What Is Moderate Drinking?

Alcohol Research & Health, Wntr, 1999 by Mary C. Dufour

The definition of a standard drink is further complicated by the fact that in most studies of alcohol consumption, researchers are interested primarily in the effects of the alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages and not so much in the individual effects of various beverages. However, alcoholic beverages differ substantially in their alcohol content. Accordingly, a drink should be defined in terms of alcohol content, so that a drink of beer contains approximately the same amount of alcohol as a drink of wine or spirits. At first glance, this requirement appears to be a simple mathematical problem of comparing the alcohol contents of several beverages. In fact, however, such comparisons are rather complicated, because even within one beverage category (e.g., beer, wine, or distilled spirits), the alcohol contents may differ considerably.

In the United States, both the Federal tax code and the tax codes of individual States specify which beverages are classified as "beer," "wine," or "distilled spirits" and their alcohol content. According to those definitions, "beer" includes strong beer (i.e., beer with an alcohol content greater than 3.2 percent), beer with an alcohol content of up to 3.2 percent, ale, malt liquor, and similar types of beverages. Similarly, "wine" encompasses wine, vermouth, champagne, sparkling wine, cider, and related beverages. The broadest category is that of "distilled spirits," which includes numerous beverages, such as gin, rum, vodka, whiskey, scotch, bourbon, and premixed cocktails.

The ranges of alcohol content for beer, wine, and distilled spirits vary somewhat from State to State. Significant variation also exists in the alcohol content of beverages within each of these categories. The typical alcohol content of beer is roughly 4.5 percent (by volume), but the alcohol content of light beers may be less than 3 percent, and certain craft-brewed beers or malt liquors may have an alcohol content of up to 9 percent or higher.

Similarly, the wine category encompasses fermented beverages with alcohol contents typically in the range of 11 to 14 percent. However, light wines may have an alcohol content in the neighborhood of 7 percent, whereas fortified wines (which include added distilled spirits) may range up to 24 percent alcohol by volume or higher. Also, wine coolers and hard ciders, which often are grouped with wines for tax and statistical purposes, typically have alcohol contents in the range of 5 to 7 percent alcohol by volume.

Finally, distilled spirits exhibit a wide range in terms of alcohol concentration. Typically, many familiar forms of distilled spirits (e.g., vodka, whiskey, gin, or rum) have alcohol contents of 40 to 50 percent (often expressed as 80 to 100 proof). Considerable variation may occur even within these categories, with the alcohol content of some varieties being as low as 30 percent and others as high as 75 percent. Liqueurs and cordials, usually grouped with distilled spirits, often are less concentrated than standard liquors. Grain alcohol, which is virtually pure ethanol, is often bottled at a concentration of 94 percent alcohol by volume.