40 oz beer BAC Calculator: Alcohol & Calories per Bottle

40 oz beer: Alcohol content, strength and type of drink.

The ""forty"" is a large 40-ounce bottle of beer, typically affordable malt liquor. It gained cultural prominence as a budget-friendly option, becoming widely recognized in various communities.

In terms of calories, a 1182 ml / 40 ounces bottle of 40 oz beer contains about 480 calories. Of those, approximately 326 come from the alcohol content alone. The remaining 154 calories are derived primarily from carbohydrates and unfermented sugars present in the drink.

A bottle of 40 oz beer contains 1182 ml / 40 ounces with an alcohol percentage of 5%. In terms of raw alcohol, this means a bottle of 40 oz beer contains 46.6 grams of alcohol.

A bottle of 40 oz beer equals about 3.33 standard drinks according to NIAAA guidelines.

Compared to other drinks, a bottle of 40 oz beer is roughly equivalent to:

3.33 bottles of beer (355 ml / 12 oz) (American size)
2.37 bottles of beer (500 ml / 16.9 oz) (European size)
3.33 glasses of wine (150 ml / 5 oz)
3.33 shots of hard spirits (tequila, whisky, vodka etc.) (45ml / 1.5 oz)

Although there is significant variation, the human body metabolizes about 5 to 7.5 grams of alcohol per hour.

This means it can take a healthy adult anywhere between 6 to 10 hours to metabolize the 46.6 grams of alcohol in just one bottle of 40 oz beer.

Methodology

Click to expand our BAC calculator methodology

This calculator uses the standard version of the Widmark formula to produce the BAC estimate.

A common version is: BAC = [Alcohol (g) / (Body weight (g) x r)] x 100

Alcohol (g): The mass of pure alcohol consumed.
Body weight (g): The person's weight.
r: The Widmark factor, a gender-specific constant for body water (typically 0.68 for males and 0.55 for females).

To account for alcohol elimination over time, a rate (β) is subtracted:

BAC = [Alcohol (g) / (Body weight (g) x r)] x 100 – (Hours x β)

Hours: Time passed since drinking started.
β (beta): The elimination rate, averaging 0.015% per hour.

Effects by Blood Alcohol Concentration

Below are the effects of different levels of Blood Alcohol Concentration, based on the guidelines of the USA's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

BAC %	Behavior	Impairment
0.001–0.029	Mild relaxation, otherwise normal.	Subtle; minor loss of coordination.
0.030–0.059	Mild euphoria, lowered inhibitions.	Reduced alertness and judgment.
0.060–0.099	Buzzed, over-confident, exaggerated emotions.	Impaired reasoning, vision, and reaction time.
0.100–0.199	Drunk, boisterous, or sloppy.	Major motor impairment; slurred speech.
0.200–0.299	Dazed, confused; blackouts likely.	Needs help walking. Nausea/vomiting.
0.300–0.399	Stupor; likely loss of consciousness.	Critical; little comprehension. Bladder control lost.
0.400–0.500	Coma; unconscious.	Life-threatening; breathing and heart rate suppressed.
>0.50	Unconscious.	Potentially fatal; high risk of complete respiratory failure.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bottles of 40 oz beer does it take to get drunk?

As a general estimate, an average 80kg / 176lb man may feel drunk (defined as 0.08% BAC or more) after around 2 bottles of 40 oz beer. An average 70kg / 154 lb woman might feel drunk and reach 0.08% BAC after about 1 bottles of 40 oz beer. These are rough estimates and not guarantees.

How much alcohol is in a bottle of 40 oz beer?

A typical 40 oz beer has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5%, which is about 46.6 grams of alcohol.

Is a bottle of 40 oz beer considered a standard drink?

According to the NIAAA's guidelines, a standard drink contains 14 grams of alcohol. A 1182 ml / 40 ounces bottle of 40 oz beer with an ABV of 5% typically contains 46.6 grams of alcohol, so it is approximately 3.3 standard drinks

Can you get drunk off one bottle of 40 oz beer?

Some individuals—especially those with lower body weight or lower alcohol tolerance—may feel noticeable effects from a single bottle of 40 oz beer. How strongly alcohol affects someone can differ widely.

DISCLAIMER: The BAC calculator is meant for educational purposes only. As per the guidelines of the Center for Disease Control, alcohol is a substance that can severely impact your health, so exercise caution. The BAC calculator and information generated from it is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider and should not be relied upon; nor do the BAC calculator or information generated from it constitute legal advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition and legal counsel for any legal questions. There is no blood alcohol calculator that is 100% accurate because of the numerous factors and complexities relating to alcohol consumption by of different individuals. In addition to the gender, body weight and amount of alcohol consumed in a time period, blood alcohol content of any individual person is influenced by that person’s metabolism, health issues, medications taken, history of alcohol consumption and the amount of food and non-alcoholic beverages eaten before or during alcohol consumption, among other factors. The best that can be done is a rough estimation of the BAC level based on known inputs.

Our medical reviewers have verified the educational content and confirmed that the calculator correctly implements the standard BAC estimation algorithms. Note that individual results vary significantly. This is an educational estimate only.