๐บ Pure Alcohol Content Calculator
Uses ethanolโs standard specific gravity of 0.8 g/mL.
Enter a drinkโs volume (mL) and alcohol by volume (ABV %) to calculate its pure alcohol content in grams. Useful for comparing against guidelines like Japanโs Ministry of Health recommendation of roughly 20g of pure alcohol per day for moderate drinking.
How to use
- Choose a common drink from the presets, or enter the volume and ABV directly.
- The pure alcohol content (g) is calculated automatically.
How the calculation works
Calculate the grams of pure alcohol in a drink from its volume (mL) and alcohol strength (%). Presets are available for beer, wine, sake, shochu and highballs. Pure alcohol (g) = volume (mL) ร strength (%) รท 100 ร 0.8 0.8 is the density of alcohol (ethanol), about 0.8 g per mL. Converting to pure alcohol lets you compare different drinks on the same scale.
Worked example
Beer 500 mL (5%): 500 ร 0.05 ร 0.8 = 20 g Sake one gล, 180 mL (15%): 21.6 g Wine, one 125 mL glass (12%): 12 g Chลซhai 350 mL (7%): 19.6 g A medium bottle of beer or one gล of sake is roughly 20 g of pure alcohol.
Things to be aware of
- Japanโs Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare guideline on drinking with health in mind (2024) says the risk of lifestyle diseases rises from 40 g a day for men and 20 g a day for women.
- The effect of the same amount varies widely with constitution, age and sex. Drinking under 20 is illegal in Japan.
- Never drink and drive. Even 20 g of pure alcohol takes several hours to leave the body.
FAQ
What formula does this use?
Pure alcohol (g) = volume (mL) ร ABV (%) รท 100 ร 0.8, using ethanolโs specific gravity of approximately 0.8 g/mL.
Why 0.8?
Ethanol (alcohol) has a specific gravity of about 0.8 g/mL. This is the standard coefficient used by public health bodies like Japanโs Ministry of Health for pure alcohol calculations.
What counts as "moderate drinking"?
Japanโs Ministry of Health guideline suggests an average of about 20g of pure alcohol per day, though appropriate amounts vary by individual.