An alcohol log needs drink size and strength

Write the container or pour size

A small bottle, a large can, and a home-poured glass are not interchangeable entries. Record volume from the container when you can, and mark a guessed pour as approximate.

NIAAA advises measuring and recording drinks. Standard-drink definitions vary by country, so do not mix counts from different systems without naming the definition.

Record the amount consumed, not just container capacity

Copy the alcohol-by-volume percentage from the current label. A familiar product name is not enough if strength or container size varies. Then distinguish the container’s capacity from the amount you actually consumed. An unfinished container should not automatically become a full-container entry.

For an invented example, a container holds 500 mL at 4.5% ABV and you consumed half. That is 250 mL of the beverage. Pure-alcohol volume is 250 × 4.5 ÷ 100 = 11.25 mL. The NHS defines one UK unit as 10 mL of pure alcohol, so this is 1.125 UK units, approximately 1.13. These values illustrate record arithmetic, not a recommended or safe amount.

• In the alcohol amount calculator, enter 250 mL, 4.5% and a count of 1 for this example. Once volume already represents the half consumed, do not halve the count again.
• If “half” was a visual estimate, keep “approximately” in the record. More decimal places in the result cannot make an uncertain pour precise.
• If several people shared a container and your share is unknown, retain that uncertainty. For a mixed drink, a container’s total volume does not identify the amount or ABV of its alcoholic ingredients.

Add context without turning it into a judgment

You may find a short note about the situation or timing useful. Choose language that helps you remember what happened. You do not have to explain or defend every entry.

Keep days without an entry separate from confirmed alcohol-free days. When reviewing a week, identify missing records so they are not counted as zeros.

Create one entry that can be checked later

Start with the beverage name, the amount consumed, and the ABV from the label if available. A container's capacity is not necessarily the amount you drank. If you shared a bottle or left part of a drink, record what you know about your portion and identify what is estimated.

For a refill, use another entry or make the combined amount explicit. “Two glasses” without the pour size is a different level of information from two labeled containers. You do not have to reconstruct an unknown pour precisely. Keeping the uncertainty visible is more useful than an exact-looking amount based on an assumption you later forget.

Keep the original quantities when discussing units

If an app displays standard drinks or units, identify the country or definition used. Do not compare that count directly with a report using another definition. Retaining the volume and strength gives a professional the original information even when the summary counts differ.

This website deliberately keeps the basic record rather than estimating blood alcohol concentration or a time until sober. A count in a diary is not a decision rule for driving or other safety-sensitive activities. The usefulness of the record is that it describes consumption and its uncertainty, not that it certifies an outcome.

Make a weekly summary that shows its coverage

Imagine a week with records on four dates: three mention alcohol, and one explicitly says none. Three other dates have no entry. The honest summary is “three days with recorded consumption, one confirmed alcohol-free day, three unrecorded days.” It would be misleading to call the missing dates alcohol-free simply because a chart has no bars.

Add the main question you want help with and a few situations you think are relevant, without treating them as proof of a cause. A healthcare professional may ask for more information; the diary does not have to anticipate everything. Explain any missing information in a note alongside your record. If you may be dependent or drink heavily, seek medical advice before stopping suddenly rather than using a logging goal as a withdrawal plan.

Make changes with appropriate support

Stopping suddenly after prolonged heavy drinking can cause dangerous withdrawal. NIAAA recommends seeking medical help to plan a safe recovery. This log is not a detox plan.

Alcohol Tracker+ and the free log can organize records. They do not determine when it is safe to drive, estimate sobriety for decisions, or replace medical support.