The ABV declaration on a bottle of absinthe.

Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as abv or ABV) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a percentage of total volume).^[1][2][3] The ABV standard is used worldwide.^[4]

In some countries, alcohol by volume is referred to as degrees Gay-Lussac (after the French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac).^[5]

[edit] Calculating

In the brewing process, yeast is added to a sugary solution (usually fruit juice or malted barley) where over fermentation the yeast organisms consume the sugars and produce alcohol. The density of sugar in water is lower than the density of alcohol, therefore by using a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity (SG) of the solution before and after fermentation, the volume of alcohol in the solution may be calculated. The simplest method has been described by C.J.J. Berry ^[6].

ABV = (StartingSG − FinalSG) / 7.36

To convert alcohol by volume to per cent proof, multiply by 7-4ths. ^[7]

[edit] Typical ABV levels

• Fruit juice (naturally occurring): less than 0.1%
• Low-alcohol beer: 0.0%–1.2%
• Kvass: 0.05%-1.5%
• Cider: 2%–8.5%
• Beer: 2%–12% (most often 4%–6%)
• Alcopops: 4%–17.5%
• Mead: 8%-16%
• Barley wine (strong ale): 8%–15%
• Wine: 9%–18% (most often 12.5%–14.5%)^[8]
• Dessert wine: 14%-25%
• Sake (rice wine): 15% (or 18%–20% if not diluted prior to bottling)
• Liqueurs: 15%–55%
• Fortified wine: 15.5%–20%^[9] (in the European Union, 18%–22%)
• Soju: 20%-45% (usually 20%)
• Shochu: 25%-45% (usually 25%)
• Mezcal, Tequila: 32%-60% (usually 40%)
• Vodka: 32%–80% (usually 40%)
• Pure vanilla extract: 35%+
• Brandy: 36%–60%
• Rum: 37.5%–80%
• Sotol: 38%-60%
• Nalewka: 40%-45%
• Gin: 40%-50%
• Whisky: 40%–55% (usually 40% or 43%)
• Baijiu: 40%–60%
• Palinka: 42%–86%
• Rakia and Raki: 42%–86%
• Absinthe: 45%–89.9%
• Poteen: 60%–95%
• Neutral grain spirit: 95%
• Rectified spirit: 96.5%
• Absolute alcohol: >99%

[edit] Proof and ABV

Another way of specifying the amount of alcohol is alcoholic proof, which in the United States is twice the alcohol-by-volume number.^[10]

[edit] Proof and alcohol by weight

In the United States, a few states regulate and tax alcoholic beverages according to alcohol by weight (ABW), expressed as a percentage of total mass.^[11] Some brewers print the ABW (rather than the ABV) on beer containers, particularly on low-point versions of popular domestic beer brands.

At relatively low ABV, the alcohol percentage by weight is about 4/5 of the ABV (e.g., 3.2% ABW is equivalent to 4.0% ABV).^[12] However, because of the miscibility of alcohol and water, the conversion factor is not constant but rather depends upon the concentration of alcohol. 100% ABW, of course, is equivalent to 100% ABV.

[edit] See also

• Alcoholic proof
• Unit of alcohol

[edit] References

[edit] Notes

[edit] Bibliography

• Hehner, Otto (1880). Alcohol Tables: giving for all specific gravities, from 1.0000 to 0.7938, the percentages of absolute alcohol, by weight and volume. London: J & A Churchill, ASIN B0008B5HOU. 

[edit] External links

• How do brewers measure the alcohol in beer? HowStuffWorks