It is not how many drinks that you have, but how much alcohol that you consume. As you can see from the chart below some drinks are more potent than others.
Drink* |
Alcohol content |
| Manhattan | 1.15 oz. (34 ml) |
| Dry Martini | 1.00 oz. (30 ml) |
| Malt liquor | 12 oz. (355 ml) 0.71 oz. (21 ml) |
| Airline miniature | 0.70 oz. (21 ml) |
| Whiskey Sour/Highball | 0.60 oz. (18 ml) |
| Table Wine | 5 oz. (148 ml) 0.55 oz. (16 ml) |
| Beer | 12 oz. (355 ml) 0.54 oz. (16 ml) |
| Reduced Alcohol Beer | 0.28 oz. (8 ml) |
*Mixed drinks are based on typical drink recipes using 80 proof liquor. The amount of alcohol in mixed drinks may vary.
Beverage |
Alcohol content (%) |
| Beers (lager) | 3.2 - 4.0 |
| Ales | 4.5 |
| Porter | 6.0 |
| Stout | 6.0 - 8.0 |
| Malt Liquor | 3.2 - 7.0 |
| Sake | 14.0 - 16.0 |
| Table wines | 7.1 - 14.0 |
| Sparkling wines | 8.0 - 14.0 |
| Fortified wines | 14.0 - 24.0 |
| Aromatized wines | 15.5 - 20.0 |
| Brandies | 40.0 - 43.0 |
| Whiskies | 40.0 - 75.0 |
| Vodkas | 40.0 - 50.0 |
| Gin | 40.0 - 48.5 |
| Rum | 40.0 - 95.0 |
| Aquavit | 35.0 - 45.0 |
| Okolehao | 40.0 |
| Tequila | 45.0 - 50.5 |
The concentration of the drinks may have various effects on blood alcohol levels.The absorption rate of a drink depends on its strength. Alcohol is most rapidly absorbed when the concentration of the drink is between 10% and 30%.
When the concentration of the drink is below 10%, its relatively low alcohol content slows down alcohol absorption by the body. The involved volume of the remaining non-alcoholic liquid decreases stomach emptying. That shows that diluting alcohol by increased amounts of liquid decreases alcohol intoxication.
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Alcohol content and the amount consumed are important to remember when drinking, but they are not the only factors in the alcohol intoxication. To learn more, click here |