Look, we’ve all been there. You’re halfway through a night out, someone proposes a switch from beer to shots, and you’re left scratching your head—wondering just how direct a one-way ticket to tomorrow’s hangover you’re about to purchase.

To solve this age-old question—and to prevent you from having any legitimate excuses for your potential indiscretions—I present to you the thoroughly engaging, only mildly pedantic, Beer & Liquor: The Shots-to-Beers Conversion Guide.

First things first. Here’s the disclaimer: these are all approximations and not necessarily accurate in all cases. The effects of beer and liquor are different, and can come on at different rates. Thus, these ratios can vary wildly due to a number of factors such as the type of alcohol, the strength of said alcohol, the fullness of the shot glass, the fullness of the moon, what you ate for breakfast, and more. So, read on, but take it all with a grain of salt (and a slice of lime) and above all, drink responsibly.

The Standard Unit: Beer vs. Shot

Let’s get down to brass tacks. We often hear that 1 beer is equivalent to 1 shot. This originated from the “standard drink” measure, which, in the U.S., is about 14 grams of pure alcohol.

That translates to about:

• 1.5 oz of distilled spirit (or 1 shot)
• Approximately 5 oz of wine
• Around 12 oz of “regular” beer

So, is one shot equal to one beer? On paper, in a perfect world, it might be. But there are many exceptions and many different variables to take into account. As a very general rule of thumb, 1 beer is equivalent to 1 shot, but it’s important to know how much alcohol is in what you’re drinking, and not base it on thumb rules.

Let’s go a bit deeper and approximate exactly how many cold ones you’d need to equal a shot of your favorite liquor.

How Much Beer Equals 1 Shot of Vodka?

1 standard shot (1.5 oz) of vodka, like Smirnoff, Reyka, or Grey Goose, is usually about 40% alcohol. That’s roughly equivalent to about one 12 oz can of your favorite low-ABV (alcohol by volume) beer, like Bud Light or Coors Lite.

Remember, we’re assuming your beer is around 4-5% ABV. If you’re dealing with something a little more potent, like Jade IPA with an ABV of 7.4%, that beer-to-vodka shot ratio is nearly halved.

Additionally, some vodkas are higher ABV, while flavored vodkas like Three Olives Cherry vodka tend to have lower ABV, around 35% or so.

Tip: For a complete explanation of Alcohol by Volume (ABV) measurement, click here.

How Much Beer Equals 1 Shot of Tequila

Just like vodka, 1 standard 1.5 oz shot of typical tequila—think José Cuervo, Don Julio, or Casa Noble—usually contains about 40% alcohol, so it’s also roughly equivalent to one 12 oz beer with a 4-5% ABV.

Again, if your beer of choice is something a little stronger, say a Belgian Tripel at around 9% ABV, you’re looking at closer to a 2:1 beer to shot ratio.

Or if you’re dealing with a higher ABV product, like Tapatio 110 (55% ABV), a single 1.5 oz tequila shot is now equal to almost 2 ½ of those Miller Lites you were thinking about having instead.

And if you’re combining a high ABV beer with a high ABV tequila? Well, just remember this guide won’t hold your hair back for you later.

How Much Beer Equals 1 Shot of Whiskey?

Alright, now to compare beer to whiskey—the “I mean business” of the drink world. Jack Daniels packs a typical 40% alcohol level, which, as with vodka and tequila, means that 1 shot is roughly equivalent to a 12 oz beer at 4-5% ABV. If you’re sensing a pattern here, you’re correct.

Now if you’re comparing beer with the bourbon they drink on Yellowstone (which is actually whiskey) you’ll be dealing with a 45% ABV, meaning that your shot is now equivalent to about 13.5 oz of beer.

And if you’re doing shots of a whiskey like Aberlour A’bunadh—at a staggering 60% ABV—you’re looking at needing almost a beer and a half to match a single shot.

How Much Beer Equals 1 Shot of Rum?

Shots of typical rum, like your standard Captain Morgan or Bacardi Gold shots, also clock in around 40% alcohol, so we’re again looking at an equivalence between one 1.5 oz shot of rum and a 12 oz 4-5% ABV beer, and this is all starting to sound like a broken record.

But remember, that equivalence quickly changes if you’re talking about an Imperial stout, a Belgian tripel, or some discontinued Bacardi 151 you bought off eBay (which was 75.5% ABV!).

How Many Beers Make 100 Shots?

If you searched Google for the answer to this question, I’m going to assume you’re planning a large party and not contemplating a solo venture. Because if it’s the latter, turn back now.

Our standard conversion for regular strength drinks is that one standard 1.5 oz shot of roughly 40% ABV spirit is approximately equivalent to one 12 oz beer with a 4-5% ABV.

In an ideal and standardized world, 100 shots of your liquor of choice would equate to about 100 12 oz beers.

Final Thoughts

The math of “how many beers equal 1 shot of _____” is definitely more “rule of thumb” than “perfect science.” We’ve got so many variables in play, it’s like trying to predict the weather while juggling beer glasses, on a unicycle, in a hurricane, and the hurricane is also on fire. So your best bet is always to stick to the real “rule of thumb” of drinking: Know how much alcohol is in your drink, know your limits, and stay within them.

Whether you’re drinking beer, vodka, tequila, whiskey, rum, brandy, cognac, wine, champagne, or some weird spiced carrot liqueur your buddy brought back from a remote island in the North Atlantic, it’s your responsibility to drink wisely.

Note: This guide was created as a rough tool for understanding the general equivalence between beer and various spirits. But if you ever find yourself Googling, “How many beers have I had in Jagermeister shots?” it might be time to put the shot glass down and grab a glass of water. It’s all fun and games until someone’s Googling “hangover cures” at 8AM.