In Australia, one standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. This applies whether you are drinking beer, wine, cider, spirits or liqueurs. (NHMRC)

Knowing the number of standard drinks in a bottle helps with responsible serving, accurate labelling and understanding alcohol strength.

The Australian standard drinks formula

Use this formula:

Standard drinks = Volume in mL × ABV % × 0.789 ÷ 1000

The number 0.789 represents the approximate density of pure alcohol in grams per millilitre.

Example: 700 mL spirit at 40% ABV

700 × 40 × 0.789 ÷ 1000 = 22.1 standard drinks

A 700 mL bottle at 40% ABV therefore contains approximately 22 standard drinks.

Example: 30 mL serve at 40% ABV

30 × 40 × 0.789 ÷ 1000 = 0.95 standard drinks

A typical 30 mL serve of 40% spirit is close to one Australian standard drink.

Example: 500 mL liqueur at 20% ABV

500 × 20 × 0.789 ÷ 1000 = 7.9 standard drinks

This is why bottle size and ABV both need to be considered. A lower-strength liqueur can still contain several standard drinks across a full bottle.

Why calculate standard drinks?

Standard drink calculations help you:

• Label bottles accurately
• Compare drinks with different ABV levels
• Plan serving sizes
• Understand the strength of liqueurs and flavoured spirits
• Make informed drinking decisions

Use the [Link: Spirits Calculators] to calculate total standard drinks, standard drinks per bottle and standard drinks per serve.

Standard drinks and serving size

A standard drink is not always the same as one glass or one pour.

For example:

• A 30 mL spirit serve at 40% ABV is around one standard drink.
• A larger 60 mL pour at 40% ABV is close to two standard drinks.
• A sweet liqueur may be lower in ABV, but a large pour can still contain more than one standard drink.

Responsible serving note

Alcohol can affect judgement, coordination and reaction time. Australian health guidance advises that drinking less is better for health, and healthy adults should not consume more than 10 standard drinks in a week or more than 4 standard drinks on any one day. (NHMRC)

Frequently asked questions

Does ice change the number of standard drinks?

No. Ice dilutes the drink with water, but it does not reduce the amount of alcohol in the original serve.

Does mixing with soft drink change standard drinks?

No. A mixer changes the total drink volume, but the alcohol content stays the same.

Can I calculate standard drinks from bottle labels?

Yes. You need the bottle volume and alcohol percentage.