Understanding ABV: What that percentage actually means.

ABV = Alcohol By Volume. If a bottle says 40% ABV, 40% of the liquid inside is pure ethanol. That's it.

Rough map

Beer

4-8% ABV

Wine

11-15% ABV

Spirits

35-50% ABV

Cocktails

10-30% ABV, depending on the recipe

Proof

An older American measure. Proof = ABV × 2. So an 80-proof whisky is 40% ABV.

One standard drink

In India, roughly 30ml of spirit at 40% ABV, or a 330ml beer at 5%, or a 150ml glass of wine at 12%. Know how many standard drinks are actually in what you're pouring.