Pub garden units

Add up the units for an afternoon in the pub garden, with tips for the afternoon and the next morning.

Your details

An afternoon in the pub garden

6.2 units

44% of the 14 units a week guide, and above the 6 unit single session level

2 x Pint of lager or cider, 3.6%4.1 units
1 x Glass of wine, 175 ml, 12%2.1 units
Energy from the alcoholabout 347 kcal
Units an hour over 3.0 hours2.1, faster than the roughly 1 unit an hour your body clears
Alcohol likely still in your blood untilabout 7 hours after your first drink, so 4.0 hours after you leave
Soft drinks or water alongside1 for 3 alcoholic drinks: 2 more would make it one each
Drivingdo not drive: see below

Units are strength (%) x millilitres / 1,000. Alternate with water or soft drinks and eat something; spreading 14 units over 3 or more days is lower risk than one big session. There is no reliable way to tell from units when you are under the limit: how fast alcohol clears varies a lot, even small amounts slow your reactions, and you may still be over the limit the next morning. Scotland's limit is lower than the rest of the UK's. If you are driving, the safest choice is no alcohol: the only safe amount is none.

For help cutting down, talk to your GP or call Drinkline free on 0300 123 1110. Call 999 if someone is very drunk and cannot be woken.

The working

2 pints of 3.6% lager and a 175 ml glass of 12% wine

Each pint is 2.0 units and the wine 2.1, so 6.2 units: 44% of the 14 units a week guide and above the 6 unit single session level for women. The alcohol alone has about 347 kcal.

Pace and water

Units an hour and time to clear

Your body clears roughly 1 unit an hour, counted from your first drink. 6.2 units over 3 hours is 2.1 an hour, so alcohol is likely still in your blood for about 7 hours from the first drink, 4 hours after you leave. Alternating each alcoholic drink with a soft drink or water slows the pace and helps on a hot day; with 1 soft drink for 3 alcoholic ones, 2 more would make it one each. None of this tells you when it is safe to drive.

Units

Strength (%) x millilitres / 1,000

Drink	Units
Pint of 3.6% lager	2.0
Pint of 5.2% lager	3.0
175 ml glass of 12% wine	2.1
25 ml single spirit at 40%	1.0

Driving

Never from this page

There is no reliable way to tell from units when you are under the limit. How fast alcohol clears varies a lot, even small amounts slow your reactions, and you may still be over the limit the next morning. Scotland’s limit is lower than the rest of the UK’s. If you are driving, the safest choice is no alcohol: the only safe amount is none.

Read with care

What this cannot tell you

Say when you can driveNever: the only safe amount is none.
Know your drinksCheck the label for strength.
Measure your limitEveryone processes alcohol differently.

Questions

Common questions

How many units are in a pint?

About 2 for a 3.6% pint and 3 for a 5.2% pint.

What is the weekly guide?

No more than 14 units a week for men and women, spread over 3 or more days.

Can I drive after one pint?

We cannot tell you that, and nobody can from units alone. The only safe amount when driving is none.

How do I drink less in the pub?

Alternate with soft drinks, choose lower strength, and eat something.

Sources

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

Help with drinking

Talk to your GP or call Drinkline free on 0300 123 1110 for help cutting down. Call 999 if someone is very drunk and cannot be woken, or is breathing slowly.