Mint julep: 53 g of alcohol in a sweet glass

We found no study of the mint julep itself, so the science on this page comes from studies of alcohol. The sugar in the glass changes how the alcohol arrives. In a randomized crossover trial in 12 adults, vodka mixed with sugar-sweetened cola gave a lower peak breath alcohol than the same dose with diet cola, 34.8 against 38.3 ug/100 mL. The alcohol dose was the same in both arms, so a sweeter glass does not mean less alcohol taken in. The mixer there was cola, and julep syrup was never tested. Food matters too. In 24 healthy men, drinking 0.3 g/kg of ethanol after an evening meal changed peak blood alcohol and total exposure compared with drinking it before the meal, though the abstract gives no sizes. The drink itself is strong. One mint julep in US survey portions weighs 7.9 oz (225 g) and carries about 53 g of alcohol, 421 calories and 13 g of sugar, by a single standard recipe that is large next to bar recipes. That is close to four US standard drinks of 14 g each in one glass. The WHO Regional Office for Europe says there is no safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health and classes alcohol as a Group 1 carcinogen.

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• By US survey data a mint julep is about 24% alcohol by weight, with 187 calories and 5.75 g of sugar per 3.5 oz (100 g). — USDA FNDDS, Mint julep, fdc_id 2710643 Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: ethyl alcohol 23.7 g, energy 187 calories, total sugars 5.75 g

What a real portion looks like

• The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) defines one standard drink as about 14 g of pure alcohol, the amount in a 1.5-ounce shot of spirits at 40% alcohol. — US drinkers Evidence E source
  One standard drink = about 14 g pure alcohol = 1.5 oz of 40% spirits
• One mint julep in US survey portions weighs 7.9 oz (225 g) and carries about 53 g of alcohol, 421 calories and 13 g of sugar. — USDA FNDDS, Mint julep, 1 drink Evidence E source
  1 drink 225 g: alcohol 53.3 g, 420.8 calories, sugars 12.9 g; 1 fl oz 30 g: alcohol 7.1 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized study in 24 healthy men given 0.3 g/kg of ethanol, drinking after an evening meal changed peak blood alcohol and total exposure compared with drinking before it. — 24 healthy men, ethanol 0.3 g/kg before or after an evening meal, two study days each (n = 24) Evidence B source
  AUC, peak concentration, elimination slope and time to peak differed between fed and fasted; large inter-individual variability
• In a crossover trial in 12 adults, vodka mixed with sugar-sweetened cola gave a lower peak breath alcohol than the same dose with diet cola (34.8 vs 38.3 ug/100 mL), as sugar slowed stomach emptying. — 12 healthy adults aged 19-64, vodka 0.5 g/kg with regular or diet cola, 3-hour follow-up (n = 12) Evidence B source
  Peak BrAC 38.3 ± 9.45 with diet vs 34.8 ± 6.82 ug/100 mL with regular cola; gastric half-emptying 100 vs 111 min

What it does to your health

• The WHO Regional Office for Europe says there is no safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health, and that alcohol is a toxic, dependence-producing substance classed as a Group 1 carcinogen. — general population Evidence E source
  No safe amount of alcohol that does not affect health. Alcohol is an IARC Group 1 carcinogen
• The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 review finds no safe limit for several cancers, and total abstinence carries the lowest mortality in young adults. — evidence up to May 2021, mainly observational studies, Nordic and Baltic context Evidence C source
  No safe limit for several cancers; light to moderate intake without binge drinking not linked to higher all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults
• In 112,207 UK Biobank adults, observational data link moderate drinking with higher all-cause mortality, while a check in NHANES found no such association. — 112,207 UK Biobank participants by cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic stage; 10,904 NHANES participants for validation (n = 112207) Evidence C source
  Positive association with all-cause mortality in UK Biobank; none in NHANES

Safety, limits and interactions

• The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) lists fast heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure, vomiting, headache and flushing as possible reactions when alcohol is mixed with infection medicines such as metronidazole, and liver damage with isoniazid or ketoconazole. — people taking antibiotics and antifungals listed under Infections, including metronidazole (Flagyl) Evidence E source
  Fast heartbeat, sudden blood pressure changes, stomach pain, vomiting, headache, flushing, liver damage (isoniazid, ketoconazole)
• The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) lists drowsiness, dizziness, slowed or difficult breathing, impaired motor control and memory problems as possible reactions when alcohol is mixed with sleep medicines such as zolpidem. — people taking sleep medicines such as zolpidem (Ambien) Evidence E source
  Drowsiness, dizziness, slowed or difficult breathing, impaired motor control, unusual behavior, memory problems

Who this works differently for

• The CDC says there is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy and no safe time during pregnancy to drink, and that all types of alcohol, liquor included, can be harmful. — pregnant women and women trying to get pregnant Evidence E source
  No known safe amount, no safe time, all types of alcohol can harm, liquor named
• The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say to consume less alcohol for better overall health, and that pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control how much they drink, and people on medicines that interact with alcohol should avoid it completely. — US adults, with named groups who should not drink at all Evidence E source
  Drink less. Avoid completely if pregnant, recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control intake, or taking interacting medicines
• The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) says alcohol is a significant factor in the deaths of people under 21 in the United States. It adds that starting to drink before 15 raises the risk of alcohol use disorder later, and that the brain keeps developing well into the 20s. — people younger than 21 in the United States Evidence E source
  Alcohol a significant factor in deaths under 21. Starting before 15 raises later AUD risk. Brain develops into the 20s
• The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) lists stomach bleeding and ulcers, and liver damage with acetaminophen, as possible reactions when alcohol is mixed with pain relievers, and abnormally low blood sugar when it is mixed with diabetes medicines. — people taking pain relievers (including acetaminophen) or diabetes medicines (including metformin) Evidence E source
  Pain relievers: stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers, liver damage with acetaminophen. Diabetes medicines: abnormally low blood sugar, flushing reaction
• According to NIH, up to 80% of people with chronic alcoholism become thiamin deficient because ethanol cuts thiamin absorption and storage. — people with chronic alcohol use disorder Evidence E source
  Up to 80% develop thiamin deficiency

The bottom line

Per 100 g the survey drink is about 24 percent alcohol by weight, with 187 calories and 5.75 g of sugar, and real bourbon strength and syrup vary. The health picture is the one for alcohol in general. The Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023 review, built mainly on observational studies, found no safe limit for several cancers. It found that light to moderate drinking without binges was not linked to higher all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults, and that total abstinence carried the lowest mortality in young adults. In 112,207 UK Biobank adults, moderate drinking was associated with higher all-cause mortality. A check in 10,904 NHANES participants found no such association, so the two cohorts disagree. Who should not drink it. The CDC says there is no known safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy and no safe time to drink, liquor included. The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say pregnant women, people recovering from alcohol use disorder or unable to control how much they drink, and people on medicines that interact with alcohol should avoid it completely. The US alcohol institute (NIAAA) lists harmful reactions when alcohol is mixed with sleep medicines such as zolpidem, pain relievers including acetaminophen, and infection medicines such as metronidazole. With diabetes medicines, it lists abnormally low blood sugar. NIAAA also says alcohol is a significant factor in the deaths of people under 21 in the United States, and that the brain keeps developing well into the 20s. We have no card on allergy to this drink. Heavy, long-term drinking adds its own harm. By NIH, up to 80 percent of people with chronic alcoholism become thiamin deficient because ethanol cuts thiamin absorption and liver stores.

Sources

1. mjul-r6-06 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2710643 Mint julep (code 93301120): Alcohol, ethyl 23.7 g · Energy 187 kcal · Total Sugars 5.75 g per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 93301120 · checked 2026-09-28
2. hf2-mjul-7 · agency definition
   In the United States, one standard drink contains about 14 grams, or about 0.6 fluid ounces, of pure alcohol. That is the amount of alcohol in: ... A 1.5-ounce shot glass of distilled spirits at 40% alcohol by volume
   NIAAA, What Is A Standard Drink? (updated December 2025) · checked 2026-10-08
3. mjul-r6-07 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2710643 Mint julep: 1 drink 225 g · Alcohol, ethyl 53.3 g per drink · Energy 420.8 kcal per drink · Total Sugars 12.9 g per drink · 1 fl oz 30 g, 7.1 g alcohol
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023, food code 93301120 · checked 2026-09-28
4. mjul-r6-01 · randomized controlled trial
   Twenty-four healthy male subjects were randomized to receive ethanol 0.3 g kg-1 before an evening meal on two study days and ethanol 0.3 g kg-1 after an evening meal on two study days. ... There were significant differences in the mean area under the ethanol concentration-time curve (AUC), the mean peak ethanol concentration (Cmax), the mean ethanol elimination slope and the time to peak ethanol concentration between the fed and fasted subjects.
   Br J Clin Pharmacol, 1995 · checked 2026-09-28
5. mjul-r6-02 · randomized controlled trial
   twelve healthy participants (n = 12, 8 male and 4 female) aged 19-64 years were studied twice. ... Diet coke increased both the peak BrAC (38.3 ± 9.45 vs. 34.8 ± 6.82 μg/100 mL)
   Toxicol Lett, 2025 · checked 2026-09-28
6. hf2-mjul-8 · agency position
   The World Health Organization has now published a statement in The Lancet Public Health: when it comes to alcohol consumption, there is no safe amount that does not affect health. ... Alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive, and dependence-producing substance and has been classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer decades ago
   WHO Regional Office for Europe, news release: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (4 January 2023) · checked 2026-10-08
7. mjul-r6-03 · scoping review
   For several cancers, it is not possible to set any safe limit. All-cause mortality is not increased with light to moderate alcohol intake in middle-aged and older adults who do not engage in binge drinking. Total abstinence is associated with the lowest risk of mortality in young adults.
   Food Nutr Res, 2024 · checked 2026-09-28
8. mjul-r6-04 · cohort study
   This study included 112,207 participants from the UK Biobank cohort ... In the UK Biobank, moderate alcohol consumption was associated with increased all-cause mortality, whereas no significant association was found in the NHANES cohort.
   Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2026 · checked 2026-09-28
9. hf2-mjul-4 · agency advice
   Fast heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure; stomach pain, upset stomach, vomiting, headache, or flushing or redness of the face; liver damage (isoniazid, ketoconazole)
   NIAAA, Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines (brochure, revised 2014) · checked 2026-10-08
10. hf2-mjul-6 · agency advice
    Drowsiness, sleepiness, dizziness; slowed or difficulty breathing; impaired motor control; unusual behavior; memory problems
    NIAAA, Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines (brochure, revised 2014) · checked 2026-10-08
11. hf2-mjul-1 · agency advice
    There is no known safe amount of alcohol use during pregnancy. ... There is no safe time during pregnancy to drink alcohol. ... All types of alcohol can be harmful, including red or white wine, beer, and liquor.
    US CDC, About Alcohol Use During Pregnancy (page reviewed August 14, 2026) · checked 2026-10-08
12. hf2-mjul-2 · dietary guideline
    Consume less alcohol for better overall health. People who should completely avoid alcohol include pregnant women, people who are recovering from alcohol use disorder or are unable to control the amount they drink, and people taking medications or with medical conditions that can interact with alcohol.
    Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (HHS, USDA), January 2026 · checked 2026-10-08
13. hf2-mjul-3 · agency advice
    Alcohol is a significant factor in the deaths of people younger than age 21 in the United States each year. ... Research shows that people who start drinking before the age of 15 are at a higher risk for developing alcohol use disorder (AUD) later in life. ... Research shows that people’s brains keep developing well into their 20s.
    NIAAA, Underage Drinking fact sheet (updated January 2026) · checked 2026-10-08
14. hf2-mjul-5 · agency advice
    Stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers; liver damage (acetaminophen); rapid heartbeat ... Abnormally low blood sugar levels, flushing reaction (nausea, vomiting, headache, rapid heartbeat, sudden changes in blood pressure); symptoms of nausea and weakness may occur (metformin)
    NIAAA, Harmful Interactions: Mixing Alcohol with Medicines (brochure, revised 2014) · checked 2026-10-08
15. mjul-r6-05 · fact sheet
    Up to 80% of people with chronic alcoholism develop thiamin deficiency because ethanol reduces gastrointestinal absorption of thiamin, thiamin stores in the liver, and thiamin phosphorylation [3,19].
    NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Thiamin Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-09-28