🥃 Minimum alcoholic strength

Minimum alcoholic strength of spirit drinks is the lowest alcohol content by volume at which a drink may carry a legal name. Under EU Regulation 2019/787, a spirit drink must be at least 15% ABV, except egg liqueur. For many categories the floor is higher: whisky 40%, and rum, vodka and gin 37.5%. If you have ever wondered why the ABV on a bottle matters, this is why.

What “% vol.” means. It is the share of pure alcohol in the total volume of the drink at 20 °C. In the US the same strength is also given as proof, which is twice the ABV: 40% ABV is 80 proof. The strength on the label is part of the legal name: a drink with less alcohol cannot be called whisky or rum, for example. Different categories have different floors, so they are worth knowing.

Examples from Annex I. Whisky starts at 40% ABV. Rum, vodka, gin, distilled gin and fruit spirit start at 37.5%. Brandy starts at 36% and grain spirit at 35%. Maraschino starts at 24%, liqueur and bitter at 15%, egg liqueur at 14%. The limit is a minimum: a drink may be stronger, but not weaker. If the limit is not met, the category name cannot be used.

Minimum and reality. Many well-known brands are bottled at exactly the minimum, for example 40% for whisky, while cask-strength whisky is stronger. A lower limit does not mean lower quality, and higher strength does not mean better quality. The label always shows the actual strength, and it is compared with the legal norm.

Why this matters to you. Knowing the minimum helps you notice a drink that does not match its name. Lower strength does not make a drink safe. The WHO reminds: there is no safe level of alcohol.