In Australia, a standard drink refers to 10 grams of alcohol (equivalent to 12.5ml of pure alcohol). On average, this is how much the human body can process in one hour.
But even with this as a guide, it can be hard to keep track of how much you’ve had, as alcoholic drinks come in different strengths and serving sizes, and may therefore contain more than one standard drink.
You also need to consider ‘human’ factors such as your age, weight, gender, fitness levels, fatigue, the health of your liver and how much you’ve eaten – as these can affect how your body processes alcohol.
One alcoholic beverage doesn’t always equal one standard drink.
It is important to familiarise yourself with the facts about alcohol, including binge drinking and drink driving. Enjoy alcohol in moderation to reduce the short and long term side effects of drinking.
What does a standard drink look like?
In Australia, all bottles, casks and cans of alcoholic beverages must note the number of standard drinks they contain on the label.
As a guide:
375ml can low-strength beer (2.7% alcohol) = 0.8 standard drinks
375ml can mid-strength beer (3.5% alcohol) = 1 standard drink
375ml can full-strength beer (4.8% alcohol) = 1.4 standard drinks
100ml red wine (13.5% alcohol) = 1 standard drink
150ml red wine (13.5% alcohol) = 1.6 standard drinks (average restaurant serving)
100ml white wine (11.5% alcohol) = 0.9 standard drinks
150ml white wine (11.5% alcohol) = 1.4 standard drinks (average restaurant serving)
30ml spirits (40% alcohol) = 1 standard drink
275ml pre-mix spirits (approx. 5% alcohol) = 1.1 standard drinks
330ml pre-mix spirits (approx. 5% alcohol) = 1.2 standard drinks
375ml pre-mix spirits (approx. 5% alcohol) = 1.5 standard drinks
This information is taken from www.alcohol.gov.au. Please note that these are approximate measurements and should be used as a guide only – always check the standard drinks icon on the container for an exact number of standard drinks.
The DrinkWise Standard Drinks poster (below) provides a handy guide to understanding the number of standard drinks in your favourite beverage.
The DrinkWise Standard Drinks Calculator has been designed to give you a quick and simple way to understand what a standard drink is and how many standard drinks are in your favourite beverage. It’s for educational purposes only and should not be relied upon to predict blood alcohol level (BAC) or any other measure.
If you choose to drink, it is important to familiarise yourself with the facts about alcohol, including binge drinking and drink driving.
Through the evidence-based Australian guidelines to reduce health risks from alcohol, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) provides guidance for Australians on reducing their risk of harm from drinking alcohol. It should be noted that the NHMRC is currently undertaking a review of the guidelines. The guidelines will be updated on this page once the review is complete.
DrinkWise standard drinks poster (Sept 18)
