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).

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

Typical ABV levels

• Fruit juice (naturally occurring): less than 0.1%
• Low-alcohol beer: 0.0%–4%
• Beer: 4%–12% (most often 4%–6%)
• Specialty beers: (13%–25%)
• Barley wine: 10%–15%
• Cider: 4%–8%
• Alcopops: 4%–17.5%
• Wine: 9%–16% (most often 12.5%–14.5%)
• Fortified wine: 18%–20%
• Liqueur: 16%–55%
• Spirits: 15%–95%
• Vodka: 32%–60% (usually around 40%)
• Rum: 37.5%–75.5%
• Whisky: 40%–55% (usually 40% or 43%)
• Absinthe: 55%–90%
• Poteen: 90%–95%
• Neutral grain spirit: 95%
• Rectified spirit: 96.5%
• Absolute alcohol: 100%

Proof and ABW

Another way of specifying the amount of alcohol is alcoholic proof, which is twice the alcohol-by-volume number.

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. 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). 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.

See also

• Alcoholic proof
• Unit of alcohol

Bibliography

External links

• How do brewers measure the alcohol in beer? HowStuffWorks