Alcohol Content
How well do you know your beers?
Did you know that a Federal law exists prohibiting most beers from labeling its alcohol content? While there are non-alcoholic beers that have less than 0.5% alcohol, most beers range between 4% to 6% alcohol content by volume.
How about liquor and wine?
It is more difficult to determine the amount of alcohol in a mixed drink, like beer or wine coolers. So counting your mixed drinks requires a little more effort.
Count the number of shots in your mixed drinks, calculating approximately 1 drink per shot. Be wary of large batches of mixed drinks, such as punch bowl mixes; the sweetness of the mix can mask the concentration of alcohol and your plan for moderation goes right out the window (you might too).
The Standard Drink
A standard drink contains approximately ½ an ounce of ethanol.
10 to 12 ounces of beer
8 to 12 ounces of wine cooler
4 to 5 ounces of table wine
1.25 ounces of 80 proof spirits, or
1.0 ounce of 100 proof spirits
Alcohol Content of a Standard Drink
Alcoholic beverages vary greatly in alcohol (ethanol) content. Some have an ethanol content that only measure 3% of the total beverage while others contain as much as 90% ethanol. BAC tables are based on a "standard drink" which has 0.5 ounce (one half ounce) of pure ethanol.
Give it a try:
Refer to the Alcohol Content of Beers and Alcohol Content of Liquors and Wines charts for alcohol concentration.
Your favorite drink contains ________ ounces of beverage, without mix. Multiply by ________ percent of alcohol. Equals how many ounces ________ of ethanol in this drink. Divide by 0.5 ounces ________ (a standard drink), and your drink equals ________ standard drinks.
That's all there is to it. Once you've determined how many standard drinks there are in your favorite beverage you can use the BAC tables to estimate your blood alcohol concentration.
Hours to Zero BAC
Although you can raise your BAC quickly by slamming drinks, you will probably be suprised to learn how much time it takes for your body to eliminate alcohol from the bloodstream. BAC goes down at a slow and predictable rate. This is because your liver can only metabolize a predictable blood alcohol concentration per hour. The normal body will metabolize between .015 percent and .020 percent BAC per hour.