Alcohol comes in many forms, as a visit to a supermarket, liquor store, or bar quickly reveals. Beer and wine from all over the world. Clear liquor. Brown liquor. Liquor mixed with other colorful liquids. And, of course, drinks with little paper umbrellas in the glass.

As a result, knowing how the alcohol in these drinks will affect your body and mind can be tricky. That’s because an equal-sized amount of, say, beer and wine contain different levels of alcohol.

Here’s the official rundown from the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A “standard drink” contains 0.6 ounces of pure alcohol. That’s the amount you’ll find in:

• Twelve ounces of beer
• Eight ounces of malt liquor
• Five ounces of wine
• A 1.5-ounce shot of 80-proof alcohol such as whiskey, vodka, gin, or rum

None of these drinks is any “safer” for you than the others. When it comes to driving and behaving in a safe manner, it’s the amount you drink – not the type of alcohol – that has the most impact. The definition of “moderate drinking” (which should be your goal) is two drinks per day at most for men, and one drink for women.

Paying attention to how much you’re drinking can literally save your life. Heavy or binge drinking can lead to diseases of the liver and pancreas, certain cancers, and car accidents and serious injuries. Know your limits, and whatever your drink of choice is, pay attention to how many you’ve had.