ABV

Strength

ABV, or alcohol by volume, is the percentage of a drink's total volume that is pure alcohol.

Also called: alcohol by volume

40% ABV: 40 ml of pure alcohol in every 100 ml; 80 US proof
Regular beer: About 5% ABV
Table wine: About 12% ABV
Liqueurs: Usually 15 to 30% ABV, some up to 55%
Spirits: Usually 40% ABV or more

What ABV means

ABV tells you how much of a drink's volume is pure alcohol. At 40% ABV, every 100 ml holds 40 ml of pure alcohol, which is 80 US proof. Most spirits are 40% ABV or more. Liqueurs usually run 15 to 30%, and some reach 55%. Regular beer is about 5%, and table wine is about 12%.

It sounds right that a cocktail's ABV is the spirit's ABV. Actually it is lower. Mixers and the water from melting ice dilute the drink, so a stirred, spirit-forward drink lands near 20 to 30%. A 5% ABV is not high, since it matches regular beer. Higher ABV means more alcohol, and that says nothing about taste.

Knowing the ABV helps you pace a night out. A drink that looks light can still carry a lot of alcohol if the pour is large. If you want less alcohol, choose a low-ABV cocktail or a zero-proof drink, and check the ABV on the bottle before you mix.

How to work out the ABV of a cocktail

Work out each ingredient's pure alcohol, add the totals, then allow for the water from ice.

1.Multiply each ingredient's volume by its ABV. In a Manhattan, 2 oz (60 ml) rye at 45% gives 27 ml of alcohol.
2.Add the alcohol from each ingredient. The 1 oz (30 ml) sweet vermouth at 16% adds 4.8 ml, for 31.8 ml in total.
3.Divide 31.8 ml by the 90 ml volume before ice. That gives about 35% ABV before any dilution.
4.Add dilution. Stirring added about 50% water to Dave Arnold's measured Manhattan, so 90 ml becomes about 135 ml. Divide 31.8 ml by 135 ml for about 24% ABV in the glass.
5.Shaken drinks dilute more. Arnold measured about 63% added water in a Whiskey Sour, which ends near 15.5% ABV.

ABV compared

ProofProof is a second scale for the same thing. In the US, proof is twice the ABV.
Standard drinkA standard drink counts the pure alcohol in a serving, 0.6 fl oz (14 g) in the US. ABV is the percentage.
OverproofOverproof describes a spirit with a very high ABV, usually above 50% (100 US proof).
ABWABW, or alcohol by weight, gives a lower number than ABV for the same drink, because alcohol is lighter than water.

Related terms

Put it to use in your next drink

Garçon explains every step as you make the drink.