Alcohol Units Calculator

Pick a drink — or punch in a custom volume and ABV — and see UK alcohol units and US standard drinks side by side. UK units (1 unit = 8 g pure alcohol) and US standard drinks (1 drink = 14 g) measure the same thing in different denominations. The same pint of 5% beer is 2.84 UK units and 1.60 US standard drinks.

Pick a drink

Drinks like this per week (optional)

Used to compare against the UK 14-units-per-week guideline. Leave at 7 for a daily drink.

UK alcohol units

2.84

(volume × ABV) ÷ 1000 · 1 unit = 8 g pure alcohol.

US standard drinks

1.60

1 standard drink = 14 g pure alcohol = 0.6 fl oz pure ethanol.

Pure alcohol

22.7 g

Mass of ethanol in this drink. Same molecule, two denominations above.

UK weekly guideline (7 drinks/week)

19.9 units/week — Above the UK low-risk guideline

Past 14 units per week, the UK CMOs flag rising risk of cancer, liver disease, and dependence.

US Dietary Guidelines (per day)

Women: Above daily limit for women

Limit: 1 standard drink per day.

Men: Within daily limit for men

Limit: 2 standard drinks per day.

Based on this drink × 7 per week ÷ 7 days = 1.60 drinks/day average. The US Dietary Guidelines (2020-2025) recommend no more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 for men — and add that drinking less is better for health than drinking more.

Math tool, not medical advice. Guidelines are population thresholds, not personal targets. If you're pregnant, taking medication that interacts with alcohol, managing a liver condition, or thinking about cutting back, talk to a clinician — they know your chart, we don't.

Typical drinks

Drink	Volume	ABV	UK units	US std drinks
🍺 Pint of beer	568 mL	5%	2.84	1.60
🥫 Can of beer	330 mL	5%	1.65	0.93
🍷 Small glass of wine	175 mL	12%	2.10	1.18
🍷 Large glass of wine	250 mL	13.5%	3.38	1.90
🥃 Single shot of spirits	25 mL	40%	1.00	0.56

Sources: UK Chief Medical Officers' Low Risk Drinking Guidelines (2016, reviewed 2023); US Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020-2025); NIAAA standard drink definition.