What Is Considered a Drink of Alcohol?

In some ways, a drink of alcohol depends largely upon the person you ask. It can mean a single swallow, a glass at dinner or an entire pitcher chug-a-lugged at a frat party. The precise type of beverage plays a hand as well, since hard liquor contains a much higher percentage of alcohol than beer or wine. The one time it truly matters is in the legal sense, particularly when determining if someone tries to drive after having too much to drink. Blood alcohol content becomes the key determining factor in such circumstances.

Alcohol's Effect

Alcohol is absorbed into the body through the digestive tract, where it enters the bloodstream and is dispersed throughout the body. That creates the sense of inebriation, the "buzz," and if too much alcohol enters the system, the vomiting and similar unpleasantness. The liver processes most of the alcohol out of the body as waste by transforming it into acetic acid. The kidneys remove some of it through the urine, and the rest is exhaled, which is how breathalyzers can determine how many drinks you've taken.

An Hour Per Drink

The ability to process alcohol depends on the individual: a 200 lb. man is naturally less affected by a drink than an 85 lb. woman. Generally speaking, however, it takes the body one hour to process 1/2 to 1 ounce worth of alcohol. That translates to one bottle of beer, one glass of wine or one shot of hard liquor per hour. In many senses, an ounce of pure alcohol constitutes an effective bellwether for "one drink."

Blood Alcohol Concentration

The legal barometer for inebriation is determined by blood alcohol content (BAC) in most jurisdictions. This is the percentage of alcohol in the blood--or, more succinctly, the weight in grams of ethanol alcohol contained within 100 milliliters of blood. The more alcohol you drink, the greater the BAC, since your body can only process an ounce an hour. Generally speaking, an ounce of consumed alcohol (or "one drink") translates to a BAC of about .02, though the particulars depend on the kind of alcohol, the rapidity with which it is consumed, and the height and weight of the drinker.

Legal Definitions

The legal definition of intoxication depends on the area of jurisdiction. Most parts of the United States set the bar at BAC .08 to BAC .10. Alcohol can impact your ability to drive or perform other complex functions at much lower levels. However, even one drink may be too much.

Guidelines

The effects of one drink can be mitigated if you take steps to prepare. Experts recommend taking alcohol with food or after a big meal, since food helps absorb some of the alcohol. It also pays to switch off drinks of alcohol with drinks of water, which slows your intake and prevents you from becoming dehydrated. Monitor how much alcohol you take in at any one time and pace yourself to give your body a chance to process it safely.