263:(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
152:(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.
387:
29:
375:
125:, 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
303:. 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.
327:
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
347:
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
311:
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
258:
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%
332:
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
447:
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...
666:
750:
336:
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
328:
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
129:
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)
514:
97:(°) 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).
78:
The measurement of alcohol content and the statement of content on bottles of alcoholic beverages is regulated by law in many countries. In 1972,
485:
292:
181:
at the same temperature. From the 19th century until 1 January 1980, the UK officially measured alcohol content by proof spirit, defined as
225:. 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
713:
148:
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
75:, alcohol proof is defined as twice the percentage of ABV. The definition of proof in terms of ABV varies from country to country.
655:
610:
117:
at different rates depending on their alcohol content. Similar terminology and methodology spread to other nations as
636:
440:
295:(OIML). OIML's International Recommendation No. 22 (1973) provides standards for measuring alcohol strength by
122:
114:
86:
followed suit; and the United
Kingdom, where the concept originated, started using ABV instead in 1980. The
745:
186:
695:
545:
344:
365:
130:
264:
665:. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Department of the Treasury. 1 April 2000. p. 61.
270:
The use of proof as a measure of alcohol content is now mostly linguistic and historical. Today,
20:
717:
459:
700:
The Report of the
Canadian Government Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs
319:
method of measuring the proof of spirits, which had been used in
Britain for over 160 years.
529:
118:
199:
that of water, or 923 kg/m (1,556 lb/cu yd), and equivalent to 57.15% ABV.
8:
575:
51:(usually termed simply "proof" in relation to a beverage) is a measure of the content of
533:
87:
56:
144:
Another early method for testing liquor's alcohol content was the "gunpowder method".
632:
510:
436:
356:
Beverages were labelled by alcohol proof in Canada until 1972, then replaced by ABV.
313:
149:
64:
41:
348:
commonly used than ABV when describing spirits in journalism and informal settings.
537:
274:
is sold in most locations with labels that state its percentage alcohol by volume.
174:
160:
156:
601:
159:
for defining proof. However, it was not until 1816 that a legal standard based on
430:
337:
260:
409:
288:
83:
68:
739:
404:
379:
94:
72:
432:
The World of
Measurements: Masterpieces, Mysteries and Muddles of Metrology
391:
155:
By the end of the 17th century, England had introduced tests based on
126:
33:
541:
316:
178:
145:
28:
215:. This led to the approximation that 100-proof spirit has an ABV of
486:"Alcohol Proof and Alcohol by Volume: Definitions and Explanations"
60:
52:
716:. Canadian Food Inspection Agency. 23 April 2015. Archived from
374:
399:
333:
296:
271:
182:
163:
was defined in
England. 100 proof was defined as a spirit with
110:
79:
63:
and from 1816 was equal to about 1.75 times the percentage of
245:) = 175 proof, and a spirit containing 40% ABV will have 40×(
90:
mandates the use of ABV, but permits proof to be used also.
300:
656:"Title 27 Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Chapter 1, §5.37"
603:
37:
137:; at 24 °C (75 °F) 100 proof would be 50% AB
363:
751:
Customary units of measurement in the United States
609:. Paris: International Bureau of Legal Metrology.
737:
714:"Labelling requirements for alcoholic beverages"
488:. alcoholproblemsandsolutions.org. 10 April 2017
19:"U.S. proof" redirects here. For the coins, see
631:. New York: Clarkson Potter. pp. 356–357.
312:temperature of 293.15 K . It replaced the
202:The value 57.15% is very close to the fraction
293:International Organization of Legal Metrology
82:phased out the use of "proof"; in 1973, the
460:"Ethanol Freeze Protected Water Solutions"
277:
650:
648:
109:dates back to 16th century England, when
570:
568:
566:
505:
503:
235:. Thus pure 100% alcohol will have 100×(
71:today uses ABV instead of proof. In the
27:
738:
645:
509:
626:
616:from the original on 4 November 2013.
563:
500:
428:
40:, measured by the US system, with an
580:Scotch Whisky: Questions and Answers
291:(EU) follows recommendations of the
435:. Simon and Schuster. p. 564.
13:
672:from the original on 4 March 2021.
576:"Section 6: Sale and Distribution"
59:. The term was originally used in
14:
762:
582:. Scotch Whisky Association. 1995
306:
282:
385:
373:
322:
706:
688:
685:§ 5.37 ("Alcohol content")
515:"The Origin of Alcohol 'Proof'"
676:
620:
594:
478:
452:
422:
1:
522:Journal of Chemical Education
415:
340:category defined since 1897.
7:
663:Code of Federal Regulations
359:
345:Code of Federal Regulations
10:
767:
100:
18:
16:Measure of alcohol content
429:Klein, H. Arthur (1974).
351:
278:Governmental regulation
21:United States Proof Set
45:
702:. Drug Library. 1972.
36:proof ("over-proof")
31:
627:Regan, Gary (2003).
746:Alcohol measurement
720:on 28 February 2014
629:The Joy of Mixology
534:2004JChEd..81.1258J
464:Engineering Toolbox
119:spirit distillation
542:10.1021/ed081p1258
513:(September 2004).
511:Jensen, William B.
88:United States Code
57:alcoholic beverage
46:
150:potassium nitrate
65:alcohol by volume
758:
730:
729:
727:
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710:
704:
703:
692:
686:
684:
680:
674:
673:
671:
660:
652:
643:
642:
624:
618:
617:
615:
608:
598:
592:
591:
589:
587:
572:
561:
560:
558:
556:
550:
544:. Archived from
528:(9): 1258–1259.
519:
507:
498:
497:
495:
493:
482:
476:
475:
473:
471:
456:
450:
449:
426:
390:
389:
388:
378:
377:
369:
254:
253:
249:
244:
243:
239:
234:
233:
229:
224:
223:
219:
214:
211:
210:
206:
198:
197:
193:
175:specific gravity
172:
171:
167:
161:specific density
157:specific gravity
55:(alcohol) in an
766:
765:
761:
760:
759:
757:
756:
755:
736:
735:
734:
733:
723:
721:
712:
711:
707:
694:
693:
689:
682:
681:
677:
669:
658:
654:
653:
646:
639:
625:
621:
613:
606:
600:
599:
595:
585:
583:
574:
573:
564:
554:
552:
548:
517:
508:
501:
491:
489:
484:
483:
479:
469:
467:
458:
457:
453:
443:
427:
423:
418:
396:
386:
384:
372:
364:
362:
354:
338:bottled in bond
325:
309:
285:
280:
261:volume fraction
251:
247:
246:
241:
237:
236:
231:
227:
226:
221:
217:
216:
212:
208:
204:
203:
195:
191:
190:
169:
165:
164:
103:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
764:
754:
753:
748:
732:
731:
705:
687:
675:
644:
637:
619:
593:
562:
551:on 8 July 2014
499:
477:
451:
441:
420:
419:
417:
414:
413:
412:
410:Volume percent
407:
402:
395:
394:
382:
361:
358:
353:
350:
324:
321:
308:
307:United Kingdom
305:
289:European Union
284:
283:European Union
281:
279:
276:
255:) = 70 proof.
140:
134:
102:
99:
84:European Union
69:United Kingdom
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
763:
752:
749:
747:
744:
743:
741:
719:
715:
709:
701:
697:
691:
679:
668:
664:
657:
651:
649:
640:
638:0-609-60884-3
634:
630:
623:
612:
605:
604:
597:
581:
577:
571:
569:
567:
547:
543:
539:
535:
531:
527:
523:
516:
512:
506:
504:
487:
481:
465:
461:
455:
448:
444:
442:9780671215651
438:
434:
433:
425:
421:
411:
408:
406:
405:Cask strength
403:
401:
398:
397:
393:
383:
381:
376:
371:
370:
367:
357:
349:
346:
341:
339:
335:
331:
330:degrees proof
323:United States
320:
318:
315:
304:
302:
298:
294:
290:
275:
273:
268:
266:
265:volume change
262:
256:
200:
188:
184:
180:
176:
162:
158:
153:
151:
147:
142:
138:
136:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
108:
98:
96:
95:degree symbol
91:
89:
85:
81:
76:
74:
73:United States
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
49:Alcohol proof
43:
39:
35:
30:
26:
22:
722:. Retrieved
718:the original
708:
699:
690:
678:
662:
628:
622:
602:
596:
584:. Retrieved
579:
553:. Retrieved
546:the original
525:
521:
490:. Retrieved
480:
468:. Retrieved
463:
454:
446:
431:
424:
355:
342:
329:
326:
310:
286:
269:
257:
201:
154:
143:
106:
104:
92:
77:
48:
47:
32:A bottle of
25:
724:27 February
131:alcohol by
127:flash point
67:(ABV). The
740:Categories
416:References
317:hydrometer
179:pure water
696:"Alcohol"
586:3 October
492:3 October
146:Gunpowder
105:The term
667:Archived
611:Archived
360:See also
213:≈ 0.5714
123:taxation
44:of 75.5%
555:17 July
530:Bibcode
366:Portals
299:and by
250:⁄
240:⁄
230:⁄
220:⁄
207:⁄
194:⁄
187:gravity
185:with a
168:⁄
111:spirits
101:History
61:England
53:ethanol
683:27 CFR
635:
470:12 May
466:. 2005
439:
400:Liquor
380:Liquor
352:Canada
334:whisky
297:volume
272:liquor
183:spirit
133:weight
121:, and
80:Canada
670:(PDF)
659:(PDF)
614:(PDF)
607:(PDF)
549:(PDF)
518:(PDF)
392:Drink
314:Sikes
135:(ABW)
115:taxed
113:were
107:proof
726:2014
633:ISBN
588:2020
557:2014
494:2020
472:2020
437:ISBN
343:The
301:mass
287:The
173:the
93:The
538:doi
267:).
189:of
177:of
42:ABV
38:rum
34:151
742::
698:.
661:.
647:^
578:.
565:^
536:.
526:81
524:.
520:.
502:^
462:.
445:.
196:13
192:12
170:13
166:12
141:.
728:.
641:.
590:.
559:.
540::
532::
496:.
474:.
368::
252:4
248:7
242:4
238:7
232:4
228:7
222:7
218:4
209:7
205:4
139:W
23:.
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