What is a Standard Drink?

It can be hard to know what a “standard drink” means.  The measurement of a standard drink varies in different countries. It is important to keep in mind how many “standard drinks” are in the beverages you consume to understand how much alcohol you are drinking. This is measured by both the drink size and the percentage of alcohol in it.

In Canada, a standard drink is:

• a shot glass of spirits, 43 ml (1.5 oz.), 40% alcohol
• a bottle of beer, 341 ml (12 oz.), 5% alcohol
• a can of cider, 341 ml (12 oz.), 5% alcohol
• a glass of wine, 142 ml (5 oz.), 12 % alcohol

So, a drink is a drink! There is no safe time, no safe amount and no safe kind of alcohol to drink while pregnant.