What Does ABV Mean?

ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume — the percentage of a drink's total volume that is pure alcohol.

ABV (Alcohol By Volume) is the standard measure used on virtually every alcoholic drink label in New Zealand and most of the world. It tells you what percentage of the liquid in the bottle is pure ethanol.

Reading it on a label

If a bottle of gin is labelled 40% ABV, that means 40% of the liquid in that bottle is pure alcohol, and the remaining 60% is water, botanicals, and other non-alcoholic components.

Typical ABV ranges

• Beer: roughly 4–6% ABV
• Wine: roughly 11–14% ABV
• Fortified wine (port, sherry): roughly 15–20% ABV
• Most spirits (whisky, gin, vodka, rum): typically 37.5–46% ABV, though cask strength whisky and some other styles go well above 50%
• Liqueurs: typically 15–30% ABV

Why it matters

ABV is what lets you compare drinks of very different volumes on equal footing, and it's the basis for calculating standard drinks (see our article "What is a standard drink in New Zealand?"). In New Zealand, ABV must be shown on the label of any packaged alcoholic beverage.