Alcohol Server · Recognizing Intoxication

What is a 'standard drink' in terms of alcohol content?

  1. A Any glass of any size
  2. B An amount containing roughly the same quantity of pure alcohol — e.g., about 12 oz of regular beer, 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of distilled spirits
  3. C Only a shot of liquor
  4. D Only a pint of beer

Why this is the answer

A standard drink is defined by its alcohol content rather than its container, and different beverages reach that amount at different volumes: roughly 12 ounces of regular (about 5% ABV) beer, 5 ounces of (about 12% ABV) wine, and 1.5 ounces of (about 40% ABV) distilled spirits each contain a similar amount of pure alcohol. Servers should be aware that strong cocktails, large pours, or high-ABV craft beers can contain more than one standard drink, meaning a customer may be consuming more alcohol than the number of 'drinks' suggests.
Source: Responsible Beverage Service — Standard Drink

Practice more questions

This question is from our Alcohol Server Practice Tests practice test. Take the full practice test to test your knowledge across all Recognizing Intoxication and other topics.

Take the Seller-Server practice test →

New to this exam? Our Alcohol Server exam guide explains the format, scoring, and how to prepare.

Related questions