# Standard Drinks Calculator



## homekegger1 (11/7/08)

Just wondering if anyone knows of a standard drink calculator available anywhere??? Something where you add total volume and Alc percentage and it tells you total standard drinks.

This could be a handy tool for us HBers who may have one or 2 and not really know how many we are having. If there is nothing available perhaps one of the computer guru's may be able to come up with something. Even something that could be added to Docs Calcs above.

Cheers

HK


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## kevo (11/7/08)

I think a 'standard drink' equates to 10ml of alcohol?

So, roughly, a stubby of 10% beer, that would be about 30ml of alcohol in total - being about three standard drinks? :huh: 

I'm sure someone has a much better idea than I do.

Kev


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## Adamt (11/7/08)

A rough manual calculation is to multiply volume (mL) by ABV (%) and divide by 1300.

i.e. CPA: 375mL * 4.5%ABV / 1300 = 1.298 ~= 1.3 standard drinks.


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## kevo (11/7/08)

Sounds good - how does the 1300 come into play?

Kev


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## homekegger1 (11/7/08)

Adamt said:


> A rough manual calculation is to multiply volume (mL) by ABV (%) and divide by 1300.
> 
> i.e. CPA: 375mL * 4.5%ABV / 1300 = 1.298 ~= 1.3 standard drinks.






kevo said:


> Sounds good - how does the 1300 come into play?
> 
> Kev




Kev,

No idea where the 1300 comes from, but I tried the equation with a bottle of wine and a can of beer and refined it to be 1265. Attached is a simple excel spreadsheet for anyone that may be interested.

Adam,

Many thanks for the heads up on the equation.

View attachment Standard_Drink_Calc.xls



Cheers

HK


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## pokolbinguy (11/7/08)

HK, 

I cant seem to get your spreadsheet to work. it says the cells are locked. Can you unlock the needed cells and re-load as it wants a password.

Cheers, Pok


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## Adamt (11/7/08)

The 1300 was just a factor I worked out from a known result... call it an empirical constant. The 1300 is basically saying 13mL alcohol as a standard drink, and multiplied by 100 as we are using a percentage.


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## Frank (11/7/08)

*How are standard drinks calculated? *
The formula for calculating standard drinks:

Volume of container in litres​X​% alcohol by volume (ml/100ml)​X​0.789*​=​The number of standard drinks​

For example one stubbie (375ml) of full strength beer (5% alcohol by volume):

0.375​X​5​X​0.789*​=​1.5​
*The specific gravity of ethyl alcohol is 0.789

Quoted from here.


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## homekegger1 (11/7/08)

pokolbinguy said:


> Kev,
> 
> I cant seem to get your spreadsheet to work. it says the cells are locked. Can you unlock the needed cells and re-load as it wants a password.
> 
> Cheers, Pok




Here Pok Try this.

View attachment Standard_Drink_Calc.xls


Boston,

Just tried your math as well and works the same. If mine is wrong can you let me know.

Cheers

HK


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## Adamt (11/7/08)

So... from Boston's equations, I'm guessing 1 standard drink is 10g of alcohol, which is 12.67mL (i.e. that constant is 1267). Remember this is homebrew too, our ABV percentages (and pouring volumes) are estimates so accuracy is already shot


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## pokolbinguy (11/7/08)

HK,
Works fine now, cheers.


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## Lobsta (11/7/08)

I like Incider's method for determining how strong his home brew is. Drink some it and see how he feels following that.


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## Doc (12/7/08)

This spreadsheet may help.

Beers,
Doc 

View attachment DrinkPlanner.xls


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## RedDwarf (15/7/08)

Tactical Chunder...Thats gold!


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## stowaway (16/7/08)

hmm. seems to be a bit of confussion here.
isnt 1 standard drink = 10mls of pure alocohol.

therefor standard drink caculation would be:

(Amount of Liquid * Alocohol content Percentage) / 10 = standard drinks.
Because:

Amount of liquid * alocohl content = amount of alocohol in liquid. Ie

375mls * .045 (4.5% alocohol) = there is 16.875mls of alocohol in 375mls of beer that is 4.5%

then divide the answer by 10 = 1.6875 standard drinks.
because 10mls = a standard drink.

1 more time:
(375 * .045) / 10 = 1.6875 

please tell me if im wrong?


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## Millet Man (16/7/08)

stowaway said:


> hmm. seems to be a bit of confussion here.
> isnt 1 standard drink = 10mls of pure alocohol.
> 
> therefor standard drink caculation would be:
> ...


As Boston said earlier it's 10g of alcohol not 10ml 

eg: 1 standard drink is (roughly);

Middy or pot of beer - 250ml at 5.0% ABV or 285ml at 4.5% (375ml stubbie at 5.0% ABV is 1.5 standard drinks - check a generic oz beer)
Shot of spirits - 30ml at 40% ABV

Cheers, Andrew.


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