Calculate a Standard Drink

Calculate a Standard Drink - Canada

What is a standard drink in Canada?

Published: July 20, 2023 canada

In Canada, a standard drink typically contains approximately 13.6 grams of pure alcohol. According to Canada's National Alcohol Strategy, this amounts to:

A regular beer (5% alcohol by volume) of 341 ml (12 fl. oz.)
A glass of wine (12% alcohol by volume) of 140 ml (5 fl. oz.)
A shot of distilled spirits (40% alcohol by volume) of 43 ml (1.5 fl. oz.)

If you want to calculate the number of standard drinks for differently sized and strengthed drinks, you can try our handy calculator here.

A cold glass of beer, resting on a pub bar. — A cold one. *Photo by Martin Vorel*

Please note that this definition is used for labeling purposes and is provided as a standard guideline. The actual alcohol content may vary depending on the brand, type of beverage, volume and strength of the alchol by volume. It's always important to check the label for specific alcohol content of any given drink.