A standard drink is a unit of pure alcohol, not a glass. The US definition is 14 grams; the UK unit is 8 grams; most of Europe and Australia use about 10. The calculator above converts any pour with one multiplication: volume × ABV × 0.789, the density of ethanol.
How many standard drinks in a mixed drink?
Sum the alcoholic ingredients and ignore the mixer. Classic recipes, run through the calculator's own engine:
| Cocktail | Classic recipe | Alcohol | US standard drinks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gin and tonic | 50 mL gin (40%) | 15.8 g | ≈ 1.1 |
| Margarita | 50 mL tequila (40%), 20 mL triple sec (30%) | 20.5 g | ≈ 1.5 |
| Mojito | 50 mL white rum (40%) | 15.8 g | ≈ 1.1 |
| Espresso martini | 40 mL vodka (40%), 20 mL coffee liqueur (20%) | 15.8 g | ≈ 1.1 |
| Negroni | 30 mL gin (40%), 30 mL bitter (25%), 30 mL vermouth (16%) | 19.2 g | ≈ 1.4 |
| Old fashioned | 60 mL bourbon (45%) | 21.3 g | ≈ 1.5 |
| Long Island iced tea | 60 mL mixed spirits (40%), 15 mL triple sec (30%) | 22.5 g | ≈ 1.6 |
Free pours run heavier than recipes. A cocktail from a generous bartender or a home kitchen is often 1.5 to 2 times the table value, which is why counting cocktails as "one drink" each is the most common way to undercount a night.
Why the definition matters
Guidelines, labels, and BAC math all count in standard drinks, so a miscount propagates everywhere. Two craft IPAs at 8% in US pint glasses are not two drinks; they are closer to four and a half US standard drinks, and an evening logged as "a few beers" can carry the alcohol load of a bottle of wine.
This is also the number the sober-up estimator needs: it works in grams of alcohol, and every gram you forget to count moves its window earlier than your body will actually manage.
Frequently asked questions
What is a standard drink?
A standard drink is a fixed amount of pure alcohol, used so different drinks can be compared. In the United States it is 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is roughly a 12 oz beer at 5%, a 5 oz glass of wine at 12%, or a 1.5 oz shot of 40% spirits. The glass does not matter; the grams do.
How many standard drinks are in a mixed drink?
Add up each alcoholic ingredient: volume times ABV times 0.789 gives grams of alcohol, and 14 grams is one US standard drink. A gin and tonic with a 50 mL pour is about 1.1 US standard drinks, a margarita about 1.5, and a Long Island iced tea about 1.6 from the classic recipe alone. Free-poured cocktails are routinely stronger than the recipe, which is the main reason people undercount.
Why do standard drinks differ between countries?
Countries picked different reference sizes for public-health guidance. A US standard drink is 14 g of alcohol, a UK unit is 8 g, and most EU countries, the Netherlands, and Australia use about 10 g. The same beer is therefore "one drink" in one country and nearly two units in another, which matters when you read guidelines from abroad.
Is a beer, a glass of wine, and a shot really the same amount of alcohol?
At standard pours and typical strengths, yes, within about 10 percent: each carries roughly 12 to 14 grams of alcohol. The equivalence breaks down fast with craft beers at 8%, large wine glasses, and generous home pours, which is exactly what this calculator is for.
Does the mixer change how much alcohol I drank?
No. Tonic, juice, cola, and ice change volume and taste but add no alcohol, so they do not change the standard-drink count. They do slow how fast you drink and slightly slow absorption, but the total alcohol your liver must clear is set entirely by the spirits, wine, or beer that went in.
Related tools and answers
Turn last night’s count into a sober-by window with honest uncertainty.
How long does alcohol stay in your system?Detection windows for blood, breath, urine, saliva, and hair.
What does BAC stand for?The number all of this feeds into, explained in two minutes.
How these estimates workThe Widmark formula, every assumption, and every error source, cited.