Beer alcohol examples by size and strength
A 355 ml (12 fl oz) beer at 5% ABV contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol, approximately one U.S. standard drink. The same category can contain more or less depending on its actual label.
| Container and ABV | Pure alcohol | U.S. drinks (14 g) | Australia / NZ / Ireland / Singapore (10 g) | UK units (8 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 355 ml at 5% ABV | 14.0 g | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| 375 ml at 4.8% ABV | 14.2 g | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| 568 ml pint at 4% ABV | 17.9 g | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.2 |
| 473 ml at 7% ABV | 26.1 g | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.3 |
Why a beer is not one standard drink
Beer varies from lower-strength products to stronger styles, and containers range from small bottles to large cans, pints, and pitchers. The product label is more useful than assuming a category average. The country reference also changes the displayed count; see alcohol units by country for a comparison.
Calculate any beer container
Multiply container volume in ml by ABV as a decimal and by 0.789 to estimate grams of pure alcohol. The standard drinks per container calculator applies this formula to any beer can, bottle, or pint and lets you choose the local reference. If the label uses proof instead of ABV, use ABV to proof first.
Related drink guides
For sparkling alcoholic cans, read standard drinks in hard seltzer. For wine, see standard drinks in a bottle of wine; for RTD mixed drinks, see standard drinks in canned cocktails.
Alcohol and safety
Standard-drink counts and online BAC estimates are not a breath test and cannot tell you whether you may safely drive, operate equipment, or make a medical or legal decision. If alcohol is involved, arrange a sober way home.