Isn’t proof just double the percentage?
For example, a scotch with 40% alcohol is “80 Proof”
Why list both and why only on hard liquor?
In: 20
Yes proof is 2x the percentage of ethonol in the liquid.
As for why only hard spirits are measured with proof. It’s a history holdover.
Because the 16th Century English loved their taxes and would look to tax the everloving crap out of everything they could.
They would place high taxes on alcohol if they could prove it wasn’t pig swill in content.
To prove or (as they said back then) Proof it… They would mix some with gunpowder and if it went poof when lit, it was PROOF that the alcohol content was at least 50%,,,,, so 100 Proof.
If it fizzled but didn’t go poof the alcohol content was a bit lower so 80 Proof.. etc.
Below a certain point the gunpowder would stop igniting so there was no way to proof it.
They aren’t – it’s that the US retained traditional measurements for everything, including alcohol so the labeling reflects that. If the products are not labeled for sale in the US/North America they normally only list % alcohol.
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