Holiday Drinking and Your Health

The holiday season is filled with celebrations and gatherings with family and friends. It can also be a stressful time for many people as they get ready for the festivities, such as cooking, preparing for guests, shopping for presents, and traveling during a busy period. Many people may find that alcohol is more present than usual, and even people who do not usually drink alcohol may overindulge more at this time of year. Others may experience loneliness and isolation and increase their alcohol consumption in an effort to cope with these emotions. During this season, it is important to be mindful of how much you are drinking—and that starts with an understanding of the definition of a standard drink.

What is a Standard Drink and Why Does it Matter?

“Standard drink” is a measure of how much alcohol is contained in a beverage. Drinks like beer, wine, and distilled spirits often contain very different amounts of alcohol. This means the size of an alcohol-containing beverage alone does not determine its alcohol content.

In the United States, one standard drink contains about 14 grams, or about 0.6 fluid ounces, of pure alcohol.

That is the amount of alcohol in: 

• A 12-ounce can of beer at 5% alcohol by volume
• A 5-ounce glass of wine at 12% alcohol by volume
• A 1.5-ounce shot glass of distilled spirits at 40% alcohol by volume

Even within a beverage type, the alcohol content can differ significantly. While a 12-ounce bottle of beer at 5% alcohol by volume contains one standard drink, a 12-ounce bottle of beer at 10% alcohol by volume contains two standard drinks.

Knowing the number of standard drinks in alcohol-containing beverages can help you understand how much alcohol you are consuming and make informed decisions about your health.

It is also important to understand that alcohol affects men and women differently . Not only do women typically weigh less than men, but pound for pound, women have less water in their bodies than men. So, after a man and woman of the same weight drink the same amount of alcohol, the woman's blood alcohol concentration will tend to be higher, putting her at greater risk for harm. And, women start to have alcohol-related problems at lower amounts of alcohol than men do.

Serve Non-Alcohol Beverages at Celebrations

In all celebrations and gatherings with family and friends where alcohol-containing beverages are served, make sure that non-alcohol-containing beverages are also available. Many individuals may not wish to drink alcohol at any given time for a variety of reasons. Support their decision not to drink—don’t question or criticize—and further decrease stigma by offering attractive non-alcohol alternatives. Studies show that individuals choosing not to drink alcohol have just as much fun as those who choose to drink alcohol, so focus on enjoying the holidays and not on who is drinking what.

To learn more about assessing your drinking during the holiday season, you can visit these resources:

• Rethinking Drinking. This resource has information about standard drinks, tools to help you examine your drinking patterns or a loved one’s, and tips for cutting back on alcohol.

• NIAAA’s cocktail content calculator. This interactive calculator can help you assess the number of standard drinks in a cocktail. Be aware, this calculator is based on a typical recipe for a certain beverage. Some people may make mixed drinks stronger than typical recipes.

• NIAAA’s drink size calculator. You can use this interactive calculator to look up the alcohol content of beverages in common container sizes or enter your own amounts.

• The Truth About Holiday Spirits. This NIAAA fact sheet contains information about holiday drinking and provides tips if you are hosting a party with alcohol.

• NIAAA Alcohol Treatment Navigator. This comprehensive resource contains information about treatment for alcohol use disorder and how to find help when needed.

Happy holidays, George F. Koob, Ph.D. NIAAA Director