Use this formula to calculate the ABV of liqueurs and bitters.

Formula

(volume of liquor ingredients × percentage of alcohol by volume) / total volume of ingredients

Example

You are making bitters by combining 1 1/2 ounces of tincture made with 50% ABV (100-proof) liquor with 1/4 ounce distilled water and 1/8 ounce sugar syrup

(1.5 × .50) / (1.5 + 0.25 + 0.125) = 0.40

So the resulting bitters are 40% ABV or 80-proof

Or… GET my ABV Calculator Spreadsheet!

Click here to access the calculator on Google Sheets

Note: Please make a copy of the sheet for your own use. To do this, go to the File menu and select “Make a copy.” Alternatively, in the File menu, there is also an option to download the document as an Excel file.