Alcoholic drinks come in different strengths.

You can tell how strong a drink is by the %ABV or % vol, which appears on the bottle or can. Lagers, beers & ciders range from 1% to 9%, wines range from 3% to 14% & spirits from 17% to 40%. A few brands may be as high as 50 or even 60%.

The higher the percentage, the stronger the drink. This is why beer is drunk in pints & spirits in shots! Alcoholic strengths, however, are only half of the story as drinks can be measured in units. A drink that is one unit has 10ml of pure alcohol in it, and the number of units in a drink depends on how strong the drink is and how large the measure is.

Hover over the drinks below to find out how many units they contain!

Why worry about units?

Well, alcohol is a drug, a legal one, but a drug all the same. It is also a poison so overdoing it can damage both the mind & body. It can also be addictive.
The key to enjoying alcohol is to drink in moderation, in other words, know about units and don’t overdo it!

Adult men should drink no more than 3–4 units a day, adult women no more than 2-3 units a day & both should have at least 2 alcohol-free days each week. Anyone who is pregnant, driving, exercising or taking mediction should avoid alcohol altogether.