Search resultsA drink is a drink? Variation in the amount of alcohol contained in beer, wine and spirits drinks in a US methodological sample
Title
A drink is a drink? Variation in the amount of alcohol contained in beer, wine and spirits drinks in a US methodological sample
Publication type
Journal Article
Year of Publication
2005
Authors
Journal
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume
29
Issue
11
Pagination
2015 - 2021
Date published
2005
ISBN
01456008 (ISSN)
Keywords
Adolescent, Adult, age distribution, Aged, alcohol, alcohol consumption, Alcohol Drinking, alcoholic beverage, Alcoholic Beverages, article, beer, beverage, controlled study, Data Collection, Ethanol, Female, Food Analysis, health care organization, health survey, home, human, Humans, Interviews, male, methodology, Middle Aged, normal human, priority journal, Questionnaires, sample, Sex Distribution, spirits, Standard drink, telephone, United States, Weights and Measures, wine
Abstract
Background: Empirically based estimates of the mean alcohol content of beer, wine and spirits drinks from a national sample of US drinkers are not currently available. Methods: A sample of 310 drinkers from the 2000 National Alcohol Survey were re-contacted to participate in a telephone survey with specific questions about the drinks they consume. Subjects were instructed to prepare their usual drink of each beverage at home and to measure each alcoholic beverage and other ingredients with a provided beaker. Information on the brand or type of each beverage was used to specify the percentage of alcohol. Results: The weighted mean alcohol content of respondents' drinks was 0.67 ounces overall, 0.56 ounces for beer, 0.66 ounces for wine and 0.89 ounces for spirits. Spirits and wine drink contents were particularly variable with many high-alcohol drinks observed. Conclusions: While the 0.6-ounce of alcohol drink standard appears to be a reasonable single standard, it cannot capture the substantial variation evident in this sample and it underestimates average wine and spirits ethanol content. Direct measurement or beverage-specific mean ethanol content estimates would improve the precision of survey alcohol assessment. Copyright