One standard drink contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is roughly 0.6 fluid ounces (about 18 milliliters) of ethanol in the United States.

What is a “standard drink”?

  • A standard drink is a way to measure the amount of pure alcohol (ethanol) you’re consuming, regardless of the type of beverage.
  • In the U.S., that benchmark is set at 0.6 fl oz (14 g) of pure alcohol per standard drink.

Common examples (U.S.)

Each of these is about one standard drink because they all contain ~0.6 fl oz / 14 g of pure alcohol:

  • 12 oz of regular beer at about 5% ABV
  • 5 oz of table wine at about 12% ABV
  • 1.5 oz of 80‑proof liquor (40% ABV), such as vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey

Even though the glass sizes look different, what matters is the amount of pure alcohol inside.

Why this matters

  • Tracking standard drinks helps you compare different beverages and stay within low‑risk drinking guidelines more easily.
  • Many mixed drinks, strong craft beers, or large pours can contain more than one standard drink in a single serving, so counting “glasses” alone can be misleading.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.