How much alcohol is in a “shot” by weight?
A “shot” usually means about 1.5 US fl oz (44 mL) of liquor. To convert that volume into “alcohol weight,” you use the drink’s alcohol by volume (ABV) and the density of ethanol.
For most standard liquors (about 40% ABV):
- Ethanol in 1.5 fl oz shot = 44 mL × 0.40 = 17.6 mL ethanol
- Using ethanol density (~0.789 g/mL), ethanol mass = 17.6 mL × 0.789 g/mL ≈ 13.9 g
So, a typical 1.5 fl oz shot of 40% ABV liquor contains about 14 grams of pure alcohol by weight.
What if the shot is bigger or the liquor is stronger?
If the shot is 2.0 fl oz (59 mL) instead, then:
- Ethanol mass = 59 mL × 0.40 × 0.789 ≈ 18.6 g
If the ABV changes, the alcohol weight scales linearly with ABV. For example, at 50% ABV (keeping 1.5 fl oz):
- 44 mL × 0.50 × 0.789 ≈ 17.4 g
Quick rule of thumb
For a 1.5 fl oz shot:
- At 40% ABV: about 14 g alcohol
- Alcohol grams ≈ shotvolumemL × ABV × 0.789
Important note: “grams” vs “percent weight”
People sometimes say “X% alcohol by weight,” but the usual label is ABV (percent by volume). The conversion above assumes you want the weight (grams) of ethanol (pure alcohol), not the alcohol content of the drink by weight.
If you tell me the shot size (1 oz, 1.5 oz, 2 oz) and the ABV (e.g., 40%, 45%, 50%), I can calculate the exact gram amount.