A beer or a glass of wine is a common way many Americans choose to wind down at the end of a day. How much is too much? How do you know when you’ve crossed the line to alcohol use disorder (AUD)?
Drinking “in moderation” means having no more than one drink a day if you’re a woman, and no more than two if you’re a man. One drink equals:
- 1.5 ounces of liquor (like whisky, rum, or tequila)
- 5 ounces of wine
- 12 ounces of beer
Another way to look at your drinking habits is to think about how much you have during an average week. For women, “heavy” or “at risk” drinking means more than seven drinks per week, or more than three in any day. For men, it’s more than 14 drinks in a week, or more than four in a day.