What is approximately equivalent to one drink of alcohol?

Answer 1

Hard liquor (Bourbon, scotch, vodka, gin, etc.) is typically 50% alcohol, wine runs around 20%, beer varies quite a bit, but in the US is generally around 2% alcohol; it's 5% in Canada. The term "proof" gives you twice the actual percentage by volume, i.e., 50% alcohol would be labelled as 100 proof. It is also possible to obtain pure alcohol, as a 200 proof vodka.

Answer 2

This answer is for alcoholic beverages sold in Canada and, more specifically in Ontario, but the information won't vary much from country to country.

Regular beers contain approximatlly 5% alcohol; most wines, about 12%; most "hard" liquors, about 40%.

Strong beers can contain between 5.5% and 8%, and light beers, between 3.5% and 4.5%. Coolers (wine, beer or sprit based) contain about 7% alcohol.

Fermentation products using todays advanced yeasts can reach about 17% before the alcohol level reaches a point where it kills the yeast; so beers and wines, products made strictly by fermentation (ie, without distillation), will always have an alcohol percentage below that figure, unless they are fiortified with something else. To reach a higher percentage, distillation is necessary, at which point the product is no longer called beer or wine. For instance, distilled wine is called brandy (usually 40% alcohol) and distilled chnmpagne is called cognac.

Other hard liquors (spirits), such as rye, rum, vodka, Canadian whiskey, bourbon (United States) and Scotch (Britain) have varying alcohol contents (40% in Ontario) and are distilled from a variety fruits, grains and vegetables.

As a matter of further interest, some areas use the term "proof" to refer to alcohol content. The proof of a spirit is twice its actual alcohol content, so 80-proof, for instance, is 40% alcohol.

Answer 3

In the United States, one "standard" drink contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol, which is found in: 12 ounces of regular beer, which is usually about 5% alcohol. 5 ounces of wine, which is typically about 12% alcohol.1.5 ounces of distilled spirits, which is about 40% alcohol.

Answer 4

Standard drinks of beer, wine, and distilled spirits each contain the same amoiunt of absolute or "pure" alcohol. To a breathalyzer they are all the same.

Answer 5

A standard drink (beer, wine or liquor) in the U.S. each contains .60 oz. of absolute or pure alcohol.

Answer 6

1/2 of one cup of alchol in one drink