Alert Drinkers Know Effects of Alcohol Content
Facts About Alcohol Content
Your taste buds like your choice. More important is how much pure alcohol looms large in every alcoholic beverage you drink. Called something else, pure alcohol is the alcohol content — the amount of pure alcohol in every alcoholic product.
Alcohol content needs your attention. Only then do you have control of what you drink, how much, and how often. Are you an alert drinker?
How to Recognize Alcohol Content
When you read a label, you see the amount of pure alcohol — the strength displayed as a percentage or a whole number. Determined by the production processes, the strength appears as an abbreviation such as 25 % alc/vol 50 Proof. The pure alcohol is 25 percent of the entire volume (container). A combination of ingredients creates the aroma, taste, and color to make up the remaining 75 percent. In this example, the Proof is double the percentage. Take note the calculation method of Proof varies around the world.
An Alert Drinker Identifies Fermentation and Distillation
Two processes, fermentation or distillation create alcoholic beverages from among a wide choice of plant varieties. Yes, that's what separates wine and apple cider from vodka and other distilled spirits, also called hard liquors. Spelled whiskey or whisky, these spirits identify the respective countries of production. Whiskey is a product of the United States and Ireland. Scotland and other countries produce whisky. Distillation produces a higher strength — 40 % and higher compared to numbers 20 % and lower for fermented beverages.
In brief, of the three types of alcohol — isopropyl, methyl and ethanol — only ethanol (ethyl alcohol) that's produced by fermentation and distillation makes its way into beverages. Isopropyl and methyl, are used to manufacture products such as antifreeze, glass cleaners and wood alcohol. Not intended for human consumption, these products have high ranges of strength. Relevant to an urgent need in 2020, several global companies changed from beverage to hand sanitizer production, but only when regulations were relaxed.
Tightly regulated government policies in producing countries control the manufacture, as well as the distribution and consumption of alcohol. Make no mistake as this includes the sale and serving of alcoholic drinks. In the United States, the government's role begins at the federal level with the Constitution. To ensure regulations are followed, unannounced visits by inspectors do happen. Canadian laws for labelling and regulations including the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR) determine this country's responsibility.
An Alert Drinker Checks the Strength of Every Drink
An alert drinker gives top-of the-mind importance to the serving size and the strength. Standard servings have one thing in common — an equivalent amount of pure alcohol. Think of standard as average and accepted. Drink from your coffee mug if you want. Does the amount fit a standard serving size? Countries have different ways to measure and serve. So, a wary visitor checks alcohol strength. For example, a unit identifies measurements in the United Kingdom.
- type of alcoholic beverage
- size of container (volume)
- percent of alcohol content (strength)
Using the United States as a guide, the National Institute on Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) describes details of
a standard drink.The NIAAA emphasizes, The amount of liquid in your glass, can, or bottle
does not necessarily match up to how much alcohol is actually in your drink.
Following the Imperial system, 1 standard serving (drink) has .6 fluid ounces (fl. oz.) of pure alcohol. (That's fluid ounces because it's volume and not weight.)
Following the Metric system, 1 standard serving (drink) has 17 millilitres (ml.) of pure alcohol.
| Size | Beverage | Content |
|---|---|---|
| 12 ounces (355 ml) | regular beer | about 5 percent |
| 8 - 9 ounces (237 - 266 ml) | malt beer | about 7 percent |
| 5 ounces (148 ml) | unfortified wine | about 12 percent |
| 1.5 ounces (44ml) | 80-proof hard liquor | about 40 percent |
This website shows a comparison of common containers, familiar to anyone who drinks alcohol. The comparison is based on the American standard drink.
Consider Rye Whiskey Consumption
Following the Metric system the number of servings in a 750 ml. bottle of rye whisky 40 % alc/vol: 750 / 17 x .40 = about 17 servings 44 ml. each. (rounding numbers)
Following the Imperial system the number of servings in a 25.4 fl. oz bottle of rye whiskey 50 % alc/vol: 25.4 / .6 x .50 = about 21 servings 1.5 fl. oz. (rounding numbers)
How to Recognize a Mixed Drink
Choosing martini or a few different types of drinks happens during a social outing. A mixed drink is based on a recipe. Stay alert. A combination of beer, wine and an after-dinner drink have separate alcohol contents. Consumed over time, each different drink adds up to a grand content total.Try these online calculators to check out your drinking experiences:
- Select servings of different countries for either Imperial or Metric systems.
- Check NIAAA online calculators to learn how you and pure alcohol interact.
- Calculate how a mixed drink with added non-alcoholic ingredients compares.
An Alert Drinker Keeps Tabs on Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)
Your BAC climbs from 0 during a single occasion. It's the important link between what you drink and how much. One important fact: Alcohol is a drug with depressant properties.
After following the same path of what you eat or drink with some twists and turns, the alcohol enters your bloodstream. The more you drink, the more alcohol your bloodstream carries and like a transport system makes strategic deliveries. The “deliveries” affect your speech, your movements and your decision-making abilities. So, alcohol definitely takes charge.
Three tests:blood sample, urine sample and breathalyzer identify the quantity of alcohol at a specific time. A blood sample is the most accurate indicator of how close you are to .08 — the legal limit in most jurisdictions.
When you're alert to the alcohol content of your drink, you’ve put your alcohol consumption under your control. Then, you'll join in the centuries-old customs for a great experience.
