Alcoholism has little to do with the kind of alcohol you drink. Each type of alcoholic beverage has a different amount of alcohol. For example a 12-ounce can of beer is roughly equal to 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. If you are currently drinking more than the recommended limits (no more than one standard drink per day and seven per week), you may need to cut back. If you find it difficult to cut back, you may want to seek help from a health care professional.