How Much Alcohol Is In A Standard Bottle Of Beer Vs Wine?

Beer and wine are staples of liquor stores everywhere, but if forced to choose between the two, you may want to consider one simple factor: What are their respective alcohol levels? Judging the different alcohol-by-volume (ABV) percentages of various drinks can be confusing, so let's try to demystify the alcohol content of two of the most popular drinks — beer and wine — with a hopefully simple equation.

First off, you should know that the amount of alcohol in any standard alcoholic drink is around 14 grams. With this in mind, 14 grams of alcohol is the approximate amount found in a garden-variety bottle of beer, as well as a standard glass of wine. Therefore, a bottle of beer is about the same level of "alcoholic" as a glass of wine. Taking into consideration that one bottle of wine contains about five glasses (or "standard drinks"), both five beers or a full bottle of wine would each include around 70 grams of alcohol.

The wide variety of wines and beers available, many of which vary in ABV, means the preceding guideline isn't a hard and fast rule. It's always important to consider the percentage of alcohol in any purchase you're making, especially if the aim is to keep an eye on your alcohol intake throughout the night. For example, even though some people hate IPAs, they often have a higher alcohol content than a standard beer; therefore, five IPAs will likely pack more alcohol than a "standard" bottle of wine. So, unless you want to closely inspect the label of any alcohol you pick up in the liquor store, you might want to stick with average, big-brand beers like Budweiser or Coors, which generally have a low to mid-range ABV and may be closer to the golden standard of 14 grams.

Of course, there's a lot more to consider if you factor in all the variety the world of libations has to offer. But given all the math involved, it's totally understandable if you just want to stick with some ginger ales for the time being.