Wag Alcohol Calculator

Calculate the Weight of Alcohol in Grams (WAG)

Drink Volume (ml)

Alcohol By Volume (ABV %)

Pure Alcohol Weight:
0.00 grams

US Standard Drinks

0.0

Total Calories (Ethanol)

What is a WAG Alcohol Calculator?

The WAG (Weight of Alcohol in Grams) calculator is a precision tool used to determine the actual mass of ethanol contained within a beverage. While most labels display Alcohol by Volume (ABV), scientific research, metabolic tracking, and Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) calculations rely on the weight of alcohol in grams rather than liquid volume.

The Scientific Formula

Alcohol is less dense than water. To find the weight of alcohol, we use the specific gravity of ethanol (approximately 0.789 g/ml). The formula used by this calculator is:

            WAG (g) = Volume (ml) × (ABV / 100) × 0.789
        

Practical Examples

Standard Beer: A 355ml (12 oz) beer at 5% ABV contains approximately 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Glass of Wine: A 148ml (5 oz) glass of wine at 12% ABV contains roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol.
Shot of Spirits: A 44ml (1.5 oz) shot of 40% ABV spirits contains approximately 13.9 grams of pure alcohol.

Why Track Alcohol in Grams?

Tracking alcohol by weight is critical for several reasons:

Metabolic Accuracy: The human liver processes alcohol at a rate typically measured in grams per hour (approx. 7g-10g/hour).
Caloric Intake: Pure ethanol contains approximately 7 calories per gram. This does not include sugars or carbs in the drink.
Global Standards: Different countries define a "standard drink" differently (e.g., 14g in the US, 10g in the UK/Australia). Knowing the WAG allows you to stay consistent regardless of local definitions.

function calculateWAG() { var volume = document.getElementById('drinkVolume').value; var abv = document.getElementById('abvPercentage').value; var volNum = parseFloat(volume); var abvNum = parseFloat(abv); if (isNaN(volNum) || isNaN(abvNum) || volNum <= 0 || abvNum <= 0) { alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for Volume and ABV."); return; } // Ethanol density is approx 0.789 g/ml var density = 0.789; // Calculation: Volume * (ABV/100) * Density var grams = volNum * (abvNum / 100) * density; // US Standard Drink is approx 14g of pure alcohol var standardDrinks = grams / 14; // Alcohol contains 7 calories per gram var calories = grams * 7; // Display results document.getElementById('wagResult').style.display = 'block'; document.getElementById('gramResult').innerText = grams.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('standardDrinkResult').innerText = standardDrinks.toFixed(2); document.getElementById('calorieResult').innerText = Math.round(calories); }