Not necessarily. Although they have fewer calories, many light beers have almost as much alcohol as regular beer—about 85% as much, or 4.2% versus 5.0% alcohol by volume, on average.
Check the alcohol content of your beverage. Malt beverages are not required to list their alcohol content on the labels, so you may need to visit the bottler's Web site.
See What's a standard drink?
How many "drinks" are in a bottle of wine?
A typical 25-ounce (750 ml) bottle of table wine holds about 5 "standard" drinks, each containing about 5 ounces. This serving size of wine contains about the same amount of alcohol as a 12-ounce regular beer or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof spirits.
Get to know what 5 ounces looks like by measuring it out at home. That way you can estimate how many standard drinks you're being served in a restaurant or bar that uses large glasses and generous serving sizes.
See What's a standard drink?
Mixing alcohol with certain medications can cause nausea, headaches, drowsiness, fainting, a loss of coordination, internal bleeding, heart problems, and difficulties in breathing. Alcohol can also make a medication less effective. For more information, see Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines.
Examples of medical conditions for which it's safest to avoid drinking include liver disease (such as from hepatitis C), bipolar disorder, abnormal heart rhythm, and chronic pain.
Among the dangers of underage drinking:
- Each year, an estimated 5,000 people under age 21 die from alcohol-related injuries.
- The younger people are when they start to drink, the more likely they are to develop alcohol use disorder at some point in their lives.
- Underage drinking is illegal—an arrest can lead to losing a job, a driver's license, or a college scholarship.
Even moderate amounts of alcohol can significantly impair driving performance and your ability to operate other machinery, whether or not you feel the effects of alcohol.
Heavy drinking during pregnancy can cause brain damage and other serious problems in the baby. Because it is not yet known whether any amount of alcohol is safe for a developing baby, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant should not drink.
Highest risk
About 50% of people who drink in this group have alcohol use disorder.
Increased risk
This "increased risk" category contains three different drinking pattern groups. Overall, nearly 20% of people who drink in this category have alcohol use disorder.
Low-risk drinking
Only about 2% of drinkers in this group has alcohol use disorder.
A U.S. standard drink contains about 0.6 fluid ounces or 14 grams of pure alcohol (also known as an alcoholic drink-equivalent). That's the amount in 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of table wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Distilled spirits include vodka, whiskey, gin, rum, and tequila.
Light to moderate drinking
- Men: Up to 2 drinks per day
- Women: Up to 1 drink per day
Heavy or at-risk drinking
- Men: More than 4 drinks on any day or more than 14 drinks per week
- Women: More than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks per week
Low-risk drinking
Men: No more than 4 drinks on any day and no more than 14 per week
Women: No more than 3 drinks on any day and no more than 7 per week
People with a parent, grandparent, or other close relative with alcoholism have a higher risk for becoming dependent on alcohol. For many, it may be difficult to maintain low-risk drinking habits.
Pace yourself: It's best to have no more than one standard drink per hour, with nonalcoholic "drink spacers" between alcohol beverages. On any day, stay within low-risk levels of no more than 4 drinks for men or 3 for women. Note that it takes about 2 hours for the adult body to completely break down a single drink. Do not drive after drinking.
For comparison, regular beer is 5% alcohol by volume (alc/vol), table wine is about 12% alc/vol, and straight 80-proof distilled spirits is 40% alc/vol.
The percent alcohol by volume (alc/vol) for distilled spirits is listed on bottle labels and may be found online as well. It is half the "proof," such that 80-proof spirits is 40% alc/vol.
Convert proof to alc/vol
Enter in the proof of the alcohol in the left field to automatically calculate the alc/vol.
Convert to fluid ounces
Enter in the measurement in milliliters in the left field to automatically calculate the amount in fluid ounces.
Ask any liquor enthusiast — or, ahem, expert — and they’ll probably tell you that drinking the crystal clear drink vodka is one of the fastest ways to get drunk.But how much vodka can you actually drink before you’re considered completely drunk? We’ll let you know in a second.
Table of Contents
- How Much Vodka Can Get You Drunk?
- Number of Vodka Shots To Get Drunk
- Men
- Women
- Factors Affecting Vodka Intake in a Person
- Mood
- Weight
- Gender
- Side Drinks & Chasers
- Popular Vodka Brands
- FAQs
- So, How Many Shots of Vodka WIll Get You Drunk?
How Much Vodka Can Get You Drunk?
To get a little tipsy, an average individual would need around 2 to 4 shots of vodka. You may start feeling drunk with 5 to 9 shots. In our experience, more than 10 shots of vodka will leave you feeling extremely drunk.
Vodka is a type of distilled alcoholic drink that is usually void of odor and flavor, making it the perfect alcohol base for many mixed drinks and cocktails. It is considered one of the strongest liquors, so yes, it can get you drunk.
Vodka has a minimum bottling level of 35 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), which is pretty high compared to the 3 to 13 percent ABV of beer, the 11.6 percent ABV of wine, the 35 to 55 percent ABV of gin. Some vodka brands are bottled at a higher ABV, with Spirytus Rektyfikowany considered the strongest vodka in the world at 96 percent ABV.
More premium quality vodka tends to be stronger, and sometimes one shot glass of vodka can leave one feeling a little bit drunk already.
Also Read: Does Vodka Evaporate?
Number of Vodka Shots To Get Drunk
Men
So, how many shots does it take to get drunk? It would take an average-sized man 7 to 9 shots of vodka before he would start feeling drunk, with a maximum limit of 10 to 11 shots before he’s too drunk to do anything else. As mentioned earlier, men have higher alcohol tolerance than women.
Fun fact: the Russians love their vodka so much that they can continue drinking up to half a liter (16.5 ounces) and still feel sober! Here are some vodka brands made in Russia.
Also Read: Skyy Vodka Flavors
Women
After 3 shots of vodka, most women would start feeling a bit drunk, but not in any extreme way. Maybe more like armed with enough liquid courage to hit up the cutie at the far end of the bar. After 5 to 6 shots, most women will probably be totally drunk, and we don’t advise you to go for more. But, how many mL is one shot?
Note that the above statistical data will be ballpark figures of how much vodka is needed to get drunk. Each shot will be the US standard of 1.5 ounces, and we will consider only vodkas with an ABV of 40 percent.
Of course, suppose you are taking your time in between shots, eating food, or even simply making an effort to take small sips of vodka. In that case, it will definitely take you longer to get drunk, and you may even end up consuming a lot more vodka, so the below will not apply to you.
Also Read: Guide to Vodka Proof
Factors Affecting Vodka Intake in a Person
Mood
If you aren’t too hung up about drinking, your alcohol tolerance might surprise you. It’s said that those who were in a happier mood or weren’t pressured when it came to drinking vodka drank way more than those who were nervous, who got drunk sooner. But what vodka type causes less hangover?
Weight
A person with less body weight will definitely not be able to handle as much vodka (or any alcohol) as the next person who weighs a lot more. In other words, the less you weigh, the more affected you are by alcohol.
Also Read: Vodka vs Rum
Gender
Women generally have lower alcohol tolerance than men, and it’s not because of some gender inequality thing. Men’s and women’s bodies are made differently. Women biologically have less alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) in their bodies than men, a stomach and liver enzyme responsible for breaking down alcoholic drinks.
Side Drinks & Chasers
Have you ever tried to drink on an empty stomach? It didn’t turn out so well for you, did it? [1] The same concept applies to drinking vodka with chasers, side drinks, and snacks. Suppose your stomach is full of other fruit juices like lemon juice, olives, peanuts, and other consumable products commonly paired with alcohol. In that case, it can help in staying sober as your body will have to work twice as hard to absorb the vodka enough to get you to feel drunk.
Read:
- Our Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drinks
- Who Makes Kirkland Vodkas?
- How Many Shots Are In A Liter?
- How Many Beers Are Equal To A Vodka Shot?
- Grey Goose & Belvedere Vodka Comparison
Popular Vodka Brands
Vodka Brand
Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
Belvedere
40
Svedka
40
Stolichnaya
40
Zubrowka
40
Absolut
40
Smirnoff
37.5
Tito’s
40
Finlandia
40
Khortytsa
40
Grey Goose
40
FAQs
Are five shots of vodka a lot?
Yes, five shots of vodka are considered a lot, especially if you plan to drink them all in one go. You might even end up getting sick and throwing up. If you plan on drinking five shots, it’s better to go slow and spread it out. Maybe drink one shot now and another shot in 30 minutes to an hour. Find out how long vodka takes to kick in here.
How long does being drunk with vodka last?
If you get drunk on vodka, the effects of intoxication on your brain, such as lightheadedness, euphoria, slurred speech, and decreased coordination, will probably last about six hours. That’s not counting the hangover and detoxification period, though, which can last anywhere from 48 to 72 hours. But, can you mix vodka and tequila?
So, How Many Shots of Vodka WIll Get You Drunk?
Being drunk is great fun, but it’s no fun to stay drunk and miss out on most of the party’s happenings. Take note that on average, women should only stick to an average of five shots, while men can go up to seven.
Now that you know just how much vodka to drink to get drunk, you’re better equipped for the next time you plan on partying the night away!