ABV of common alcoholic drinks
ABV (alcohol by volume) is the share of the drink that is pure alcohol at 20 °C. It is printed on every label — but serving sizes differ wildly, so ABV alone doesn't tell you how much alcohol you're having.
| Drink | Typical ABV | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Light lager | 3.5–4.2% | Beer |
| Mainstream lager | 4.5–5.5% | Beer |
| IPA (craft) | 6–7.5% | Beer |
| Imperial stout | 8–12% | Beer |
| Belgian tripel | 8–10% | Beer |
| Wheat beer (weissbier) | 5–5.6% | Beer |
| Cider | 4–6% | Cider |
| Hard seltzer | 4–6% | Seltzer |
| Table wine | 12–14% | Wine |
| Light / low-alcohol wine | 8–10% | Wine |
| Champagne / sparkling | 11–12.5% | Wine |
| Port / sherry | 18–20% | Fortified |
| Vermouth | 15–18% | Fortified |
| Sake | 15–16% | Rice wine |
| Soju | 16–25% (diluted) | Spirits |
| Shochu | 25% | Spirits |
| Baijiu | 38–53% | Spirits |
| Vodka | 37.5–40% | Spirits |
| Gin | 37.5–40% | Spirits |
| Whisky | 40–46% | Spirits |
| Rum (white) | 37.5–40% | Spirits |
| Tequila | 38–40% | Spirits |
| Absinthe | 45–74% | Spirits |
| Everclear | 60–95% | Spirits |
| Baileys / cream liqueur | 15–20% | Liqueur |
| Cointreau / triple sec | 30–40% | Liqueur |
| Aperol | 11% | Liqueur |
| Fernet / amaro | 25–45% | Liqueur |
| Margarita (bar) | ~20% total | Cocktail |
| Negroni | ~24% total | Cocktail |
Notes
- Labels round ABV; EU requires ±0.5% tolerance.
- Fortified wines (port, sherry) have brandy added — they pair with dessert glasses, not dinner glasses.
- A “strong” cocktail isn't just the base spirit: total dilution and mixers decide final ABV.
Frequently asked questions
- What does ABV mean?
- Alcohol by volume — the percentage of the drink that is pure ethanol. 13% wine means 13 ml of alcohol per 100 ml.
- Which is stronger, whisky or vodka?
- They're usually identical (40% ABV); flavour differs, not strength. Cask-strength whiskies can reach 50–60%.
- Why does champagne feel stronger than wine?
- Carbonation speeds alcohol absorption, so the same ABV can feel more intoxicating faster — not because the alcohol content is higher.