Which beverage has a standard drink size of 32 mL?

• A. Vodka Cruiser
• B. Scotch Whiskey
• C. Full Strength Beer
• D. UDL

Answer: (B)

A standard drink is defined by a fixed amount of pure alcohol, about 10 grams. Because the alcohol concentration varies by beverage, the volume you’d need to reach that 10-gram amount changes with ABV. For a drink that is around 40% alcohol, roughly 32 milliliters contains about 12.8 milliliters of ethanol, which is close to 10 grams. That’s why Scotch whisky, typically about 40% ABV, has a standard drink size of about 32 mL.

Other beverages are much lower in ABV. A premixed drink like Vodka Cruiser (5% ABV) would only have about 1.6 milliliters of ethanol in a 32 mL serve—far less than a standard drink—so you’d need around 250 mL to reach one standard drink. Full-strength beer (4.5–5% ABV) and similar drinks would require roughly a quarter to a third of a liter to reach 10 grams of alcohol. So 32 mL isn’t a standard drink for those beverages, but it is for Scotch whisky.