At some point you may have heard or read about the alcohol comparison of beer, wine, and liquor; probably something along the lines of “a bottle of beer is the same as a five ounce glass of wine is the same as a shot of liquor.” This is called Alcohol Equivalence, and it helps people determine how much alcohol they have consumed. But as many of you have found out, not all drinks are created equal; many red wines have higher alcohol concentration than whites, liquor varies from brand to brand and type to type, and mixed drinks can be all over the place – including based on the bartender! Beer must be the constant, right? Not at all.
Craft beer, microbreweries and homebrews all provide consumers with a large selection of beers to choose from. Even your local grocery stores have started to stock up on these formerly unknown beers.
However, keep in mind that the alcohol content in these beers can be significantly higher from one brand to the next and this is important to remember if you are going to try them. In fact, some craft beers are so high in alcohol content that a single twelve ounce bottle can result in most people reaching at or near the legal limit for ‘intoxication’.
Most popular beers, like a Heineken or Budweiser, have an alcohol content of around 5.0%. By contrast, local craft beers or microbrews can have alcohol content exceeding 10.0% . Double the alcohol means double the impact – one or two beers is really four or more. Often, three stouts is the equivalent to drinking a 6-pack of Budweiser.
The best thing you can do to make sure you aren’t consuming too much alcohol with different beers is to know what you’re drinking in advance. Most breweries have their own websites and there are even independent websites like alcoholcontents.com that list the alcohol content of most brands.
For local craft beers, the menu will tell you how much alcohol is in each beer, and they may even offer smaller sizes for stronger beers to prevent a customer from being over served.
Here is a short list of alcohol contents for some common beers and for some locally popular options:
Amstel Light: 3.5%
Bud Light: 4.2%
Budweiser: 5.0%
Coors Light: 4.2%
Corona: 4.6%
Heineken: 5.0%
Michelob Ultra: 4.1%
Miller Lite: 4.2%
Sam Adams Boston Lager: 4.8%
Browns Cherry Raspberry: 6.5%
Browns Brown Ale: 5.0%
Browns Whiskey Porter: 5.75%
Browns Oatmeal Stout: 5.25%
Common Roots Lager: 5.2%
Common Roots Good Fortune: 6.5%
Also, some recent breweries have popular choices that include:
Tree House Brewery in Saratoga
Restless: 8.2%
Fresh Air: 3.5%
Trail Nelson: 5.1%
Their IPAs range from 6.8% to 10.5% (Infinite Green)
As always please be safe, and if you plan on consuming alcohol at a bar or restaurant, think about taking a cab or designating a sober driver. If you feel more intoxicated than you expected, the safe and best choice is to get a ride.
