274:(expressed as a percentage); the latter does not take into account change in volume on mixing, whereas the former does. To make 50% ABV from pure alcohol, one would take 50 parts of alcohol and dilute to 100 parts of solution with water, all the while mixing the solution. To make 50% alcohol by volume fraction, one would take 50 parts alcohol and 50 parts water, measured separately, and then mix them together. The resulting volume will not be 100 parts but between 96 and 97 parts, since the smaller water molecules can take up some of the space between the larger alcohol molecules (see
163:(a chemical in gunpowder) is significantly more soluble in water than in alcohol. While less influenced by temperature than the simpler burn-or-no-burn test, gunpowder tests also lacked true reproducibility. Factors including the grain size of gunpowder and the time it sat in the spirit impact the dissolution of potassium nitrate and therefore what would be defined as 100 proof. However, the gunpowder method is significantly less variable than the burn-or-no-burn method, and 100 proof defined by it is traditionally defined as 57.15% ABV.
398:
40:
386:
136:, became common. In England, spirits were originally tested with a basic "burn-or-no-burn" test, in which an alcohol-containing liquid that would ignite was said to be "above proof", and one which would not was said to be "under proof". A liquid just alcoholic enough to maintain combustion was defined as 100 proof and was the basis for taxation. Because the
314:. A preference for one method over the other is not stated in the document, but if alcohol strength by volume is used, it must be expressed as a percentage of total volume, and the water/alcohol mixture must have a temperature of 20 °C (68 °F) when measurement is done. The document does not address alcohol proof or the labeling of bottles.
338:
In the United States, alcohol content is legally mandated to be specified as an ABV percentage. For bottled spirits over 100 ml (3.5 imp fl oz; 3.4 US fl oz) containing no solids, actual alcohol content is allowed to vary by up to 0.15% of the ABV stated on the
358:
requires that liquor labels state the percentage of ABV. The regulation permits, but does not require, a statement of the proof, provided that it is printed close to the ABV number. In practice, proof levels continue to be stated on nearly all spirits labels in the United States, and are more
322:
On 1 January 1980, Britain adopted the ABV system of measurement prescribed by the
European Union, of which it was then a member. The OIML recommendation for ABV used by the EU states the alcohol by volume in a mixture containing alcohol as a percentage of the total volume of the mixture at a
269:
The proof system in the United States was established around 1848 and was based on percent alcohol rather than specific gravity. Fifty percent alcohol by volume was defined as 100 proof. Note that this is different from 50%
343:
is not used), defined as being twice the percentage of alcohol by volume, may be optionally stated in conjunction with the ABV. For example, whisky may be labeled as 50% ABV and as 100 proof; 86-proof
761:
458:
The concept of a standard or normative 'proof' strength was operative in
Britain from the early days of the burn-or-no-burn tests. It paralleled the normative concepts of applied to brewing...
677:
347:
contains 43% ABV. The most typical bottling proof for spirits in the United States is 80 US proof, and there is special legal recognition of 100-proof spirits in the
303:
339:
label. By contrast, bottled spirits which are less than 100 ml (as well as those which otherwise contain solids) may vary by up to 0.25%. Proof (the term
140:
of alcohol is highly dependent on temperature, 100 proof defined this way ranges from 20% at 36 °C (97 °F) to 96% at 13 °C (55 °F)
525:
108:(°) is sometimes used to indicate alcohol proof, either alone (e.g. 10°) or after a space and joined to the letter P as a unit name (e.g. 13 °P).
89:
The measurement of alcohol content and the statement of content on bottles of alcoholic beverages is regulated by law in many countries. In 1972,
496:
192:
at the same temperature. From the 19th century until 1 January 1980, the UK officially measured alcohol content by proof spirit, defined as
236:. From this, it follows that to convert the ABV expressed as a percentage to degrees proof, it is only necessary to multiply the ABV by
724:
647:
451:
159:
was soaked in a spirit, and if the gunpowder could still burn, the spirit was rated above proof. This test relies on the fact that
86:, alcohol proof is defined as twice the percentage of ABV. The definition of proof in terms of ABV varies from country to country.
666:
621:
756:
197:
355:
128:
at different rates depending on their alcohol content. Similar terminology and methodology spread to other nations as
376:
306:(OIML). OIML's International Recommendation No. 22 (1973) provides standards for measuring alcohol strength by
97:
followed suit; and the United
Kingdom, where the concept originated, started using ABV instead in 1980. The
31:
706:
556:
540:
129:
676:. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Department of the Treasury. 1 April 2000. p. 61.
281:
The use of proof as a measure of alcohol content is now mostly linguistic and historical. Today,
98:
67:
728:
643:
521:
470:
447:
324:
275:
160:
141:
75:
52:
711:
The Report of the
Canadian Government Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs
330:
method of measuring the proof of spirits, which had been used in
Britain for over 160 years.
548:
185:
171:
167:
348:
271:
210:
that of water, or 923 kg/m (1,556 lb/cu yd), and equivalent to 57.15% ABV.
586:
62:(usually termed simply "proof" in relation to a beverage) is a measure of the content of
544:
420:
299:
94:
79:
155:
Another early method for testing liquor's alcohol content was the "gunpowder method".
750:
415:
390:
367:
Beverages were labelled by alcohol proof in Canada until 1972, then replaced by ABV.
105:
83:
359:
commonly used than ABV when describing spirits in journalism and informal settings.
402:
285:
is sold in most locations with labels that state its percentage alcohol by volume.
612:
170:
for defining proof. However, it was not until 1816 that a legal standard based on
39:
441:
137:
133:
125:
44:
327:
189:
156:
17:
443:
The World of
Measurements: Masterpieces, Mysteries and Muddles of Metrology
385:
166:
By the end of the 17th century, England had introduced tests based on
552:
71:
63:
410:
344:
307:
282:
193:
121:
90:
226:. This led to the approximation that 100-proof spirit has an ABV of
497:"Alcohol Proof and Alcohol by Volume: Definitions and Explanations"
38:
727:. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 23 April 2015. Archived from
311:
174:
was defined in
England. 100 proof was defined as a spirit with
74:
and from 1816 was equal to about 1.75 times the percentage of
48:
256:) = 175 proof, and a spirit containing 40% ABV will have 40×(
101:
mandates the use of ABV, but permits proof to be used also.
667:"Title 27 Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Chapter 1, §5.37"
614:
148:; at 24 °C (75 °F) 100 proof would be 50% AB
374:
762:
Customary units of measurement in the United States
620:. Paris: International Bureau of Legal Metrology.
725:"Labelling requirements for alcoholic beverages"
499:. alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org. 10 April 2017
30:"U.S. proof" redirects here. For the coins, see
642:. New York: Clarkson Potter. pp. 356–357.
323:temperature of 293.15 K . It replaced the
213:The value 57.15% is very close to the fraction
304:International Organization of Legal Metrology
8:
93:phased out the use of "proof"; in 1973, the
471:"Ethanol Freeze Protected Water Solutions"
661:
659:
120:dates back to 16th century England, when
581:
579:
577:
516:
514:
246:. Thus pure 100% alcohol will have 100×(
82:today uses ABV instead of proof. In the
432:
381:
627:from the original on 4 November 2013.
51:, measured by the US system, with an
7:
591:Scotch Whisky: Questions and Answers
302:(EU) follows recommendations of the
446:. Simon and Schuster. p. 564.
683:from the original on 4 March 2021.
587:"Section 6: Sale and Distribution"
70:. The term was originally used in
25:
593:. Scotch Whisky Association. 1995
396:
384:
696:§ 5.37 ("Alcohol content")
526:"The Origin of Alcohol 'Proof'"
1:
533:Journal of Chemical Education
351:category defined since 1897.
674:Code of Federal Regulations
356:Code of Federal Regulations
778:
29:
27:Measure of alcohol content
440:Klein, H. Arthur (1974).
289:Governmental regulation
32:United States Proof Set
56:
713:. Drug Library. 1972.
47:proof ("over-proof")
42:
638:Regan, Gary (2003).
757:Alcohol measurement
731:on 28 February 2014
640:The Joy of Mixology
545:2004JChEd..81.1258J
475:Engineering Toolbox
130:spirit distillation
553:10.1021/ed081p1258
524:(September 2004).
522:Jensen, William B.
99:United States Code
68:alcoholic beverage
57:
161:potassium nitrate
76:alcohol by volume
16:(Redirected from
769:
741:
740:
738:
736:
721:
715:
714:
703:
697:
695:
691:
685:
684:
682:
671:
663:
654:
653:
635:
629:
628:
626:
619:
609:
603:
602:
600:
598:
583:
572:
571:
569:
567:
561:
555:. Archived from
539:(9): 1258–1259.
530:
518:
509:
508:
506:
504:
493:
487:
486:
484:
482:
467:
461:
460:
437:
401:
400:
399:
389:
388:
380:
265:
264:
260:
255:
254:
250:
245:
244:
240:
235:
234:
230:
225:
222:
221:
217:
209:
208:
204:
186:specific gravity
183:
182:
178:
172:specific density
168:specific gravity
66:(alcohol) in an
21:
777:
776:
772:
771:
770:
768:
767:
766:
747:
746:
745:
744:
734:
732:
723:
722:
718:
705:
704:
700:
693:
692:
688:
680:
669:
665:
664:
657:
650:
637:
636:
632:
624:
617:
611:
610:
606:
596:
594:
585:
584:
575:
565:
563:
559:
528:
520:
519:
512:
502:
500:
495:
494:
490:
480:
478:
469:
468:
464:
454:
439:
438:
434:
429:
407:
397:
395:
383:
375:
373:
365:
349:bottled in bond
336:
320:
296:
291:
272:volume fraction
262:
258:
257:
252:
248:
247:
242:
238:
237:
232:
228:
227:
223:
219:
215:
214:
206:
202:
201:
180:
176:
175:
114:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
775:
773:
765:
764:
759:
749:
748:
743:
742:
716:
698:
686:
655:
648:
630:
604:
573:
562:on 8 July 2014
510:
488:
462:
452:
431:
430:
428:
425:
424:
423:
421:Volume percent
418:
413:
406:
405:
393:
372:
369:
364:
361:
335:
332:
319:
318:United Kingdom
316:
300:European Union
295:
294:European Union
292:
290:
287:
266:) = 70 proof.
151:
145:
113:
110:
95:European Union
80:United Kingdom
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
774:
763:
760:
758:
755:
754:
752:
730:
726:
720:
717:
712:
708:
702:
699:
690:
687:
679:
675:
668:
662:
660:
656:
651:
649:0-609-60884-3
645:
641:
634:
631:
623:
616:
615:
608:
605:
592:
588:
582:
580:
578:
574:
558:
554:
550:
546:
542:
538:
534:
527:
523:
517:
515:
511:
498:
492:
489:
476:
472:
466:
463:
459:
455:
453:9780671215651
449:
445:
444:
436:
433:
426:
422:
419:
417:
416:Cask strength
414:
412:
409:
408:
404:
394:
392:
387:
382:
378:
370:
368:
362:
360:
357:
352:
350:
346:
342:
341:degrees proof
334:United States
333:
331:
329:
326:
317:
315:
313:
309:
305:
301:
293:
288:
286:
284:
279:
277:
276:volume change
273:
267:
211:
199:
195:
191:
187:
173:
169:
164:
162:
158:
153:
149:
147:
143:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
119:
111:
109:
107:
106:degree symbol
102:
100:
96:
92:
87:
85:
84:United States
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
60:Alcohol proof
54:
50:
46:
41:
37:
33:
19:
733:. Retrieved
729:the original
719:
710:
701:
689:
673:
639:
633:
613:
607:
595:. Retrieved
590:
564:. Retrieved
557:the original
536:
532:
501:. Retrieved
491:
479:. Retrieved
474:
465:
457:
442:
435:
366:
353:
340:
337:
321:
297:
280:
268:
212:
165:
154:
117:
115:
103:
88:
59:
58:
43:A bottle of
36:
18:Degree proof
735:27 February
142:alcohol by
138:flash point
78:(ABV). The
751:Categories
427:References
328:hydrometer
190:pure water
707:"Alcohol"
597:3 October
503:3 October
157:Gunpowder
116:The term
678:Archived
622:Archived
371:See also
224:≈ 0.5714
134:taxation
55:of 75.5%
566:17 July
541:Bibcode
377:Portals
310:and by
261:⁄
251:⁄
241:⁄
231:⁄
218:⁄
205:⁄
198:gravity
196:with a
179:⁄
122:spirits
112:History
72:England
64:ethanol
694:27 CFR
646:
481:12 May
477:. 2005
450:
411:Liquor
391:Liquor
363:Canada
345:whisky
308:volume
283:liquor
194:spirit
144:weight
132:, and
91:Canada
681:(PDF)
670:(PDF)
625:(PDF)
618:(PDF)
560:(PDF)
529:(PDF)
403:Drink
325:Sikes
146:(ABW)
126:taxed
124:were
118:proof
737:2014
644:ISBN
599:2020
568:2014
505:2020
483:2020
448:ISBN
354:The
312:mass
298:The
184:the
104:The
549:doi
278:).
200:of
188:of
53:ABV
49:rum
45:151
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709:.
672:.
658:^
589:.
576:^
547:.
537:81
535:.
531:.
513:^
473:.
456:.
207:13
203:12
181:13
177:12
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739:.
652:.
601:.
570:.
551::
543::
507:.
485:.
379::
263:4
259:7
253:4
249:7
243:4
239:7
233:7
229:4
220:7
216:4
150:W
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
