Alcohol Units Calculator
UK alcohol units, grams of pure alcohol and standard drinks in the US, Australian and Canadian systems, for one drink or a list of them.
Result…
How it's calculated
Pure alcohol (mL) = volume (mL) × ABV % ÷ 100 · UK units = volume (mL) × ABV % ÷ 1000 (1 unit = 10 mL) Grams of alcohol = mL of alcohol × 0.789 g/mL Standard drinks = grams ÷ 14 (US), ÷ 10 (Australia), ÷ 13.45 (Canada)
A UK unit is 10 mL, about 8 g, of pure alcohol, so units = ABV % × volume in mL ÷ 1000, the NHS formula. Grams use 0.789 g/mL, the density of ethanol, which is why 10 mL is 7.89 g. Other countries count in standard drinks of a fixed weight of alcohol: 14 g in the US (NIAAA), 10 g in Australia (Department of Health) and 13.45 g, or 17.05 mL, in Canada (Health Canada). Add your own country's size if it is different. Fluid ounces convert exactly: 1 US fl oz = 29.5735295625 mL and 1 UK fl oz = 28.4130625 mL. The NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis; other countries set their own guidelines. This counts alcohol only and does not estimate blood alcohol or fitness to drive.
Your numbers, step by step
About the Alcohol Units calculator
This alcohol units calculator adds up the pure alcohol in what you drink. List each drink by its volume, its strength (ABV, the alcohol by volume percentage on the label) and how many you had, and it gives the total in UK units, in grams and millilitres of pure alcohol, and in standard drinks as the US, Australia and Canada define them. Countries count alcohol in different-sized portions, so the same evening can be 8.9 UK units but about 5 US standard drinks; you can also enter your own country's standard drink in grams. Volumes can be in millilitres, centilitres, litres, or US or UK fluid ounces, converted exactly. Each drink's working is shown line by line. It is a count of alcohol, not a blood alcohol estimate, and it cannot tell you whether you are fit to drive.
How to use it
- Choose the unit in “Volumes in”: mL, cL, litres, or US or UK fluid ounces.
- Under “Drinks, one per line: volume, ABV %, how many”, enter each drink, such as 175, 12.5, 2 for two 175 mL glasses of 12.5% wine.
- If your country uses another size, enter it in grams in “Another standard drink size (optional)”.
- Read the total UK units, then grams of alcohol and the standard drinks below.
Worked example
Two pints (568 mL each) of 5% beer and one 250 mL glass of 13% wine: 2 × 568 × 5 ÷ 1000 = 5.68 units, plus 250 × 13 ÷ 1000 = 3.25 units, so 8.93 UK units, or 89.3 mL of pure alcohol. At 0.789 g/mL that is 70.5 g of alcohol: 5.0 US standard drinks (14 g), 7.0 Australian (10 g) and 5.2 Canadian (13.45 g).
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Questions people ask
How do I work out units of alcohol in a drink?
Multiply the volume in mL by the ABV % and divide by 1,000. A 330 mL bottle of 5% beer is 330 × 5 ÷ 1000 = 1.65 units. That is the formula on the NHS alcohol units page, where one unit is 10 mL or 8 g of pure alcohol.
What is a standard drink in the US?
The NIAAA defines a US standard drink as about 14 g, or 0.6 fl oz, of pure alcohol, roughly 12 fl oz of 5% beer. That is about 1.8 UK units.
Why are UK units and standard drinks different?
Each country picks its own portion size: a UK unit is 10 mL (about 8 g), an Australian standard drink is 10 g, a Canadian one is 13.45 g and a US one is 14 g. The alcohol is the same; only the size of the counting unit changes.
How many units are in a bottle of wine?
Enter the bottle's volume and its ABV. A 750 mL bottle at 13% is 750 × 13 ÷ 1000 = 9.75 units, and a stronger wine has more, so always check the label rather than assuming.
How much is it safe to drink?
This calculator only counts alcohol. Low-risk guidelines differ by country: the NHS advises men and women not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis. Talk to a doctor or your national health service about your own drinking, and don't use this to judge whether you can drive. For body measures, see the BMI calculator.