What is a "Standard Drink" in Most Bars and Restaurants?

     There is a real lack of knowledge when it comes to consuming alcohol.   People feel that they can drink beer one after another, and not be consuming much alcohol into their systems.  This is simply not true.   The reality of it is that the person drinking is very likely to e consuming the same amount of alcohol as the person having a shot is they go one for one.   I've heard people tell me that they can drink a six pack of beer and think they are not impaired, but if they drink 2 or 3 cocktails they would be "smashed"   the truth is that there is less pure alcohol in three standard cocktails than there is in the six pack of beer.  In fact there is twice as much pure alcohol in the beer.

      Here is a comparison of beers, wines and spirits volume of pure alcohol basted on what is known
as a "standard serving" of each.   Look at it like this a 12 oz. cocktail with 1.5 oz. of 80 proof spirits has about 0.6 oz. of pure alcohol, and a 12 oz. beer which is rated at 5% (10 proof) alcohol also contains 0.6 oz. of pure alcohol.  Below is a chart that shows how much alcohol there is in a "standard serving" of alcoholic beverages.

12 fl. oz. of regular beer = 5% alcohol = 0.6 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

12 fl. oz. of malt liquor = 7% alcohol = 0.7 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

5 fl oz of table wine = 12% alcohol = 0.6 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

 3 fl oz of fortified wine = 19% alcohol = 0.6 fl oz. Pure Alcohol

2.5 fl oz of cordial, liqueur, or aperitif = 24% Alcohol = 0.6 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

1.5 fl oz of brandy or cognac = 40% Alcohol = 0.6 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

1.5 fl oz shot of 80-proof spirit = 40% = 0.6 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

0.95 fl. oz.  shot of 151 proof spirit = 75.5% Alcohol = 0.7 fl. oz. Pure Alcohol

     As you can see from the chart, if you are consuming alcoholic beverages of any kind, you are taking in a very equal amount of pure alcohol from any category.   Don't fool yourself into trouble by believing that beer has less alcohol that 151 proof spirits, because standard servings of any of these is really about the same amount of pure alcohol content.