Updated May 2026.
Restaurant margaritas are not one size. A common US pour is 1.5–2 oz of 40% tequila plus orange liqueur and mixer — not a statute. The IBA spec is about 1.6 US standard drinks when both spirits are 40%. A 2 oz tequila / 1 oz Cointreau build is two drinks. Four standard drinks in about two hours is NIAAA’s binge pattern for women; five for men. Warning, not a recipe.
US tequila is bottled at or above 40% (— that is the agave class, not 5.143 whiskey). Mexico’s CRT band is 35–55%. Typical US export is 40%. Cointreau is 40% on the official US FAQ. Cheap triple sec is whatever the neck says. Jose Cuervo bottled mix is non-alcoholic; it adds sugar, not drinks. See does the mix expire and how much alcohol is in a margarita.
Margarita conversions
Standard drinks = (fl oz × ABV) ÷ 0.6. 50 mL ≈ 1.69 oz; 20 mL ≈ 0.68 oz; 30 mL ≈ 1.01 oz. US shot = 1.5 fl oz ≈ 44 mL.
| Build | mL spirits | fl oz spirits | Std drinks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 oz tequila only (40%) | 44 | 1.5 | 1.00 | One shot; mixer does not add ethanol |
| IBA (50 mL tequila + 20 mL triple sec, both 40%) | 70 | ~2.4 | ~1.6 | iba-world.com; lime is 15 mL |
| Cointreau “Original” (50 mL tequila + 30 mL Cointreau) | 80 | ~2.7 | ~1.8 | Official brand recipe, not a bar law |
| US 2–1–1 (2 oz tequila + 1 oz Cointreau, both 40%) | 89 | 3.0 | 2.00 | Very common house spec |
| 2 oz tequila 40% + 1 oz 20% triple sec | 89 | 3.0 | ~1.7 | Liqueur ABV is the label, not a legal type |
| 3 oz restaurant double tequila, 40% | 89 | 3.0 | 2.00 | Tequila only; add the liqueur if they poured it |
| Frozen house cup | — | often 1.5–3+ oz tequila | 1–2+ | Ask ounces. Slush is not a rebate |
| Canned RTD example, 12 oz at 8% | 355 | 12 | 1.60 | Read the can; not the IBA drink |
A skinny margarita that still holds 2 ounces of 40% tequila is still 1.33 drinks from the tequila. Cutting Cointreau only cuts alcohol if you actually omit it. Jalapeño does not change grams. If the stick bottle is 50% ABV, each ounce is 1.25 times an 80-proof ounce. 100% agave vs mixto is flavor, not a different 14-gram unit at the same proof.
Why “two margaritas get you drunk” is not an answer
SERP pages invent “drunk at 2–4” and weight-to-0.08 tables. That is a challenge. We will not copy it. Two 2–1–1 margaritas are about four standard drinks — already the female binge pattern if they land in two hours. A jumbo or “fishbowl” cup is whatever tequila the house poured; do not treat a blog’s 4–6 oz guess as a recipe. Ask. Do not drive. Legal BAC is 0.08% in most states (0.05% in Utah). Commercial drivers in a CMV are 0.04% (FMCSA). Under-21 is zero-tolerance. High-intensity drinking — eight drinks for women, ten for men, on one occasion — is a worse-warning, not a dare.
The liver’s population average is about one standard drink per hour, not one cocktail per hour. Feeling fine is not a roadside test. Frozen sugar and a salt rim make the drink easier to finish. They do not delete ethanol. For straight tequila, see tequila shot math. For generic shots, see how many shots.
Rocks, frozen, canned, pitchers
On the rocks with fresh lime is the IBA method (shake, strain, optional salt). The Cointreau house spec uses more liqueur and more lime — still a named recipe, not federal law. Frozen adds water and volume. Pitchers are a pitcher problem: divide total tequila (and liqueur) by glasses. Truly-branded canned margaritas are an RTD SKU; read the can. See Truly. Jello on the same table is a different dilution: jello-shot math.
If you are going to drink margaritas, ask the ounces, eat food, water, and do not drive. Count every spirit. This is conversion, not a contest.
Sources
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025): 14 g / 0.6 fl oz; 1.5 oz of 40% spirits = 1 drink. Binge 4/5 in ~2 hours. High-intensity 8/10 — a warning.
- CDC standard drink (December 12, 2024): 1.5 oz of 80-proof spirits. Binge: 4 drinks women / 5 men on an occasion.
- 27 CFR 5.148: US agave spirits bottled at or above 40% ABV. Do not cite 5.143 (whiskey).
- IBA Margarita: 50 mL 100% agave tequila, 20 mL triple sec, 15 mL lime (iba-world.com).
- Cointreau US FAQ: 40% ABV; “Original Margarita” 50 mL tequila / 30 mL Cointreau / 20 mL lime.
- Jose Cuervo Margarita Mix: non-alcoholic mixer (label). US 0.08% illegal-per-se BAC (Utah 0.05%); FMCSA CMV 0.04%.