Logo

Gunpowder and Mole Fractions: Measuring the Alcohol of Spirits Is Not as Simple as You Think

While ABV and proof are the most common methods for measuring spirit strength, they aren’t the only ones. Here’s a look at two alternative methods that you should know.

Subscriber
Gunpowder Photo: Dmitri T/Shutterstock
Gunpowder Photo: Dmitri T/Shutterstock

Being able to measure the alcohol content of a spirit is an important skill for a distiller. If you don’t know the amount of alcohol in your products, you won’t be able to keep your products consistent, and you will undoubtedly run afoul of the tax man.

However, you may not realize that there are more ways to measure alcohol content than ABV and proof. In fact, there are so many different ways to do it, you could devote an entire book to the subject. Sadly, we don’t have that kind of space in a single article, so here are two of the most-common alternative ways to measure alcohol content in the products in the distillery.

This article requires a subscription

Subscribe today to continue reading and unlock unlimited access to our premium brewing content.

What you get with your subscription

3,000+ exclusive articles
700+ tested recipes
Digital magazine issues
100+ brewing video courses
Expert brewing guides
Cancel anytime
Already a subscriber?

Plans start at $4.99/month • 30-day guarantee

Trusted by thousands of craft beer enthusiasts and brewers worldwide