🥃 Minimum alcoholic strength

Minimum alcoholic strength of spirit drinks is the lowest alcohol content by volume at which a drink may have a legal name. Under EU Regulation 2019/787, a spirit drink must have at least 15 % vol., except egg liqueur. For many categories the limit is higher: whisky 40 %, and rum, vodka and gin 37.5 %.

What «% vol.» means. It is the share of pure alcohol in the total volume of the drink at 20 °C. 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 limits, so they need to be known.

Examples from Annex I. Whisky — from 40 % vol. Rum, vodka, gin, distilled gin and fruit spirit — from 37.5 %. Brandy — from 36 %, grain spirit — from 35 %. Maraschino — from 24 %, liqueur and bitter — from 15 %, egg liqueur — from 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.