problem?

No. This is a general estimate, not a medical diagnosis. How alcohol affects you depends on your body, age, medication and health conditions. If anything concerns you, please speak to a doctor.

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