How many beers are in a case? A standard US case of beer holds 24 beers, usually 12-oz cans or bottles. That is 288 fl oz, or 2.25 gallons. A 30-rack holds 30, a 12-pack holds 12, and a 60-oz pitcher pours five 12-oz beers.
The word "case" is not a fixed legal size, so it helps to know what each pack contains and how much alcohol that adds up to. This guide covers US and UK cases, pitchers, and a simple way to turn any pack into standard drinks or units.
How many beers in a case, 30-rack and other packs?
| Pack | Beers | Total fl oz | Total volume | US standard drinks at 5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Six-pack (12 oz) | 6 | 72 | 2.1 L | 6 |
| 12-pack (12 oz) | 12 | 144 | 4.3 L | 12 |
| 18-pack (12 oz) | 18 | 216 | 6.4 L | 18 |
| Case (24 × 12 oz) | 24 | 288 | 8.5 L | 24 |
| 30-rack (12 oz) | 30 | 360 | 10.6 L | 30 |
| Case of 16-oz tallboys (24) | 24 | 384 | 11.4 L | 32 |
A 12-oz beer at 5% ABV is exactly one US standard drink, so for regular-strength beer, cans and standard drinks match. Light beer at about 4.2% is roughly 0.85 standard drinks per can, so a case of light beer is about 20 standard drinks. A 7% IPA is about 1.4 per can.
How many ounces in a case of beer?
A 24-can case holds 24 × 12 = 288 fl oz. That is 2.25 US gallons, or about 8.5 litres. A 30-rack holds 360 oz, or 2.8 gallons.
How many beers in a case compared with a keg?
A full-size half-barrel keg holds about 165 12-oz beers, which equals about 6.9 cases. A quarter-barrel keg is about 3.4 cases. Our guide to how many beers are in a keg lists every keg size.
How many beers in a UK case?
UK multipacks mix can sizes, so count the alcohol rather than the cans. One UK unit is 10 ml of pure alcohol.
| UK pack | Total volume | Units per can or bottle | Units in the pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 × 440 ml at 4% | 10.6 L | 1.8 | 42.2 |
| 18 × 440 ml at 4% | 7.9 L | 1.8 | 31.7 |
| 24 × 330 ml at 5% | 7.9 L | 1.7 | 39.6 |
| 12 × 440 ml at 4.5% | 5.3 L | 2.0 | 23.8 |
A 24-can slab of 440 ml lager at 4% is 42 units. The UK Chief Medical Officers advise no more than 14 units a week, so that slab is three weeks of the guideline. For single cans, see how many units are in a can of beer.
How many beers in a pitcher?
Pitchers are not standardised either, but bars mostly use 48-oz or 60-oz pitchers.
| Pitcher | Volume | 12 oz beers | 16 oz pints | US standard drinks at 5% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small | 32 oz (946 ml) | 2.7 | 2 | 2.7 |
| Medium | 48 oz (1.4 L) | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Large (most common) | 60 oz (1.8 L) | 5 | 3.75 | 5 |
| Half gallon | 64 oz (1.9 L) | 5.3 | 4 | 5.3 |
In the UK, a pub jug is often 4 pints (2.27 L). At 4% ABV that is about 9.1 units. Split between four people, each glass is a normal pint of about 2.3 units.
The formula for any pack
US standard drinks = number of beers × fluid ounces per beer × ABV (as a decimal) ÷ 0.6
UK units = number of cans × millilitres per can × ABV ÷ 1,000
Example 1: a case of 12-oz light beer at 4.2%
24 × 12 = 288 oz, 288 × 0.042 = 12.1 oz of pure alcohol, and 12.1 ÷ 0.6 = 20.2 standard drinks.
Example 2: a 30-rack of 5% beer
30 × 12 × 0.05 = 18 oz of pure alcohol, and 18 ÷ 0.6 = 30 standard drinks.
Example 3: a UK pack of 18 × 440 ml at 4%
18 × 440 × 4 ÷ 1,000 = 31.7 units, or 1.76 units per can.
The standard drink calculator works out any can size and strength for you.
How long should a case last?
The CDC describes moderate drinking as 2 drinks or fewer a day for men and 1 or fewer for women, on days when people drink. These are limits, not daily targets. At those limits:
- One person, 1 drink a day: a 24-can case of 5% beer lasts about 24 days.
- One person, 2 drinks a day: it lasts about 12 days.
- Faster than that means you are drinking above the moderate range on average.
If a case regularly disappears in a weekend, the finish date tells you more than any one night does. Our guide to how many drinks count as binge drinking explains why the size of a single session matters.
Never drive after drinking from a case or a pitcher. Plan a sober driver, a taxi, or public transport before you start.
Count cans as you open them
Most people underestimate how many cans they have had by the end of an evening. [Alcohol Tracker°](/) lets you log each can from iPhone or Apple Watch with its size and ABV, so a case becomes a running total rather than a guess.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many beers are in a case of beer?
A standard US case holds 24 beers, usually 12-oz cans or bottles. Some stores sell 30-can cases, called 30-racks, and 18-packs.
How many beers are in a 30-rack?
A 30-rack holds 30 12-oz beers, or 360 fl oz in total. At 5% ABV that is 30 US standard drinks.
How many beers are in a pitcher?
A 60-oz pitcher, the most common bar size, pours five 12-oz beers or 3.75 16-oz pints. A 48-oz pitcher pours four 12-oz beers.
How many gallons is a case of beer?
A 24-can case of 12-oz beers holds 288 fl oz, which is 2.25 US gallons or about 8.5 litres.
How many units are in a crate of beer in the UK?
It depends on the cans and strength. A 24 × 440 ml pack at 4% contains about 42 units, and a 24 × 330 ml pack at 5% contains about 40.
The quick answer
A standard case holds 24 12-oz beers, which is 288 oz or 2.25 gallons. A 30-rack holds 30, a 12-pack holds 12, and a 60-oz pitcher pours five 12-oz beers. At 5% ABV, every 12-oz beer is one US standard drink, so a case is 24 standard drinks.
Sources: NIAAA: What is a standard drink?, CDC: About alcohol use, NHS alcohol units, and the UK Chief Medical Officers' low-risk drinking guidelines.
Keep exploring
Use the calculator or continue with a related guide:
Put the guide into practice
Keep a clearer drink diary.
Track units, standard drinks, cost, calories, dry days and estimated BAC on iPhone and Apple Watch.
