Drink types

There are two main types of alcoholic beverage :

fermented beverages containing alcohol obtained by fermenting fruit or cereals and which may not exceed 16° alcohol: wine, beer, cider;
distilled beverages such as "eaux-de-vie", which can be up to 60°: liqueurs or digestifs, spirits, whisky, gin..

We tend to believe that some alcohols are more harmful or more concentrated than others. However, whatever the type of drink chosen, the quantity of alcohol contained in a "standard" glass is the same: one unit of alcohol = 10 g of pure alcohol.

This is not to say that the notion of stronger or weaker alcohol is a myth, but the size of a "standard" glass varies according to the type of drink. For example, a glass of whisky at 40° contains 3 cl, while a glass of beer contains 25 cl. As a result, a glass of aperitif, wine, champagne, beer or whisky can be considered equivalent to one unit of alcohol - provided, of course, that these standard quantities are served! It's important to remember that each glass raises blood alcohol levels by an average of 0.20 g to 0.25 g. The capacities shown in the chart below correspond to the standard doses served in cafés.

When we're at home and/or serving ourselves, we tend to increase the quantities served. This is because the standard (and sometimes unknown) quantities are not always respected, making it much more difficult to assess how much has been drunk.

Diluting alcohol with soda or fruit juice does not change the amount of alcohol absorbed. However, the drink seems less "strong", which may encourage you to drink more and more. What's more, the presence of sugar or carbon dioxide increases the concentration of alcohol in the blood more rapidly. So let's be careful !