Many people think that beer has more alcohol than wine but, in most cases, it doesn’t. In this article, we are going to take a look at how many beers there are in a bottle of wine.
How Many Pints of Beer Are There in a Bottle of Wine?
A standard bottle of wine contains 750 ml. Yes, there are different sizes of wine bottles but for the purpose of this article, we will stick to the standard size. A pint of beer is 16 fluid ounces which is 454.6 ml.
However, while you may drink a pint of beer as one drink, you would probably only have a 5 or 6-oz glass of wine at a time.
Beer generally has a lower alcohol content than wine. They average between 4% and 6% although you can get beers with both lower and higher ABVs. The average ABV of wine is between 12% and 15% but again it can be higher or lower.
Working on these figures, the alcohol content of 3.75 and 5 pints equals that of a 750 ml bottle of wine. If we take an example, a 12 oz glass of beer has the same amount of alcohol as a 5 oz glass of wine so you will probably feel the same effect from the alcohol.
However, if you drank the same amount of wine, that is, 12 oz, you would become drunk much quicker.
Of course, this can vary depending on the type of wine or beer you are drinking and its alcohol content. However, on average, wine has more than double the alcohol content of beer.
If you are going out for a drink and don’t want to get drunk, you are better off choosing a beer. Apart from it having a lower ABV, you get more liquid so it will probably last you longer than a glass of wine.
Is Beer Weaker Than Wine?
In general, beer isn’t as strong as wine but of course, there are exceptions to the rule. The strongest beer that you can get is the Brewmeister Snake Venom. It is a staggering 67.5 ABV, which is stronger than most spirits.
It would not be a good idea to drink a pint of this brew as you could seriously become ill with alcohol poisoning and end up in hospital, especially if you don’t drink that much regularly. However, beers like this are rare and you will usually find that most do have a lower ABV than wine.
The highest ABV of wine is around 20%. These are usually fortified wines such as Port, Sherry, and Madeira.
To calculate which is the stronger drink, you need to look at the ABV and the volume. You can use an online calculator if you wish, such as this one.
Are There More Calories in Beer Than in Wine?
Let’s take a look at a couple of charts, one with the types of beer and their calorie content and the other with the types of wine and the calories in them.
Type of Beer Calories in a 12 oz Serving
Light Beer 55 – 100
Dark Beer 170 – 200
Malt Beer 150 – 220
Craft Beer 170 – 240
Strong Beer 250 – 350
Type of Wine Calories in a 6 oz Serving
Light Sweet White Wine 100 – 150
Dry White Wine 110 – 170
Red Wine 130 – 190
Sweet Dessert Wine 190 – 250
Sparkling Wine 150 – 180
As can be seen, the serving of wine is half that of beer, so when you compare calories, wine tends to have more than beer. As can be seen, the least calories are in light beer and light wine so if you want to keep your calorie intake low, stick to these.
Just remember that you can drink more beer than wine for similar calorie counts so if you’re out for a long night, you may be better off sticking to beer.
Wine tends to have more calories because there is natural sugar in the grapes. The yeast used in the fermentation process turns the sugar to alcohol but if a sweeter wine is wanted, the fermentation process is stopped part of the way through.
The ABV of Wine vs Beer
Let’s take a closer look at the different types of beers and wines and their ABVs.
Beer
Type of Beer Average ABV Examples
Light Beer 2% Amstel Light, Bud Light
Dark Beer 3% – 4.5% Guinness, Sierra Nevada
Malt Beer 5% – 9% Bass, Harp
Craft Beer 5% Tiny Rebel, Gambrinus
Strong Beer 10% upwards Chaos, Higher Math
Wine
Type of Wine Average ABV Examples
Light Sweet White Wine 6% – 12% Muscat, Chenin Blanc, Moscato
Dry White Wine 11% – 13.5% Sauvignon Blanc, Assyrtiko,
Vermentino, Alberino
Red Wine 12% – 15% Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Zinfandel
Sweet Dessert Wine 15% – 20% Tokaji, Ice Wine, Sauternes
Sparkling Wine 10% – 12% Champagne, Cava, Prosecco
By studying these charts, we can see that wine tends to be more alcoholic than beer, although, as we have said, there are exceptions and there are some very strong beers out there.
In general, the minimum ABV of beer is 2% while it is 6% in wine. However, there aren’t that many wines that are this low in alcohol. If you are not used to drinking wine or just want to keep your alcohol content low, stick to the light and dry varieties of wine.
Red wines tend to be higher in alcohol than white so if you prefer red, perhaps just stick to one or two glasses. Sweet dessert wines and fortified wines have the highest ABV.
However, they are generally served in smaller glasses holding 4 oz while other wine is served in either 5 oz or 6 oz glasses. Again, if you want to keep the alcohol content down, stick to the 5 oz glass.
When you are served beer, you get a larger quantity. If you order a pint, you will get 16 oz but you can, of course, just order half a pint. However, even if you order a pint, it will take you much longer to drink than a glass of wine.
You could easily drink two glasses of wine in the time it takes you to drink a pint. Unless you are drinking a strong beer, it is more likely that you will feel drunk by drinking the wine than the beer.
How Can You Work Out How Much Alcohol Is in Your Wine or Beer?
Generally, it isn’t difficult to work out how much alcohol is in the glass of wine or beer that you are drinking. For example, if you are drinking a 120 ml glass of wine with an ABV of 10%, then you have 12 ml of alcohol in the wine.
So, if you have 120 ml of beer with an ABV of 5%, you will have 6 ml of alcohol in the drink.
Wine vs Beer. Which is Better?
When we say better, it could refer to several things so let’s take a look at them.
Cutting Down on Drunkenness
Both wine and beer can make you drunk if you drink enough of it. Yes, it’s nice to have a glass or two of wine on a night out or a pint of beer but most people don’t want to get too drunk.
You can end up sick or do things that you wouldn’t normally do when you are sober.
When it comes to limiting drunkenness, it is better to drink beer. On average, you can drink at least twice as much beer as wine for the same amount of alcohol, even more, if you are drinking light beer with an ABV of around 2%.
Calorie Content
When it comes to the number of calories, beer generally has fewer calories than wine. Many wines are sweet which adds calories to the drink. If you want a very low-calorie option, choose a light beer.
They are lower in alcohol than other beers and it is alcohol that contributes to most of the calories in beer. If you drink a glass of red wine, you will probably be drinking twice as many calories, if not more.
Sugar Content
Beer tends to contain less sugar than wine so if you want to cut your sugar intake, choose beer, preferably a light beer. However, dry wines have less sugar so if you enjoy wine, choose a dry wine over a sweet one.
Health Benefits
However, wine wins here. When it comes to health benefits, wine has more than any other alcoholic drink. It is made from grapes which have natural sugars that are used for fermentation.
Red wine, in particular, contains many antioxidants which help to protect against cancer, heart disease, and other illnesses. Red wine also contains tannins which help to break down fats. A glass of red wine every now and then will do you good, though don’t overdo it.
However, beer does have some health benefits as well. It is a source of fiber and B vitamins but these are small amounts.
Finally, How Many Beers Are There in a 750 ml Bottle of Wine?
We can only give an average number because ABVs vary. If we take a 750 ml bottle of wine, it will serve approximately five 5 oz glasses of wine. This amount of wine has around the same alcohol content as a 12 oz glass of beer.
Therefore, you can say that there are about 5 12 oz beers in a 750 ml bottle of wine.
