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Free alcohol in food calculator. Estimate how much ethanol you add from wine, beer, or spirits and how much may remain after cooking using USDA-style retention. Optional total recipe weight for concentration in the finished dish.
Last updated: April 19, 2026
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Enter total mass of finished food in grams to see approximate ethanol per 100 g and % by weight.
Estimated ethanol remaining in dish
3.99 g
≈ 5.06 ml pure ethanol · ~0.29 US standard drinks
Approximate concentration in food
399.4 mg ethanol / 100 g food
~0.3994% ethanol by weight (very small for most cooked dishes)
Estimates only
Retention varies with lid, surface area, pan size, and recipe. Values follow common USDA/extension tables for home cooking—not for medical, legal, or infant-feeding decisions.
Typical input
ml + wine ABV
Compare short simmers vs long reductions before you taste and adjust salt.
Enter
~4–6% ABV common
Large volumes in big batches still contribute measurable ethanol before cook-down.
Example
30 ml @ 40% ABV
Useful for desserts and flambé when you want a sanity check on ethanol added.
Scenario
~25 min bake option
Retention is an average—deep casseroles evaporate differently than thin layers.
Output
mg / 100 g
Divides remaining ethanol across the whole batch weight you enter.
Context
Before vs after cooking
Helps compare a splash of wine vs a shot of brandy in the same mental model.
150 ml wine at 13.5% ABV, simmered ~1 hour, 1000 g total food (defaults in the calculator):
Ethanol remaining (est.)
3.99 g
≈ mg ethanol / 100 g food
399
We estimate the mass of ethanol contributed by your alcoholic ingredient, then multiply by a retention fraction chosen from common USDA / extension guidance for home cooking. That yields approximate ethanol left in the dish. Optional recipe weight spreads that ethanol across the full batch for a concentration view.
Ethanol (g) ≈ volume (ml) × (ABV ÷ 100) × 0.789Remaining (g) ≈ ethanol (g) × retention0.789 g/ml is a standard approximate density for ethanol. Retention is the fraction of that ethanol still in the food after the selected step—not the fraction of liquid that vanished.
Covered pots and short cooks keep more ethanol in the food than open long boils.
Real kitchens differ: lid on or off, stirring, surface area, starting volume of sauce, and added dairy or starch all change evaporation. Treat outputs as educational estimates, not lab measurements.
Most of the starting ethanol is gone after a long simmer, but not necessarily every trace.
Shorter cooks and covered pans increase what remains—adjust the scenario to match your process.
12 fl oz @ 5% ABV, simmer 30 min
Lower ABV, moderate time—check retention row
Spirits + quick flame
Use flambé scenario; time is short
Share it with home cooks and recipe developers
Suggested hashtags: #Cooking #Wine #Food #Calculator #Ethanol