What is one UK alcohol unit?

One UK alcohol unit is defined as 10 ml (8 grams) of pure ethanol. The formula is: units = volume (ml) × ABV% ÷ 1000.

What is the UK Chief Medical Officers' weekly guideline?

The UK CMO guideline advises that to keep health risks from alcohol low, adults should not regularly drink more than 14 units a week, ideally spread across 3 or more days with several alcohol-free days. The guideline is a benchmark for lower risk, not an individually risk-free allowance.

How many units are in standard UK drink sizes?

A pint (568 ml) of 4% lager contains 2.27 units. A large glass (250 ml) of 13% wine contains 3.25 units. A standard pub single measure (25 ml) of 40% spirit contains exactly 1.00 unit, and a double (50 ml) contains 2.00 units.

Is this data stored or sent anywhere?

No. All calculations run strictly in your browser. The session log is stored only in transient browser memory and disappears entirely when the page is refreshed or closed.

Alcohol Units Calculator

Enter volume (ml), ABV%, and serving count to calculate official UK alcohol units for individual drinks or a private session log.

Guidance benchmark: NHS: calculating alcohol units and UK Chief Medical Officers' Low Risk Guidelines. 14 units per week is a population-level lower-risk threshold, not a personalised safety guarantee.

Drink Details

Standard Vessel Sizes (ml)

Volume (ml)

Strength (% ABV)

Servings (Count)

Label (optional)

Calculation

Enter volume, ABV%, and servings to display UK alcohol units.

Session Intake Log

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No drinks logged in this session. Add drinks to track running totals.

Factual Unit Relationships & Boundaries

Unit Definition 1 UK unit = exactly 10 ml (8 grams) of pure ethanol. Calculated as: (Volume in ml × ABV%) ÷ 1000.

Weekly Guideline 14 units/week is the lower-risk benchmark for adults, recommended to be spread across 3 or more days.

Clinical Scope & Limits Not a BAC or driving-safety tool. Unit thresholds do not guarantee safety or account for individual metabolic variance.

Summary

Enter volume (ml), ABV%, and serving count to calculate official UK alcohol units for individual drinks or a private session log.

How it works

Select a standard vessel size or enter your drink volume in millilitres (ml).
Enter the alcohol by volume (ABV%) percentage shown on the container label.
Specify the number of servings (1 to 100).
The tool calculates units per serving and total units using the formula: (volume × ABV) ÷ 1000.
Optionally add entries to your private in-memory session log to track cumulative units.

Use cases

Calculate the precise unit content of pints, wine glasses, spirit pours, or bottled drinks.
Multiply units across multiple servings for a single outing or weekly review.
Check craft beers, ciders, and homebrews with non-standard volumes and alcohol strengths.
Evaluate consumption against the UK CMO 14-unit lower-risk guideline benchmark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-09-23 · Reviewed by Nham Vu