Santa Fe Addiction Treatment Center Blog Post Reveals Alcohol Content in Common Drinks

Santa Fe, N.M. — Shadow Mountain Recovery, an addiction treatment center located in Santa Fe, N.M., recently published a blog post detailing the alcohol content in various alcoholic beverages. The goal of the post is to give people a better understanding of how much alcohol they're consuming each time they drink.

According to the post, the only form of alcohol that is consumable in moderate amounts is ethanol. Even in this form, if consumed in excess, alcohol becomes toxic to the body and can cause liver damage, brain cognitive impairment, and it can harm other organs as well.

The post points out that while the exact amount of alcohol in every type of beverage will vary, it is possible to compare how much alcohol is usually contained in each of the most common mixed drinks, beers, wines, and straight liquors. The first drinks discussed in the Shadow Mountain Recovery post are undistilled beverages, such as wine, hard cider, and beer. Stout beers have the most alcohol content in this category with around 9% to 12% alcohol by volume (ABV), while ales and pilsners have the lowest alcohol content at 4% to 5% ABV.

Wines generally have more alcohol content than beers with 12% to 14.5% ABV. The last undistilled drink the post covers is hard cider, which usually contains 4.5% to 7% ABV, but some ciders contain 10% to 12% ABV.

Distilled beverages have by far the most alcohol content by volume. Beverages in this category include whiskeys, rums, and vodkas, and they have an alcohol content that ranges anywhere from 12% to 33% ABV. The post also lists the alcohol content for some of the most popular mixed drinks. For example, an old-fashioned has a whopping 32% ABV. A Manhattan cocktail contains around 30% ABV, and a whiskey sour has 27.5% ABV in a traditional serving.

Among rum drinks, a daiquiri typically has 15% to 20% ABV. Mojitos contain around 13% ABV, and piña coladas usually have about 13% ABV. As for vodka cocktails, a cosmopolitan is a very strong drink with 30% to 35% ABV. Margaritas are also powerful with 30% to 33% ABV. A vodka martini has around 28% ABV. Tequila sunrises have 13% to 17% ABV, and a bloody Mary is typically 12% to 15% ABV.

The post points out that according to the National Institutes of Health, an estimated 15 million people in the United States suffer from alcohol use disorder (AUD). AUD is the medical term for what many in the past have referred to as alcoholism.

Shadow Mountain Recovery provides alcohol and drug detox, residential addiction treatment, and outpatient addiction treatment. Their facility in Santa Fe provides an opportunity for their clients to reconnect with themselves in a breathtaking atmosphere steeped in the history and culture of the Southwest. It's an all-inclusive treatment center that uses evidence-based programs with an underlying emphasis on holistic approaches.

For more information on Shadow Mountain Recovery’s alcohol and other addiction treatment programs, visit their website.