Alcohol by volume (ABV)
The percentage of the liquid volume that is pure alcohol. ABV is a concentration, not a serving-size measure.
Alcohol Content & ABV Explained
ABV describes concentration. Serving size determines how much drink you have. You need both numbers to compare alcohol content honestly.
The two numbers that matter
Serving volume
The amount poured or packaged. Two drinks with different ABVs can contain the same total alcohol when their serving sizes differ.
A consistent US standard-drink calculation
Pure alcohol in US fluid ounces = serving volume × ABV as a decimal. Estimated US standard drinks = pure alcohol in fluid ounces ÷ 0.6.
5 fl oz × 0.12 = 0.6 fl oz pure alcohol = about 1 US standard drink
The 0.6 fl oz reference follows the US definition summarized by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. These calculations are estimates and are not a measure of impairment or blood alcohol concentration.
Read the NIAAA standard-drink guidance →Explore alcohol content by drink type
Fireball alcohol contentThe existing guide to Fireball percentage, proof and related questions.Open guide →Tequila guides and cocktailsBrowse tequila entities and recipes, then check the specific label or recipe estimate.Open guide →Beer stylesCompare beer styles using the ABV ranges recorded in the catalogue.Open guide →Wine stylesBrowse wine styles and their published ABV ranges.Open guide →Cocktail recipesOpen an individual recipe for its serving-size and estimated-strength fields.Open guide →WhatDrink calculation methodologySee how recipe quantities, dilution assumptions and standard drinks are handled.Open guide →
Alcohol-content questions
What does ABV mean?
ABV means alcohol by volume. It is the percentage of a drink's total volume that is pure alcohol.
Is a higher-ABV drink always more alcohol overall?
No. Total alcohol depends on both ABV and serving volume. A smaller strong pour can contain less, the same or more alcohol than a larger lower-ABV serve.
How many fluid ounces of pure alcohol are in a drink?
Multiply the serving size in US fluid ounces by the ABV expressed as a decimal. For example, 5 fl oz at 12% ABV contains 0.6 fl oz of pure alcohol.
Is proof the same as ABV?
In the United States, proof is twice the ABV number, so an 80-proof spirit is 40% ABV. Label conventions can differ by market.