Alcohol units calculator

Pints, glasses and measures into the units the NHS talks about, with the real strength of what you drink.

Your details

Counting
Pints of beer, lager or cider
Their strength
Glasses of wine
Wine glass size
Wine strength
Spirit singles (25 ml, 40%)
Sex

A double counts as 2 singles. Sex only changes the single occasion line.

Your drinks in a usual week

15.8

units a week, above the 14 unit guideline

  • Beer, lager or cider (pints)10.2 units
  • Wine (175 ml glasses)4.6 units
  • Spirits (25 ml singles at 40%)1.0 units
  • Calories from the alcohol alone883 kcal (mixers and sugars add more)
  • UK guidelineno more than 14 units a week, spread over 3 or more days
  • Spread over 3 days, each day is5.3 units units, within the 6 unit single session line for women

Regularly drinking more than 14 units a week raises the risk of long term harm. Cutting back by a drink or two, or adding drink free days, brings it down. Never drink and drive. How fast alcohol clears varies a lot from person to person, so there is no reliable way to know you are under the limit, and you can still be over it the morning after. Scotland's limit is lower than the rest of the UK's. If you will drive, the safest choice is no alcohol at all.

Worried about your drinking, or someone else's? Your GP can help, and Drinkaware and Drinkline (0300 123 1110, free and confidential) are there too. Call 999 if someone cannot be woken, is breathing slowly or is fitting after drinking.

The working

A usual week: 4 pints, 2 wines, 1 gin

Units are strength times millilitres divided by 1,000. Four pints of 4.5% beer: 4.5 x 568 / 1,000 = 2.56 each, so 10.2 units. Two 175 ml glasses of 13% wine: 2.28 each, so 4.6 units. One 25 ml single at 40% is 1 unit. That is 15.8 units, a little over the 14 unit guideline, and about 880 kcal from the alcohol alone.

Common drinks

NHS averages

DrinkUnits
Single 25 ml spirit, 40%1
Small 125 ml wine, 12%1.5
Bottle of beer, 330 ml, 5%1.7
Pint of 3.6% lager2
Standard 175 ml wine, 12%2.1
Pint of 5.2% lager3
Large 250 ml wine, 12%3
Bottle of wine, 750 ml, 13.5%10

Strength makes a big difference: a pint of 5.2% lager has half as many units again as a 3.6% one.

The guidelines

What the UK Chief Medical Officers say

  • No more than 14 units a week on a regular basis, for men and women
  • Spread them over 3 or more days, rather than saving them up
  • Several drink free days a week help if you want to cut down
  • More than 8 units for men or 6 for women in one session counts as binge drinking

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

  • Say what is safe for youThere is no completely safe level of drinking; 14 units keeps the risk low.
  • Cover pregnancyThe advice in pregnancy is not to drink at all.
  • Help with drivingUnits do not tell you if you are under the limit. If you drive, do not drink.

Questions

Common questions

How many units is a pint?

It depends on strength. A pint of 3.6% lager is about 2 units and a pint of 5.2% lager is about 3. Strong craft beers and ciders can be well over 3.

How many units is a bottle of wine?

A 750 ml bottle of 13.5% wine is about 10 units, so one bottle across a week is already most of the 14 unit guideline.

Is 14 units a week the same for men and women?

Yes. Since 2016 the UK guideline is the same for both: no more than 14 units a week, spread over 3 or more days.

Can this tell me if I am safe to drive?

No, and no calculator can. Alcohol affects everyone differently and you can be unsafe even under the legal limit. How fast alcohol clears varies a lot, you can still be over the limit the next morning, and Scotland's limit is lower than the rest of the UK's. If you are going to drive, the safest choice is no alcohol at all.

Sources

Last checked 21 October 2026. Spotted something wrong? Tell us and we will fix it.

If drinking is on your mind

Your GP can help in confidence. Drinkline is free on 0300 123 1110, and Drinkaware has tools to help you cut down. If you drink heavily every day, do not stop suddenly without advice. Call 999 if someone cannot be woken, is breathing slowly or is fitting after drinking.

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