Hard seltzer alcohol examples
A 355 ml (12 fl oz) hard seltzer at 5% ABV contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol. That is approximately one U.S. standard drink, but standard-drink references differ by country.
| Can and label strength | Pure alcohol | U.S. drinks (14 g) | Australia / NZ / Ireland / Singapore (10 g) | UK units (8 g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 355 ml at 4% ABV | 11.2 g | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 |
| 355 ml at 5% ABV | 14.0 g | 1.0 | 1.4 | 1.7 |
| 473 ml at 5% ABV | 18.7 g | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.3 |
| 355 ml at 8% ABV | 22.4 g | 1.6 | 2.2 | 2.8 |
What to check on a hard seltzer label
First check the container volume and ABV. A product may look like a familiar single can but have a larger size or a higher strength. “Light,” fruit flavour, sugar level, and calorie claims do not calculate the grams of alcohol. The label's ABV and volume do.
Calculate a hard seltzer yourself
Multiply the labelled volume in ml by ABV as a decimal and by 0.789 to estimate grams of pure alcohol. Then divide by the reference amount used in your country. The standard drinks per container calculator does this for any can; choose a country or set a custom local reference. For the underlying definitions, see what a standard drink means and alcohol units by country.
Related canned alcohol guides
For mixed canned drinks, read how many standard drinks are in a canned cocktail. For beer cans and pints, see standard drinks in beer.
Alcohol and safety
Standard-drink estimates do not measure impairment and must never be used to decide whether to drive, operate equipment, or make a medical or legal decision. If alcohol is involved, plan a sober way home.