Drink Size
Not all drinks are created equal. Many people are surprised to learn what counts as a standard drink of alcohol.
In Canada, a ‘standard’ drink is any drink that contains 13.45 grams or 17.05 mL of “pure” alcohol.1 Once you know what a standard drink is you will know how much alcohol you are actually drinking.
One Standard Drink Equals:
- 341 ml (12 oz) of 5% alcohol - beer, cider, cooler, or ready-to-drink
- 142 ml (5 oz) glass of 12% alcohol – wine
- 43 ml (1.5 oz) shot of 40% alcohol - spirits (vodka, rum, whisky, gin, etc.)1
Beer, Cider, Cooler, ready-to-drink >
341 ml (12 oz) of drinks, 5% alcohol content
Wine >
142 ml (5oz) of wine, 12% alcohol content
Spirits (vodka, rum, whisky, gin etc.) >
43 ml (1.5 oz) of spirits, 40% alcohol content
Calculate what’s in your glass2
Convert your drinks into Canadian standard drink sizes
For an amount of alcohol, find out how many Canadian standard drinks it represents.
| Size: |
ml oz1 US fluid oz |
Strength (% alcohol): |
1 Ounces (oz) are Imperial fluid ounces (rather than US fluid ounces).
Convert your Canadian standard drinks into volume
For a number of Canadian standard drinks and % alcohol, find the volume (in ml) it represents.
| Number of std. drinks: | Strength (% alcohol): |
This tool only provides information on Canadian standard drinks.
Note: The mathematical formula for calculating a Canadian standard drink using millilitres (mL) is: ((container volume in mL x % alcohol by volume)/(17.05mL of ethanol))/100
What is a standard drink?
Watch this video from KFL&A Public Health.
Rethink Your Drinking Size Matters
(1) Paradis, C., Butt, P., Shield, K., Poole, N., Wells, S., Naimi, T., Sherk, A., & the Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines Scientific Expert Panels. (2023, January). Canada’s guidance on alcohol and health: Final report. Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. https://www.ccsa.ca/canadas-guidance-alcohol-and-health#canada-s-guidance-on-alcohol-and-health
(2) University of Victoria Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research. (n.d.) Standard Drink Calculator. www.drinkcalculator.cisur.ca