Convert your drinks into standard drink sizes

For an amount of alcohol, find out how many Canadian standard drinks it represents.

Size:

ml oz

Strength (% alcohol):

Calculate

Convert your standard drinks into volume

For a number of Canadian standard drinks and % alcohol, find the volume (in ml) it represents.

Number of std. drinks:

Strength (% alcohol):

Calculate

What is a standard drink?

A Canadian standard drink contains 17.05mL (0.5765oz)¹ of pure ethanol.

Learning to count drinks?

• 340 mL bottle of light beer (3.7% alcohol) = 0.7 standard drinks
• 355 mL can of extra strength beer (8% alcohol) = 1.7 standard drinks
• 500 mL can of cider (4.5% alcohol) = 1.3 standard drinks
• 750 mL bottle of wine (12% alcohol) = 5.3 standard drinks
• 9 oz glass of wine (14% alcohol) = 2.1 standard drinks
• 2 oz shot of spirits (40% alcohol) = 1.3 standard drinks

As of Jan 2023, Canada has updated its Guidance on Alcohol and Health. Unlike the previous guidelines from 2011, the new guidelines define a 'continuum of risk associated with weekly alcohol' rather than a recommended maximum number of drinks per week.
The harms are defined as:

• 2 standard drinks or less per week — You are likely to avoid alcohol-related consequences for yourself or others at this level.
• 3–6 standard drinks per week — Your risk of developing several types of cancer, including breast and colon cancer, increases at this level.
• 7 standard drinks or more per week — Your risk of heart disease or stroke increases significantly at this level.
• Each additional standard drink radically increases the risk of alcohol-related consequences.
• Consuming more than 2 standard drinks per occasion is associated with an increased risk of harms to self and others, including injuries and violence.

Developed by:

Note: The mathematical formula for calculating a standard drink using millilitres (mL) is: ((container volume in mL x % alcohol by volume)/(17.05mL of ethanol))/100

¹ Ounces (oz) are Imperial fluid ounces (rather than US fluid ounces).