Units of alcohol calculator
Free units of alcohol calculator: enter the volume in mL and ABV to see the UK NHS unit count and the share of the 14-unit weekly guideline.
A units of alcohol calculator applies the UK NHS formula: one unit equals 10 mL (8 g) of pure alcohol, the amount the average adult processes in an hour. Enter the volume and ABV of any drink and the calculator returns the unit count plus what share of the UK 14-unit weekly low-risk guideline that drink represents.
This alcohol units calculator uses the NHS formula. A UK unit is 10 mL (8 g) of pure alcohol, roughly the amount the average adult processes in an hour. Enter the volume and ABV of any drink and the page shows the unit count plus what share of the UK 14-unit weekly guideline that single drink represents.
How this calculator works
The math: units = volume (mL) Ã- ABV ÷ 1000. A "unit" here is the UK unit, defined by the NHS as 10 mL or 8 g of pure alcohol. The weekly-share figure compares your drink to the UK Chief Medical Officers' 14-unit low-risk guideline, that is a guideline, not a ceiling that makes drinking safe below it.
Full formulas live on the methodology page.
Units of alcohol calculator: questions people ask
What is one unit of alcohol?
In the UK, one unit is 10 mL (8 g) of pure alcohol. It is the amount the average adult can process in about an hour. The unit is defined this way by the NHS and used in UK public-health guidance.
How do you calculate alcohol units?
Multiply the drink volume in millilitres by its ABV as a percentage, then divide by 1000. For example, a 175 mL glass of 12% wine is 175 Ã- 12 ÷ 1000 = 2.1 units.
How many units in a pint of beer?
A UK pint (568 mL) of 4% beer is about 2.3 units. A 5% lager is closer to 2.8. Strong craft beers (7-8% ABV) routinely push a single pint above 4 units.
How many units in a bottle of wine?
A standard 750 mL bottle of 12.5% wine contains about 9.4 units. A bottle of 14% wine is closer to 10.5. A single bottle on its own is two-thirds of the UK weekly low-risk guideline of 14 units.
What is the UK weekly guideline?
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend not regularly drinking more than 14 units per week, spread across three or more days, with several alcohol-free days in between. This is a low-risk guideline, not a safe-drinking endorsement.
Are alcohol units the same as standard drinks?
No. A UK unit is 8 g of pure alcohol. A US standard drink is 14 g. An Australian standard drink is 10 g. They measure the same thing but with different sizes, so the same beer will count as more units (UK) than standard drinks (US). The standard drinks calculator on this site uses the US definition.