Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol?

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:class="{ 'focused': focusedItemHeadIndex === index }"> <a href="javascript:;" @click="selectHeadItem(key)"> <span class="key" v-html="boldMatchedPart(key)"></span><span class="value"><strong>({{ value }})</strong></span> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="search-box__recent_keywords"> <p class="search-box__tags-title">Recent keywords</p> <ul> </ul> </div> <div class="search-box__tags"> <p class="search-box__tags-title">Topics</p> <div class="search-box__tag-list"> <ul class="search-box__tags-list"> <li><a href="/en-pem/drinking-and-your-body">Drinking and your body</a></li> <li><a href="/en-pem/drinking-and-your-mind">Drinking and your mind</a></li> <li><a href="/en-pem/support-with-drinking">Support with drinking</a></li> <li><a href="/en-pem/about-alcohol">About alcohol</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> </header>  <main role="main" id="main-content-wrapper" class="main-content-wrapper drinkiqmain " data-polltype="motivation"> <section class="article-item pb-0"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="article-item-content column-start-1 column-end-13 pb-24"> <p class="article-category mb-16"> About alcohol </p> <h1 class="article-item-title h1-lg text-black fw-800 " data-id="{C725A778-1DA4-49E5-BE36-332F982A17D6}" data-title='Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol?'> Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol? </h1> <div class="article-description fw-300"> Every alcohol drink contains ethanol and that’s what affects you, rather than the type of drink you choose. </div> </div> </div> <div class="share-icons page-share "> <a href="javascript:;" class="share-on-facebook icon icon-facebook d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center facebook-icon position-relative"><span class="invisible">Facebook</span></a> <a href="javascript:;" class="share-on-whatsapp icon icon-whatsapp d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center whatsapp-icon position-relative"><span class="invisible">Whatsapp</span></a> <a href="javascript:;" class="share-on-email icon icon-email d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center mail-icon position-relative"><span class="invisible">Mail</span></a> </div> <section class="image-with-caption-wrapper pb-0"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="image-with-caption column-start-1 column-end-13 pb-48"> <div class="image-caption-image column-start-1 column-end-13"> <picture data-animate data-animation="fade-in"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/banner-module-images/about-alcohol/did-you-know-beer-ill.webp' media="(min-width: 992px)"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/banner-module-images/about-alcohol/did-you-know-beer-ill.webp' media="(min-width: 767px)"> <img class="lazy w-100" data-src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/banner-module-images/about-alcohol/did-you-know-beer-ill.webp' alt='Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol?'> <noscript> <img src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/banner-module-images/about-alcohol/did-you-know-beer-ill.webp' alt='Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol?' /> </noscript> </picture> </div> <figcaption class="caption column-start-1 column-end-13 text-caption"> Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol? </figcaption> </div> </div> </section> <section class="config-text pt-0 pb-16"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="config-text-content column-start-1 column-end-13"> <h2>All alcohol drinks contain ethanol, but the amount can vary</h2> <p>Whether you drink beer, wine or spirits, they all contain the same type of alcohol called ethanol. This is created when either fruits or grains are fermented to produce alcohol drinks. It’s the ethanol in these drinks that affects your mood and reactions – and ethanol affects you in the same way, regardless of what type of drink you choose.</p> <p>Of course, different drinks have different concentrations of alcohol. This is generally expressed as the percentage of alcohol by volume or ABV. You‘ve probably noticed that bottles and cans often include the strength of the drink as ABV on the label. It’s the ABV that can help you be aware of how much alcohol is in your drink.</p> <ul> <li> Spirits have the highest concentration of alcohol and most contain around 40% ABV. Strength can vary considerably, however. Some vodkas contain 30% ethanol, while some bourbons may be around 60% ABV and certain ‘high proof’ spirits can have up to 95% alcohol content.</li> <li>Liqueurs, which are also spirits-based, generally contain less alcohol and their ABV may be below 20%.</li> <li>Wine is less concentrated than spirits and generally contains between 12 and 15% ABV. However, some wines can be stronger, and fortified wines like port or sherry are usually around 20% ABV. The alcohol concentration in beer as a category is lowest, and most regular beer ranges between 4% and 10% ABV. Some craft beers may be comparable in strength to certain wines at around 12% ABV.</li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <section class="image-with-caption-wrapper pt-0 pb-0"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="image-with-caption column-start-1 column-end-13 pb-40 d-flex caption-right "> <div class="image-caption-image column-start-1 column-end-13"> <picture data-animate data-animation="fade-in"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-16-9-inpage-b02-info-a.webp' media="(min-width: 992px)"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-16-9-inpage-b02-info-a.webp' media="(min-width: 767px)"> <img class="lazy w-100" data-src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-16-9-inpage-b02-info-a.webp' alt='Infographic explaining how much alcohol is in a UK alcohol unit, as well as how many units are in beer, wine and spirits'> <noscript> <img src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-16-9-inpage-b02-info-a.webp' alt='Infographic explaining how much alcohol is in a UK alcohol unit, as well as how many units are in beer, wine and spirits' /> </noscript> </picture> </div> <figcaption class="caption column-start-1 column-end-13 text-caption"> Infographic explaining how much alcohol is in a UK alcohol unit, as well as how many units are in beer, wine and spirits </figcaption> </div> </div> </section> <section class="config-text pt-0 pb-16"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="config-text-content column-start-1 column-end-13"> <h2>How drinking affects you depends on how quickly and how much you drink, and on how much alcohol is in your drink</h2> <p>Factors such as your body size and weight, biological sex and age influence how you process alcohol and <a href="/en-pem/drinking-and-your-body/how-does-drinking-affect-you-physically">how drinking can therefore affect you</a> <a href="#refs1"><sup>(1-4)</sup></a>. Most importantly, this also depends on how much you drink, which is determined by the concentration (ABV) of the drink you’ve chosen and how quickly you drink it. Whether this alcohol comes as beer, wine or spirits is less important.</p> <p>Knowing the ABV of your drink is very useful and can help you choose your beverage and anticipate its effect on you.</p> </div> </div> </section> <section class="image-with-caption-wrapper pt-0 pb-0"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="image-with-caption column-start-1 column-end-13 pb-40 d-flex caption-right "> <div class="image-caption-image column-start-1 column-end-13"> <picture data-animate data-animation="fade-in"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/about-alcohol-captionimages/did-you-knew-beer-wine-and-spirits.webp' media="(min-width: 992px)"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/about-alcohol-captionimages/did-you-knew-beer-wine-and-spirits.webp' media="(min-width: 767px)"> <img class="lazy w-100" data-src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/about-alcohol-captionimages/did-you-knew-beer-wine-and-spirits.webp' alt='Graphic image of two wine glasses. One with a small wine serving and the other with a large wine serving.'> <noscript> <img src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/about-alcohol-captionimages/did-you-knew-beer-wine-and-spirits.webp' alt='Graphic image of two wine glasses. One with a small wine serving and the other with a large wine serving.' /> </noscript> </picture> </div> <figcaption class="caption column-start-1 column-end-13 text-caption"> Graphic image of two wine glasses. One with a small wine serving and the other with a large wine serving. </figcaption> </div> </div> </section> <section class="config-text pt-0 pb-0"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="config-text-content column-start-1 column-end-13"> <h2>An ‘alcohol unit’ is not always the same as a ‘drink’</h2> </div> </div> </section> <section class="image-with-caption-wrapper pt-0 pb-0"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="image-with-caption column-start-1 column-end-13 pb-40 d-flex caption-right "> <div class="image-caption-image column-start-1 column-end-13"> <picture data-animate data-animation="fade-in"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-alcohol-unit-guidelines-pem.webp' media="(min-width: 992px)"> <source data-srcset='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-alcohol-unit-guidelines-pem.webp' media="(min-width: 767px)"> <img class="lazy w-100" data-src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-alcohol-unit-guidelines-pem.webp' alt='Infographic explaining what 1 unit is equal to in terms of beer, wine and spirits'> <noscript> <img src='/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/en-pem/drinkiq-alcohol-unit-guidelines-pem.webp' alt='Infographic explaining what 1 unit is equal to in terms of beer, wine and spirits' /> </noscript> </picture> </div> <figcaption class="caption column-start-1 column-end-13 text-caption"> Infographic explaining what 1 unit is equal to in terms of beer, wine and spirits </figcaption> </div> </div> </section> <section class="config-text pt-0 pb-16"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="config-text-content column-start-1 column-end-13"> <p>In the UK, the term <a href="https://www.drinkiq.com/en-pem/about-alcohol/alcohol-units-and-guidelines-explained/">‘</a><a href="/en-pem/about-alcohol/alcohol-units-and-guidelines-explained">unit</a><a href="https://www.drinkiq.com/en-pem/about-alcohol/alcohol-units-and-guidelines-explained/">’</a> is used to help measure drinking and provide health guidelines. A standard unit of any beverage – beer, wine or spirits – will always contain eight grams of ethanol <a href="#refs5"><sup>(5)</sup></a>.</p> <p>However, relating units to what you’re actually drinking can be complicated. For example, if someone tops your glass up before you’re finished, it may be hard to keep track of what you’ve consumed. Also, the size of your glass may not match up to the standard size for your drink. The best rule of thumb is to always be responsible, drink moderately, and avoid activities and situations in which drinking can put you at risk.</p> <p>There are tools available that can help you translate what you are drinking into standard units.</p> </div> </div> </section> <section class="accordion pt-0 "> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="accordion-item column-start-1 column-end-13 pt-20 pb-20"> <a href="javascript:void(0);" class="accordion-heading accordion-heading-js"> <span class="accordion-title fw-800">References</span> <span class="accordion-icon accordion-icon-js"> <svg width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" preserveAspectRatio="xMidYMid meet" fill="#2314a7" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path fill-rule="evenodd" clip-rule="evenodd" d="M11 9H20V11H11V20H9V11H0V9H9V0H11V9Z"></path></svg> </span> </a> <div class="accordion-content accordion-content-js "><ol> <li><a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/addiction/alcohols-effects-on-the-body" title="Opens in new window" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="Article_typography_link__s55T6">Harvard Health Publishing. Alcohol's effects on the body. 2014; Available from:</a></li> <li> Thomasson, H.R., Gender differences in alcohol metabolism. Physiological responses to ethanol. Recent Dev Alcohol, 1995. 12: p. 163-79.</li> <li> Cederbaum, A.I., Alcohol metabolism. Clin Liver Dis, 2012. 16(4): p. 667-85.</li> <li><a href="https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/women-and-alcohol" title="Opens in new window" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="Article_typography_link__s55T6">National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Women and alcohol. 2019; Available from:</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/calculating-alcohol-units/" title="Opens in new window" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="Article_typography_link__s55T6">U.K. National Health Service (NHS). Alcohol units. 2018; Available from:</a></li> </ol></div> </div> </div> </section> <section id="module---two-column-text-with-link" class="two-column-text-with-link pt-0 "> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="test-and-help-block-wrapper column-start-1 column-end-13"> <div class="container-fluid p-0"> <div class="test-and-help-block column-start-1 column-end-13"> <div class="test-link-block-title column-start-1 column-end-13"> <h2 class="pt-40 mb-16">Are you concerned about the effects of drinking on your body?</h2> </div> <div class="test-link-block column-start-1 column-end-13"> <div> <p class="fw-300 mb-0">Whether it's about yourself or someone else, use our drinking self-assessment to understand the risk.</p> <div> <a class="d-flex justify-content-space-between align-items-center pt-20 pb-20 test-link" href=/en-pem/audit data-linktype='internal' aria-label="Take the test"> <span>Take the test</span> <span class="cta cta-round"> </span> </a> </div> </div> <div class="help-section"> <p class="help-section-title mb-0 fw-300">If you or someone you know is drinking problematically, our list of support networks is a good place to start.</p> <div> <a class="d-flex justify-content-space-between align-items-center pt-20 pb-20 test-link help-link" href=/en-pem/get-help data-linktype='internal'> <span>Get help now</span> <span class="cta cta-round"> </span> </a></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="quiz-link-block pt-0 "> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="column-start-1 column-end-13 quiz-block-outer-wrapper"> <div class="container-fluid p-0"> <div class="quiz-block-title column-start-1 column-end-13 mb-24"> <h2 class= "mb-0">How much do you really know about alcohol?</h2> </div> <div class="quiz-block-image pb-32 column-start-1 column-end-13"> <img src="/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/articles/quiz-link.webp?iar=0" alt="How much do you really know about alcohol?" /> </div> <div class="quiz-block-text column-start-1 column-end-13"> <p class="mb-0 fw-300 quiz-block-decription "> Find out with our five-minute quiz on drinking and its effects.</p> <div> <a class="d-flex justify-content-space-between align-items-center" href=/en-pem/quiz data-linktype='internal' aria-label="Knowledge Quiz"> <span>Knowledge Quiz</span> <span class="cta cta-round"> </span> </a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <section class="article-link-wrapper"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="content-wrapper column-start-1 column-end-13"> <div class="main-title"> <h2 class="title m-0 fw-800">More like this</h2> </div> <div class="article-items-wrapper"> <div> <a href="/en-pem/about-alcohol/what-are-drinking-guidelines-and-why-are-they-important" class="article-item-wrapper" aria-label="What are drinking guidelines and why are they important?"> <div class="article-content"> <p class="article-category"> About alcohol </p> <p class="article-title"> What are drinking guidelines and why are they important? </p> </div> <div class="article-card-image-wrapper position-relative"> <picture> <img class="lazy" data-src="/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/banner-module-images/about-alcohol/what-are-drinking-guidelines-ill.webp" alt="What are drinking guidelines and why are they important?"> <noscript> <img src="/~/media/Images/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq--images/in-english/banner-module-images/about-alcohol/what-are-drinking-guidelines-ill.webp" alt="What are drinking guidelines and why are they important?" data-source="/sitecore/content/D/drinkiq/Universal/drinkiq/Home/about-alcohol/what-are-drinking-guidelines-and-why-are-they-important" /> </noscript> </picture> </div> </a> </div> <div> <a href="/en-pem/about-alcohol/is-it-true-that-beer-is-better-for-you-than-wine" class="article-item-wrapper" aria-label="Is it true that beer is better for you than wine? 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Did you know beer, wine and spirits all contain ethanol? | DRINKiQ UK