What does VOL, ABV, Proof and IBU mean on a bottle of alcohol?

VOL or ALC

The abbreviation for the English word volume and alcohol, respectively, indicates the percentage of alcohol in volume terms.

For example, 40% by volume or 40% VOL / ALC.

Measurement of the strength as a percentage of the volume is now the most common. An alternative to it is to indicate the strength of the drink not in volume units, but in weight units. Such labeling, although very rare, can still be found on the labels of some versions of whiskey produced by countries outside the European Community.

ABV (Alcohol By Volume)

Volume fraction of alcohol in alcohol. The most understandable indicator is indicated in percentages, which we usually call degrees. The percentage of pure alcohol in a bottle is calculated using the formula “bottle volume x decimal percent alcohol”. For example, if you take a standard bottle of beer 0,5, then it turns out – 500 ml x 0,05 u25d XNUMX ml.

Proof

A unit of measure for the strength of alcohol. One proof is equal to 0,5% alcohol content. For example, 80 proof means 40% alcohol by volume.

IBU (International Bitterness Unit)

An international unit of bitterness that measures the hopping level of a beer, that is, the amount of the alpha acid isohumulone, the bitter substance in hops. The number on the bottle shows the number of milligrams per liter. Depending on the style, the indicator ranges from 0 to 120. There are varieties with extreme values ​​u1000bu3000b- for example, IPA XNUMX IBU and XNUMX IBU from Mikkeller.

A very convenient indicator that is easy to navigate when choosing a beer. The IBU of lightly bitter lager is almost never higher than 15-25, classic IPAs mostly have bitterness of 40-60 units, and lovers of “hop bombs” are recommended to start at around 70.

Relevance: 05.03.2021

Tags: Encyclopedia

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