If you want to know just how many units of alcohol you are taking into your body, do an audit. You may be surprised to find out how many you consume.
Working out the units in pub measures is easy, but at home? Gather together your glasses used for various drinks and establish their sizes. This is best done using a kitchen measure and water. Fill your glass with water up to the normal drinking level, then pour the water into a measuring jug. What size glass are you drinking? To work out how many units are in a glass try:
Amount of liquid (in Litres) x percent a.b.v.
i.e. one standard measure spirit
0.025 Litres x 40% = 1 unit
A large (250mL) glass of 12% wine is:
0.25 Litres x 12% = 3 units
A wine glass at my home is:
0.19 Litres x 12% = 2.3 units
Below is a list of the most common drinks in pub measures, and also an example of an alcohol audit:
| Container | Size (mL) | Contents | %AbV | Units | Calories |
| Regular Wine Glass | 175 | Red Wine | 15 | 2.6 | 119 |
| Large Wine Glass | 250 | Red Wine | 15 | 3.8 | 170 |
| Full Bottle | 750 | Red Wine | 15 | 11.2 | |
| Regular Wine Glass | 175 | White Wine | 12 | 2.1 | 132 |
| Large Wine Glass | 250 | White Wine | 12 | 3 | 188 |
| Full Bottle | 750 | White Wine | 12 | 9 | |
| Flute | 100 | Champagne | 12 | 1.2 | |
| Can | 440 | Beer | 5 | 2.2 | |
| Pint | 570 | Beer | 5 | 2.8 | 166 |
| Bottle | 275 | Alcopop | 5 | 1.4 | 160 – 220 |
| Tumbler | 225 | Cider | 5.3 | 1.2 | |
| Glass | 90 | Port/Sherry | 20 | 1.8 | |
| Liqueur Glass | 40 | Liqueur | 40 | 1.6 |
| Example audit: | |||
| When | What | Units | Daily |
| Sunday lunch | 2 large glasses white wine | 6 | 6 |
| Monday | nothing | 0 | 0 |
| Tuesday evening | Half bottle white wine | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Wednesday evening | Half bottle white wine | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Thursday evening | Half bottle white wine | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Friday lunch evening |
Large glass white wine
3 x gin and tonics |
3
3 |
3
3 |
| Saturday lunch evening |
2 x half pints cider
1 x regular red wine |
2.4
2.6 |
2.4
2.6 |
| Weekly Total | 27.5 | ||