How many units are in a pint?
A pint of 4% lager is 2.3 UK units. Pick your drink and strength below to work out units, US standard drinks and Canadian standard drinks for anything you're drinking.
How to work out units
One UK unit is 10 ml of pure alcohol. Multiply the strength by the volume in millilitres and divide by 1,000:
Units = ABV (%) × volume (ml) ÷ 1,000
4% × 568 ml ÷ 1,000 = 2.27, so about 2.3 units in a pint of ordinary lager.
Units in common pints
| Drink | Strength | UK units |
|---|---|---|
| Pint of ordinary lager, bitter or cider | 4% | 2.3 |
| Pint of premium lager | 5% | 2.8 |
| Pint of strong lager or cider | 5.5% | 3.1 |
| Pint of stout | 4.2% | 2.4 |
| Pint of IPA | 6% | 3.4 |
| Half pint of 4% lager | 4% | 1.1 |
| 440 ml can of 5% lager | 5% | 2.2 |
Units vs standard drinks
Countries count differently. The UK uses units (8 g of alcohol). The US counts standard drinks of about 14 g, like a 12 oz can of 5% beer. Canada's standard drink is 13.45 g (17.05 ml), like a 341 ml bottle of 5% beer. That's why a UK pint of 4% lager is 2.3 units but only about 1.3 US standard drinks.
How much is too much?
The UK Chief Medical Officers advise not regularly drinking more than 14 units a week, spread over three or more days, with some drink-free days. That's about six pints of 4% lager a week. If you want to keep an eye on it, a free tracker like MyDrinkaware is built for exactly that.
ontap is the free iPhone app for logging beers in one tap and seeing which friends are out.
Get ontap free on the App StoreFAQ
How many units are in a pint of Guinness?
Guinness Draught is 4.2% in the UK, so a pint is about 2.4 units (4.2 × 568 ÷ 1,000).
How many units in a pint of 5% lager?
About 2.8 units: 5 × 568 ÷ 1,000 = 2.84.
Is a US pint the same as a UK pint?
No. A UK pint is 568 ml (20 imperial fl oz); a US pint is 473 ml (16 US fl oz), about 17% smaller.
How long does a unit take to leave your body?
Roughly an hour per unit for most adults, but it varies a lot from person to person, and nothing speeds it up. Never drive after drinking.