Understanding Alcoholic Beverage Measurements
The strength of alcoholic drinks varies greatly, from beer with 4 to 5% ethanol to spirits with over 40% ethanol. To measure alcohol consumption and understanding alcoholic beverage measurements, a standard unit called a standard drink or drink equivalent is used. In the US, a standard drink is defined as any beverage containing 0.6 oz (14 g) of ethanol. In Europe and the UK, the standard drink definition ranges from 8 g to 18 g, with most countries considering a standard drink as 10 g of ethanol. Counting the number of drinks consumed instead of measuring the actual amount of ethanol consumed can lead to underestimating and ultimately excessive drinking as the ethanol content and volume of alcoholic beverages can vary greatly.
One Standard Drink Around the World
Country | Grams of Ethanol in a Standard Drink | Recommended Daily Alcohol Consumption |
---|---|---|
Argentina | 14 | Up to 20 g for males and females |
Australia | 10 | Up to 20 g for males and females |
Canada | 13.5 | No more than three drinks for males and two drinks for females, up to 15 drinks per week for males and 10 drinks per week for females |
Chile | 14 | Up to 14 g for males and females |
China | Not Classified | Up to 25 g for males and 15 g for females |
France | 10 | Up to 20 g for males and females and no more than 100 g per week |
Germany | Not Classified | Up to 24 g for males and 12 g for females |
India | 8 | Up to 16 g for males and 8 g for females |
Italy | 12 | Up to 24 g for males and 12 g for females and males aged between 18 to 21 and above 65 years |
Japan | 20 | Up to 40 g for males and 20 g for females |
Mexico | 13 | 13 to 26 g for males and 13 g for females |
South Africa | Not Classified | Up to two beers or glasses of wine for males and females |
United Kingdom | 8 | Up to 112 g per week for males and females |
United States | 14 | Up to 28 g for males and 14 g for females |
each country’s alcohol intake reccomendations.