Drinks Calculator & Moderation Tips

Daily and weekly drink tracker interface with calorie calculations
Drinks Calculator

This tool helps you track your alcohol intake based on the number and volume of your drinks.

Interesting fact

Beer, wine, and spirits all contain the same type of alcohol, ethanol, which affects your body in the same way, no matter what you’re drinking.

Let’s calculate

Drinks Calculator

Track your alcohol intake below. You can adjust the percentages based on the amount you have consumed!

{{ category.name }}
%
{{ type.name }} {{ getVolumeDisplay(type.volume) }}
{{ quantities[catIndex][typeIndex] }}
Add drinks to see results

Select drinks from the left to begin tracking

You can adjust quantities and recalculate anytime.

Your drinks Your drinks View drink summary
{{ drink.quantity }}x {{ drink.category }} {{ drink.type }}
{{ drink.abv }}% · {{ (getUnitsForDrink(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv) * drink.quantity).toFixed(2) }} {{ measureName }} · {{ getRoundedCalories(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv, drink.quantity) }} kcal
{{ drink.abv }}% · {{ (getUnitsForDrink(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv) * drink.quantity).toFixed(2) }} {{ measureName }}
Total {{ (() => { let totalUnits = 0; let totalCalories = 0; selectedDrinks.forEach(drink => { totalUnits += parseFloat(getUnitsForDrink(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv)) * drink.quantity; totalCalories += getCaloriesForDrink(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv) * drink.quantity; }); return totalUnits.toFixed(2); })() }} {{ measureName }} · {{ (() => { let totalCalories = 0; selectedDrinks.forEach(drink => { totalCalories += getCaloriesForDrink(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv) * drink.quantity; }); return Math.round(totalCalories); })() }} kcal
Total {{ calculatedResults.totalUnits }} {{ measureName }} · {{ calculatedResults.totalCalories }} kcal

You are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week.

Calorie and measurement values reflect average quantities.

Calorie and measurement values reflect average quantities.

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You are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.

The UK drinking guidelines offer advice on levels and patterns of drinking using standard units (defined as 8 grams of alcohol) as a reference. The UK Chief Medical Officer’s guideline for both men and women is not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis to minimise any health risks from alcohol. Understanding the concept of a unit can help you relate your own drinking to recommendations that are consistent with a balanced lifestyle. Drinking in excess of recommended guidelines may increase your risk of harm.

Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol may lead to health problems. It is common knowledge that regular heavy drinking is associated with increased risk of developing several illnesses, including liver disease, high blood pressure and certain types of cancer. Scientific studies have also found an association between light to moderate alcohol consumption and increased risk of breast cancer for some women.

For further general information: Alcohol and Cancer

For some people the better choice may be to not drink at all so consult your healthcare professional for individual advice. Certain groups should not consume any alcohol, including those who are underage, pregnant or otherwise advised not to drink.

If you or someone you know is looking for guidance on alcohol consumption, moderation, or support, here are some suggested resources to explore:

Resources

A Healthcare Professional - a healthcare professional can help assess individual health concerns related to alcohol and can assist you in making the decisions that are right for you. Healthcare professionals can also provide referrals to other support services and treatment for those who require it.

AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) - A simple, evidence-based questionnaire that helps individuals assess their drinking habits and potential risks of developing alcohol problems. However, it does not provide advice or recommendations. It is always recommended that you follow up with a professional to find the appropriate next steps.

NHS Guidelines on Alcohol - Official UK NHS guidelines on safe recommended drinking limits, the effects of alcohol on health, and tips for cutting down.

For further advice and support

DRINIKiQ.com - DRINKiQ's online platform offering facts about alcohol and its relationship with health, responsible drinking tips, and tools to understand alcohol units.

DrinkAware - A leading UK alcohol education charity providing advice, self-assessment tools, and strategies for drinking in moderation.

Drinkline National Helpline - A confidential helpline for those concerned about their own or someone else's drinking.

England: 0300 123 1110 (Mon-Fri 9am-8pm, Sat-Sun 11am-4pm)

Scotland: 0800 7314 314

Wales: 0808 808 2234

Northern Ireland: 028 9032 8474

You are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis.
Your drinks
{{ drink.quantity }}x {{ drink.category }} {{ drink.type }}
{{ drink.abv }}% · {{ getUnitsForDrink(drink.category, drink.volume, drink.abv) }} {{ measureName }}
Total: {{ calculatedResults.totalUnits }} {{ measureName }} · {{ calculatedResults.totalCalories }} kcal
True or False? & some useful questions and answers!
Q: Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol?

A: Every alcohol drink contains ethanol and that’s what affects you, rather than the type of drink you choose.

True or false? Beer has a lower ABV, so a glass of beer is less likely to make you intoxicated than a glass of spirits or wine.

False. A given volume of beer is more ‘dilute’ than the same volume of spirits or wine. This is why beer is served in larger glasses. When you drink a typical serving of beer, wine, or spirits, you end up consuming the same amount of ethanol.


True or false? All countries use the same definition of a standard ‘unit’ to ensure that servings of beer, wine and spirits are the same.

False. There’s no single standard drink size across the world. While a standard unit in the UK contains eight grams of ethanol. In practice, this translates into a small glass of wine (125 ml), a pint of beer, or 25ml of spirits. Different countries use different definitions. However, within each country, a ‘standard’ unit is the same for a serving of beer, wine or spirits. The concept of a standard unit is important. It is roughly the amount of alcohol the body can process in an hour and helps consumers understand how much alcohol they are drinking.


True or false? Units can help you make sure that your drinking stays within recommended guidelines and doesn’t harm you.

True. The UK drinking guidelines offer advice on levels and patterns of drinking using standard units as a reference (3). The UK Chief Medical Officers’ guideline for both men and women is not to drink more than 14 units of beer, wine, or spirits a week on a regular basis to minimise any health risks from alcohol. Understanding the concept of a unit can help you relate your own drinking to recommendations that are consistent with a balanced lifestyle. Drinking in excess of recommended guidelines may increase your risk of harm.


Q. According to drinking guidelines, 14 drinks a week are the recommended limit. Can I consume all of these in one day if I don’t drink alcohol on the remaining 6 days of the week?

A. Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol poses a significant hazard to your health. While drinking guidelines in the UK. set the recommended limit at 14 drinks, they also recommend spreading these out over at least 3 days.

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Keeping your drinking moderate: practical tips

Drinking moderately can be part of a balanced lifestyle for most adults. But what does moderate drinking mean? It means avoiding excess in your drinking to minimise the risk of harming your health and injuring yourself or other people around you. It means knowing your limits and those recommended by health experts. If you have any questions or concerns about your drinking and how it can affect you, consulting a health expert is always the best approach.

Here are some practical considerations to help you make decisions about your drinking to keep your risk of harm low. Inform yourself about drinking and its effects.

  • Does your government issue drinking guidelines? Make sure you are familiar with them and drinking levels the recommend. This information is intended to keep you safe.
  • Guidance is often given in terms of standard drinks or units. Familiarise yourself with these and what they mean in practical terms – what is a standard drink of beer, wine, and spirits? This can help you keep track of how much you are drinking and help you stay within recommended limits.
Know your own limits
  • Alcohol affects different people differently. Make sure you understand your own relationship with alcohol and your own limits.
  • Drinking even a little can increase risk for some people, so it is important to understand how your own body responds to alcohol and to follow advice you may have been given by a health professional.
  • Your body will tell you when you have had too much. If you are starting to feel tipsy, stop drinking alcohol and switch to a non-alcoholic drink or to water and make sure you have something to eat.
Plan ahead
  • By planning ahead before you drink during a night out, you can make sure that your drinking is moderate.
  • Drinking to be ‘cool’ or to fit in is never a good reason. You can have just as much fun if you drink a little or not at all. Trust yourself.
  • Make sure that you eat if you are drinking and that you keep yourself well hydrated with water or non-alcoholic beverages.
  • Moderation and responsibility go hand in hand. If you are planning to drink, make sure you are not planning to drive. Even light drinking can impair your reaction time and how you make decisions, so make sure you arrange for alternative transportation.
What to avoid
  • Moderate drinking can fit into a balanced lifestyle, but it is important to be aware of your overall lifestyle habits – avoid smoking, eat a healthy and balanced diet, avoid putting on extra weight, and get regular exercise. These are important considerations, even if you do not drink alcohol.
  • Nobody should drink alcohol to improve their health. If you do not drink alcohol, you should not start doing so for health reasons.
  • If you have been diagnosed with a health condition like cancer, high blood pressure, mental illness, or another disease, make sure you consult a health professional about the possible interaction with alcohol.
  • Alcohol and certain medications do not mix. Find out about possible interactions before you drink alcohol.
  • Having several drinks within a short period of time will make you intoxicated. Avoid drinking excessively and ‘binge’ drinking.
  • Contrary to popular belief, drinking alcohol before going to bed is likely to disrupt your sleep. You should avoid using alcohol as a sleep aid.
References
U.K. National Health Service (NHS). Alcohol units. 2018; Available from:
Drinking guidelines around the world
U.K. Government, UK Chief Medical Officers' Low Risk Drinking Guidelines. 2016, UK Government: London.