Updated April 2026.
One 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof (40%) vodka equals one 12-ounce beer at 5% ABV. Both are one US standard drink: about 14 grams, or 0.6 fluid ounces, of ethanol (NIAAA, December 2025). A 12-ounce 4.2% light beer is about 0.84 drinks. A 12-ounce 10% craft beer is two shots. A 12-ounce 5% hard seltzer matches the vodka shot; NIAAA’s 8–10 ounce ~7% flavored-malt example is also one drink.
The beer does not match the shot because of bubbles. It matches when the ethanol matches. Change the can size or the ABV and the ratio moves. See how many mL is a shot and vodka-shot math.
Beer vs a 1.5 oz vodka shot
Standard drinks = (fl oz × ABV) ÷ 0.6. One vodka shot at 1.5 oz × 0.40 = 0.6 oz of alcohol.
| Beer or seltzer | Can/bottle | ABV | Std drinks | To match one vodka shot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular beer (NIAAA reference) | 12 oz | 5% | 1.00 | 1.0 |
| Typical US light beer (NIAAA “some light beers”) | 12 oz | 4.2% | 0.84 | 1.2 |
| Hard seltzer at beer strength | 12 oz | 5% | 1.00 | 1.0 |
| Malt liquor / FMB / hard seltzer (NIAAA band) | 8–10 oz | ~7% | ~1.0 | ~1.0 at that pour |
| CDC malt-liquor example | 8 oz | 7% | 0.93 | 1.1 |
| Craft IPA example | 12 oz | 7% | 1.40 | 0.7 |
| Strong IPA example | 12 oz | 8% | 1.60 | 0.6 |
| NIAAA 10% craft beer | 12 oz | 10% | 2.00 | 0.5 |
| Dietary Guidelines 9% example | 12 oz | 9% | 1.80 | 0.6 |
| Tallboy or US pint, 5% | 16 oz | 5% | 1.33 | 0.75 |
| UK imperial pint, 5% | 20 oz | 5% | 1.67 | 0.6 |
A 12-ounce 4.2% light beer has 12 × 0.042 = 0.504 ounces of alcohol, so you need 0.6 ÷ 0.504 ≈ 1.2 cans to match one 1.5-ounce vodka shot. A 12-ounce 10% craft beer has 1.2 ounces of alcohol — two standard drinks, two vodka shots.
Shot size still matters
The US bar shot used here is 1.5 fl oz (about 44 mL). A 1-ounce pony of vodka is two-thirds of a standard drink. A 2-ounce double is 1.33 drinks. If the bartender free-pours, the “shot” on the ticket is not a lab measurement.
Why a pint can beat a shot
People treat “a beer” as weaker than “a shot.” Volume is doing the work. Sixteen ounces of 5% beer is 1.33 standard drinks; the vodka shot is 1.0. Sixteen ounces of 7% IPA is 1.87 drinks. The glass looks friendly. The ethanol is not.
Wine is the other NIAAA twin: 5 ounces at 12% ABV is also one standard drink. A restaurant wine pour is often 6 ounces, which is 1.2 drinks. For that comparison see alcohol content in beer vs wine.
This is conversion, not a drinking plan
Matching ethanol does not match how fast you absorb it. Carbonated beer can speed absorption for some people. Food slows it. Body weight, sex, and time still set blood alcohol. Four drinks in about two hours is NIAAA’s binge pattern for women; five is the male pattern. That is a health line, not a target. Do not drive. Legal BAC is 0.08% in most states (0.05% in Utah), and impairment starts earlier.
Read the can. Brewery ABV is on the label because TTB requires an alcohol statement on malt beverages in this range. Guessing “beer is 5%” fails on light lagers and on pastry stouts. A 12-ounce hard seltzer is one shot only if it is actually 5%.
More in our Vodka Guide.
Sources
- NIAAA, “What Is a Standard Drink?” (updated December 2025): 12 oz of 5% beer, 5 oz of 12% wine, or 1.5 oz of 40% spirits = 14 g alcohol. Some light beers 4.2%. Some craft beers 10% = two drinks per 12 oz. 8–10 oz malt liquor or flavored malt beverages such as hard seltzer at about 7% = one drink.
- CDC, “About Standard Drink Sizes” (December 12, 2024): 12 oz 5% beer; 8 oz 7% malt liquor; 1.5 oz 80-proof spirits.
- 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines Appendix 9: 12 fl oz at 9% = 1.8 drink-equivalents (arithmetic check, not a new statute).
- TTB alcohol labeling for malt beverages; 27 CFR Part 7.