Skip to content

Know your units

The size and strength of drinks vary, so it’s not as simple as assuming that one drink makes one unit.

A glass of wine, for example, can contain one to three units depending on the size of the glass and the strength of the wine.

How do I work out how many units a drink contains?

A good place to start is to find out how many units there are in your favourite drink.

Know your units

The image shows how many units some of the most common drinks contain.

For example, a single 35ml shot of spirits contains roughly as much alcohol as a small 125ml glass of wine or half a pint of ordinary-strength beer – about 1.5 units.

For more detailed information about how many units different drinks contain visit the alcohol unit page.

Keep in mind! When drinking at home, it’s easy to pour larger drinks – so you could be drinking more than you think.

Related external links

DAN 24/7 (Wales drug and alcohol helpline)
Unit calculator (English only)
Alcohol Concern (English only)
Alcoholics Anonymous (English only)