How many ounces of hard liquor is equal to 12 ounces of beer?

Of course there are speciality drinks, like a martini or long island ice tea which combine a variety of alcohols.

A martini for instance has three shots of various types of alcohol, so one martini is equal to 3 beers. Long island ice tea has four shots, so one drink equals four beers.

Knowing what a standard drink is helps you lower associated short and long-term health risks.

Other Ways to Lower Your Risk

• Eat before, and when you drink.

• Set limits for yourself and stick to them.

• Drink slowly no more than 2 standard drinks in any 3 hours.

• For every drink of alcohol, have one alcohol-free drink.

• Plan at least 2 non-drinking days every week to avoid developing a habit.

• Your age, body weight and health problems may suggest lower limits.

• If you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, or about to breastfeed, the safest choice is to drink no alcohol at all.

  Many people are surprised to learn what counts as an actual drink. In Canada, a ‘standard’ drink is any drink that contains about 13.6 grams of “pure” alcohol. Once you know what a standard drink is you will know how much alcohol you are actually drinking.

   One Standard Drink Equals:

  • 341 ml (12 oz) bottle of 5% alcohol beer, cider or cooler
  • 43 ml (1.5 oz) shot of 40% hard liquor (vodka, rum, whisky, gin etc.)
  • 142 ml (5oz) glass of 12% wine

  

  Remember, high alcohol % beer, coolers, cider and fortified wines contain more than one standard drink. To read more about Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines, click on the image above .

  Watch this short video that explains Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines.

  Learn about:

  • A standard drink
  • Ways to reduce your risks with alcohol
  • When not to drink

  A glass of wine might seem more civilized than a no-name can of beer, but when it comes to acting uncivilized from boozing too much, wine will likely get you there quicker. In terms of alcohol content, the rule of thumb is that 12 ounces of beer is about equivalent to 5 ounces of wine and 1.5 ounces of liquor (the amount in a shot glass).

  The standard measurement of the alcohol content of drinks is alcohol by volume (ABV), which is given as the volume of ethanol as a percent of the total volume of the drink. On average, the ABV for beer is 4.5 percent; for wine, 11.6 percent ; and for liquor, 37 percent, according to William Kerr, senior scientist at the Alcohol Research Group of the Public Health Institute.

  The range in alcohol levels is the result of how each beverage is made. All alcoholic drinks rely on fermentation, a process in which yeast convert sugars into alcohol. Compared with beer, wine involves a longer fermentation process meaning it takes more time for the yeast to gobble up sugar in grapes and spit out alcohol. The alcohol content is limited by the yeast, which, during the fermentation of beer typically becomes inactive when alcohol levels climb above 10 percent. (For beer, yeast typically break down sugars found in starches, such as cereal grains.)

  Liquor, formally known as spirits , requires an extra process to achieve its souped-up alcohol content. Following fermentation, a process called distillation separates the water from the alcohol, resulting in higher alcohol concentrations of at least 20 percent. (Typical vodka contains about 40 percent ABV.)

  There are some so-called beer labels that claim much higher alcohol content than the average 4 percent to 6 percent. One example is Samuel Adams Utopias, which sells for about $100 for a 24-ounce bottle and boasts an ABV as high as 27 percent. So, what's the catch?

  Several beer companies have started experimenting with ways to push the alcohol limit in their beer. For example, Scottish brewers Martin Dickie and James Watt created their limited-edition bottles of Tactical Nuclear Penguin with 32 percent ABV by freezing a 10-percent-ABV beer. They then plucked out the ice (which contained only non-alcohol ingredients), leaving behind a higher concentration of alcohol.

  As technology allows brewers to blur the lines between beer, wine and spirits, wise consumers might want to keep an eye on the labels which indicate the ABV of all libations.

  • What Is Alcohol Poisoning?
  • Is Premium Liquor Really Better than the Cheap Stuff?
  • Should Recovering Alcoholics Avoid Bars? The Answer Depends on Genetics

  Got a question? Email it to Life's Little Mysteries and we'll try to answer it. Due to the volume of questions, we unfortunately can't reply individually, but we will publish answers to the most intriguing questions, so check back soon.

  Is a 12 oz beer equal to one shot?

  The general rule is that one 12-ounce (354-ml) beer with 5% ABV equals one shot of 40% ABV liquor.

  How much whiskey is a 12 oz beer equal to?

  One 12-oz. beer has as much alcohol as a 1.5-oz. shot of whiskey or a 5-oz. glass of wine.”

  How many ounces of alcohol is in a 12

  A standard drink is 12 ounces of beer, four ounces of wine or 1-1/4 ounces of 80 proof distilled spirits. They all contain about the same amount of pure alcohol (about 1/2 ounce).

  How many shots is equal to a beer?

  Summary. A general rule of thumb is that one 12 ounces (354 ml) beer with 5% ABV equals one hard drink shot. Still, both beer and strong alcohol ABV value can vary depending on the type and brand. Be careful since drinking a shot takes less time than beer, and you can get drunk faster.