What does the "proof" mean on a bottle of liquor?!
What does the "proof" mean on a bottle of liquor?
i know that 100 proof liquor is 50% alocohol and 80 proof is 40% and so on. but where does the term "proof" come from and why display it on the bottle? why not just say 50% alcohol etc etc?
Answers:
"Proofing" is an old term. It refers to a test that was made to make sure that the whiskey was not "watered down".
They poured the whiskey on some gunpowder, and lit it.
If it lit, the whiskey was "Proved to be good". If it didn't, it was "Proved to be bad", or watered down.
I guess they use "proof" to more clearly define the quality or strength of the liquor....
Here's a link:
http://www.carlton.srsd119.ca/chemical/p...
they used to "Proof it in the old days by pouring it into a shot glass and lighting it on fire thus the " proof" that it was good whiskey
This system dates to the 18th century, and perhaps earlier, when spirits were graded, most prominently by pirates in the Mediterranean, with gunpowder: A solution of water and alcohol "proved" itself when it could be poured on a Pinch of gunpowder and the wet powder could still be ignited. If it didn't ignite, the solution had too much water in it and the proof was considered low or "underproof".
A "proven" solution was defined as 100 degrees proof (100°). This has since been found to occur at 57.15% ethanol. This is still used as the British definition, although only the ABV system is used on bottles and sales. A simpler ratio to remember is 7:4, i.e. 70° proof is approximately 40% alcohol by volume. Thus pure alcohol is approximately 175 degrees proof (175°).
"This system dates to the 18th century, and perhaps earlier, when spirits were graded with gunpowder: A solution of water and alcohol "proved" itself when it could be poured on a Pinch of gunpowder and the wet powder could still be ignited. If it didn't ignite, the solution had too much water in it and the proof was considered low or "underproof".
A "proven" solution was defined as 100 degrees proof (100°). This has since been found to occur at 57.15% ethanol. This is still used as the British definition, although only the ABV system is used on bottles and sales. A simpler ratio to remember is 7:4, i.e. 70° proof is approximately 40% alcohol by volume. Thus pure alcohol is approximately 175 degrees proof (175°).
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Reference.com
The alcohol percentage per volume of liquid. High is strong (90 proof) low is small (4 proof). Beer and wine are on the lower end while hard liquor contains more.
While 'proof' with regards to alcohol is "equivalent to .5 % alcohol content by volume," that definition does not match the historical origin of the term. Also, proof, as a measure of alcoholic strength is really only used in the United States now. Elsewhere, such as in Canada, a simple measure of % alcohol by volume is used.
Prior to 1816, alcohol strength was determined by whether or not a mixture of the spirit and gunpowder would explode when ignited with a match. If the mixture exploded, then there was "proof" that the spirit contained a significant amount of alcohol. If it didn't explode, the spirit was deemed weak. This method of testing is reminiscent of the Middle Ages where ale was tested by having someone sit in a pool of it until it dried up and checking whether the unfortunate person conducting the test had their pants stuck to the wooden board they were sitting on.
Proof, and similar measures, are interesting insofar as they represent the attempts of societies before the advent of government testing and standardization to ensure the quality and contents of a product. Originally, brands played an important role in ensuring quality and consistency of a product; when a producer had invested money and reputation in a brand, they had a strong incentive to ensure a high level of quality.
Source: The Case for Brands. The Economist. Sep 6th 2001