Understanding Alcohol Units — How Much Is Too Much?

“A glass of wine” could be 1 unit or 3 units depending on the pour size and the wine. Alcohol units cut through the ambiguity and give you a standardized way to measure actual alcohol intake.

The formula

Units (UK) = Volume (ml) × ABV (%) / 1000

Standard drink equivalents:
  UK:  1 unit = 10 ml (8g) of pure alcohol
  US:  1 standard drink = 14g of pure alcohol
  AUS: 1 standard drink = 10g of pure alcohol
  EU:  1 standard drink = varies by country (10–12g)

Common drinks in units

Drink	Volume	ABV	UK Units
Pint of lager	568 ml	4%	2.3
Glass of wine	175 ml	13%	2.3
Large glass of wine	250 ml	13%	3.3
Single spirit (pub measure)	25 ml	40%	1.0
Double spirit	50 ml	40%	2.0
Strong beer (can)	440 ml	7.5%	3.3
Bottle of wine	750 ml	13%	9.8

Worked example

You drink 2 pints of 5.2% IPA and a double gin & tonic:

Pints: 2 × (568 × 5.2 / 1000) = 2 × 2.95 = 5.9 units
G&T:   50 × 40 / 1000 = 2.0 units

Total: 7.9 units in one evening

UK guidelines recommend no more than 14 units per week, spread across 3+ days. That single evening used over half the weekly allowance.

Recommended limits

Country	Weekly limit	Notes
UK	14 units	Spread over 3+ days
US	14 drinks (men) / 7 (women)	Per week
Australia	10 standard drinks	Per week (2020 update)
WHO	Suggests no safe level	Risk increases with any amount

When to track alcohol units

• You suspect you’re drinking more than guidelines recommend
• Managing weight (alcohol = 7 calories per gram, nearly as dense as fat)
• Monitoring medication interactions (many drugs interact with alcohol)
• Setting reduction goals with concrete targets
• Comparing drinks — realizing a strong IPA is “worth” three spirit measures

Tips for managing intake

• Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or soft drinks
• Choose lower-ABV options (session beers at 3–4% vs. craft IPAs at 7–9%)
• Measure home pours — they’re typically 50% larger than pub measures
• Eating before drinking slows absorption (doesn’t reduce total units)
• Track weekly, not daily — one heavy night can exceed the whole week’s budget
• “Drink-free days” let your liver recover (at least 2–3 per week)

Calculate the exact units in your drinks with OurDailyCalc’s alcohol unit calculator — enter any volume and ABV for instant results.

TL;DR

• Units = Volume (ml) × ABV (%) ÷ 1000
• UK guideline: max 14 units/week spread across multiple days
• A “large wine” and a pint are both ~2.3 units — more than people assume
• Home pours are typically bigger than standard measures
• Alcohol packs 7 calories per gram — it adds up fast