Enter your drink's volume, alcohol by volume (ABV%), and number of drinks to calculate total alcohol units and standard drinks. The Alcohol Unit Calculator shows you exactly how much pure alcohol you're consuming — helping you stay within recommended weekly limits.
Total Alcohol Units / Standard Drinks
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Pure Alcohol (ml)
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Pure Alcohol (grams)
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Units per Single Drink
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% of Recommended Weekly Limit
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ABV from Proof Converter
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In the UK, one unit of alcohol equals 10ml (or 8g) of pure alcohol. It's the amount an average adult body can process in approximately one hour. The formula is: Units = Volume (ml) × ABV (%) ÷ 1000.
A US standard drink contains 14 grams of pure alcohol — equivalent to 17.7ml of pure alcohol. A UK unit contains 10ml (8g) of pure alcohol. So one US standard drink equals approximately 1.77 UK units. This calculator lets you switch between systems.
A standard 750ml bottle of wine at 12% ABV contains 9 UK units (750 × 12 ÷ 1000 = 9). That's equivalent to approximately 5 US standard drinks. The NHS recommends drinking no more than 14 units per week spread over at least 3 days.
A 40 fl. oz. (approximately 1183ml) bottle of malt liquor at around 7% ABV contains about 8.3 UK units or approximately 4.7 US standard drinks — significantly more than most people realise for a single container.
The UK's NHS recommends no more than 14 units per week for both men and women. The US Dietary Guidelines recommend no more than 14 standard drinks per week for men and 7 per week for women. It's also recommended to have at least 2 alcohol-free days per week.
Proof is simply double the ABV percentage. So 80-proof spirits = 40% ABV, and 100-proof = 50% ABV. Use the Proof Converter field in this calculator — enter the proof value and it will display the corresponding ABV percentage automatically.
Tracking units helps you make informed decisions about your drinking and stay within safe limits. Many people significantly underestimate how much alcohol is in their drinks, especially with larger glass sizes and higher-strength craft beers and wines becoming more common.
On average, the liver processes about one UK unit per hour. However, this varies based on body weight, age, sex, food intake, and individual metabolism. You cannot speed this up with coffee or water — only time reduces blood alcohol concentration.