You’ve probably heard the term ‘standard drink’ but might be unclear on what it actually means. 

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A standard drink is not the same as a serve or glass of wine or beer. Drinks in pubs and restaurants as well as those in bottles and cans come in different sizes, and different types of alcoholic drinks have different amounts of alcohol in them. That’s not to mention how much you might be in the habit of pouring at home! 

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The definition of a standard drink is an amount that has 10g of alcohol. So for stronger drinks like spirits a much smaller amount makes up one standard drink.  

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A list of common drinks with how many standard drinks they equal is listed below. 

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To reduce your risk of illness associated with drinking too much alcohol, the Australian guidelines recommend having no more than two standards drink per day, and to include two alcohol free days per week (1).

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When you look at the above standard drinks serves, it’s easy to see how drinking in excess of this can be easy to do. It’s a good idea to keep check of how many standard drinks you’re having, for the benefit of your overall health as well as minimising your next-day hangover! 

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(1) National Health and Medical Research Council (2020, September 29) Alcohol. Retrieved from https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/fat-salt-sugars-and-alcohol/alcohol

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Prepared by Kara Vogt – Accredited Practicing Dietitian 

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