This drink ABV calculator works out the final alcohol percentage of a cocktail or mixed drink from each ingredient’s volume and strength — with shaking/stirring dilution accounted for.

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ABV = Total Alcohol ÷ Total Volume — Dilution Included

Alcohol is conserved; volume isn’t (ice melt adds water, the silent fourth ingredient of every shaken drink). Fermented drinks get their number from gravity on our ABV Calculator. Part of our Food Calculators collection.

Worked Example (Verified)

  • Classic margarita (defaults): 60 mL tequila 40% + 30 mL orange liqueur 40% + 22.5 mL lime → alcohol 36 mL; neat mixture = 32.0% ABV; after a shake’s ~15% dilution (129 mL total) → ≈ 27.8% in the glass
  • The highball collapse: the same 60 mL of 40% spirit over 180 mL soda = 24 mL alcohol ÷ ~240 mL = 10% — lengthening is dilution by design
  • Martini honesty: 75 mL gin 47% + 15 mL vermouth 16%, stirred ≈ 37.7 mL alcohol ÷ ~103 mL ≈ 36.4% — the “light” cocktail that out-punches most beers six-fold per sip
  • Zero-proof math: set strengths to 0 and the formula correctly reports 0.0% regardless of volumes — sanity confirmed at the trivial end

Reading the Number Responsibly

  • ABV alone doesn’t dose you — total pure alcohol does (the standard-drinks line in the results is the operative figure).
  • Proof (US) = 2 × ABV: a 40% spirit is 80 proof; this page works in ABV throughout.
  • Dilution varies with ice quality, shake time and glass temperature: treat the presets as ±3-point estimates.
  • Fortified wines (15–22%) and liqueurs (15–40%) swing recipes more than base-spirit swaps do — check labels.

Related Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate the ABV of a mixed drink?

Sum each ingredient’s alcohol (volume × its ABV), divide by total volume including dilution: the default margarita holds 36 mL of alcohol; in ~129 mL of shaken drink that’s ≈ 27.8%. This calculator handles two alcoholic ingredients plus non-alcoholic volume and standard dilution presets.

How much does shaking dilute a cocktail?

Typically 15–25% of the drink’s volume in meltwater (roughly 20–30 mL on a standard build), depending on ice, time and technique. Dilution isn’t a flaw — it’s seasoning: it drops a margarita from 32% to ~28% and opens aromatics. The presets here bracket the normal range.

How many standard drinks is a cocktail?

Pure alcohol ÷ 17.7 mL (one US standard drink = 14 g ethanol). The default margarita: 36 ÷ 17.7 ≈ 2.0 standard drinks — why “I only had two cocktails” can mean four standard drinks. The result line on this page computes it for your build.

What’s the difference between ABV and proof?

Proof (US system) is simply 2 × ABV: 40% vodka = 80 proof. The UK historically used a different scale (100 proof ≈ 57.15% ABV) — modern labels worldwide print ABV, which is what this calculator uses.

Does the alcohol “cook off” or dilute away over time?

In a glass, essentially no evaporation on drinking timescales — ABV drifts down only via ice melt (already modeled). In cooking, retention varies widely with time and method (USDA tables: ~5–85% remains) — a different calculator’s problem; this one covers drinks as served.

Is this drink ABV calculator free?

Yes — free, instant, no sign-up. Please drink responsibly.