Arielle Cruz
Alcohol units are a measure of the amount of pure alcohol in a drink. One unit is 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. Spirits such as gin are typically stronger than beer or wine, with an alcohol content of 35% to 40% ABV. A standard pub measure of spirits used to be 25ml, which is about one unit of alcohol, but pubs and bars now often serve 35ml or 50ml measures. A 50ml double measure of 40% ABV gin will contain about two units of alcohol.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| One unit of alcohol | 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol |
| Spirits' ABV | 35% to 40% |
| A double measure of gin | 110 calories |
| A double measure of gin with tonic | 150 calories |
| A single measure of spirits | 25ml or 35ml |
| A double measure of spirits | 50ml |
| A standard 750ml bottle of wine with 13% ABV | 10 units |
| A standard medium glass of wine | 175ml, totalling about two units |
| Binge drinking for men | More than eight units of alcohol in a single session |
| Binge drinking for women | More than six units of alcohol in a single session |
| Low-risk drinking guidelines | Men and women should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week |
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What You'll Learn
Spirits like gin are often served in 25ml measures
A standard 750ml bottle of wine with 13% ABV contains about 10 units of alcohol. A standard medium glass of wine is 175ml and has about two units. Spirits, such as gin, whisky, rum, and vodka, are much stronger, with an alcohol content ranging from 35% to 40% ABV. A double measure of spirits is typically 50ml, and a single measure is typically 25ml. A 25ml shot of a 40% ABV spirit is just over one unit of alcohol. It's important to note that the number of units in a drink depends on its strength and volume. The formula to calculate the number of units in any drink is strength (ABV) x volume (in milliliters) divided by 1,000.
The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend that adults drink no more than 14 units of alcohol per week to maintain low health risks. It takes the average adult about an hour to process one unit of alcohol, but this varies across individuals. Additionally, the more alcohol consumed, the longer it takes to process. For example, it would take the average person six hours to process six units of alcohol.
To better understand alcohol consumption, it is helpful to know the ABV of your drink. This allows you to gauge your alcohol intake and make informed decisions about your drinking habits. For instance, a strong wine will have more units than a weaker one, even if the glass size remains the same. Beers and ciders typically have an ABV ranging from 2% to 8%, while wines range from 8% to 14%.
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A 25ml shot is just over one unit
Spirits such as gin typically have an alcohol content of 35% to 40% ABV. A 25ml shot is just over one unit. To be precise, a 25ml shot of 40% ABV gin contains about one unit of alcohol. This is calculated using the formula: strength (ABV) x volume (in millilitres) ÷ 1,000 = total number of units.
It's important to note that a ""single" spirit measure used to be commonly served as 25ml in pubs and bars, but many establishments now use a 35ml measurement. A 35ml shot of 40% ABV gin would contain about one and a half units of alcohol.
Understanding how many units of alcohol you consume is a great way to look after your health. Units provide a simple way to calculate the quantity of pure alcohol in a drink, taking into account its strength and size. One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. It takes the average adult around an hour to process one unit of alcohol, although this varies from person to person.
The UK's Chief Medical Officers have published guidelines on the maximum amount of alcohol adults should drink to keep health risks at a low level. Binge drinking is defined as consuming more than eight units of alcohol in a single session for men and more than six units for women. Regularly binge drinking, even just once or twice a week, increases the risk of long-term illness and accidents. To reduce these risks, it is advised to limit the total amount of alcohol consumed on any single occasion, drink more slowly, drink with food, and alternate with water.
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A double measure of gin contains 110 calories
A standard bottle of gin is 750ml and typically has an ABV of 37.5% to 40%. Using the formula strength (ABV) x volume (in millilitres) ÷ 1,000, we can calculate the number of alcohol units in a bottle of gin. For a 750ml bottle of gin with 40% ABV, we get approximately 30 units.
Now, a double measure of gin is typically 50ml. A 50ml measure of gin at 40% ABV contains about two units of alcohol. Importantly, a double measure of gin also contains about 110 calories. This is because alcohol has around seven calories per gram, and gin has a high alcohol content.
To put this into context, a single measure (25ml) of gin typically contains about 52 calories, which is almost as much as a chocolate chip cookie (57 calories). A double gin and tonic made with a 50ml measure of gin contains around 153 calories. Even switching to a diet mixer will still result in a high-calorie drink, with a gin and slimline tonic estimated to have 112 calories.
These calories are ''empty calories,' providing no nutritional value and thus offering no benefit to your body. Furthermore, the calories consumed through alcohol are often additional to those consumed in food, which can lead to passive weight gain.
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Gin is typically 35% to 40% ABV
Gin is a spirit, and spirits typically go through a distillation process that removes water from ethanol to create a distilled spirit. These distilled spirits usually contain between 40 and 50% alcohol. Gin is typically 35% to 40% ABV, with the cheapest spirits in the UK being watered down to 37.5% ABV. This is because 37.5% is the legal minimum ABV for a drink to be classified as gin.
In the USA, a gin with 40% ABV is 80 proof, and one with 45% ABV is 90 proof. The term 'proof' comes from a century ago when liquor was 'proofed' by adding gunpowder and lighting it on fire. If the liquor didn't light, the alcohol content was deemed too weak. If it burned yellow, it was too strong, but if it burned blue, the proof was just right (around 57% or 114 proof).
Flavoured gins tend to have an ABV between 37.5% and 40%, while the strongest gins, Navy Strength style gins, can be up to 58% ABV.
To calculate the number of units in a drink, you can use the following equation: strength (ABV) x volume of the drink (in millilitres) ÷ 1,000 = the total number of units in your drink. For example, a 50ml double measure of 40% ABV vodka will contain about two units.
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One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol
A unit of alcohol is a standardised way of measuring the amount of pure alcohol in a drink. One unit equals 10ml or 8g of pure alcohol. This is roughly the amount of alcohol that the average adult can process in an hour.
The number of units in a drink is based on the size of the drink and its alcohol strength. Alcohol strength is measured by ABV (alcohol by volume), which is the volume of pure alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of liquid in a drink. For example, a drink with 12% ABV has 12% pure alcohol. ABV is usually given on bottles and drinks menus in the UK, and you can ask bar staff about the ABV of a drink.
The ABV of a drink is important because stronger drinks have more alcohol and will contain more units. For example, a pint of strong lager contains 3 units of alcohol, whereas a pint of lower-strength lager has just over 2 units. Beers and ciders typically contain 2% to 8% alcohol, wines contain 8% to 14%, and spirits such as gin, whisky, rum, and vodka are much stronger, with an alcohol content of 35% to 40%.
You can calculate the number of units in a drink by multiplying the total volume of the drink (in millilitres) by its ABV (measured as a percentage) and dividing the result by 1,000. For example, a 750ml bottle of wine with 13% ABV has about 10 units. A double measure (50ml) of 40% ABV vodka will contain about 2 units, while a single measure (25ml) will be just over 1 unit.
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Frequently asked questions
Spirits such as gin typically have an alcohol content of 35% to 40% ABV. A 25ml shot is just over one unit, but in many pubs, a single measure is 35ml, which is more than one unit. A double measure of 50ml is typically considered to be two units.
You can calculate the number of units in any alcoholic drink using the following formula: strength (ABV) x volume of the drink (in millilitres) ÷ 1,000 = total number of units in your drink.
Binge drinking is defined by the NHS as consuming more than eight units of alcohol in a single session for men and more than six units for women. Regular binge drinking increases your risk of death from long-term illness, accidents and injuries.
