Concentrated Alcohol: Proof
The term proof is sometimes used to
designate the alcoholic content of distilled
liquors. In the United States, the proof
designation is just about double the
percentage by volume of alcohol, so that
100 proof, for example, designates 50%
alcohol. (The proof number is slightly
more than double the percentage, because
alcohol causes a volume of water to
contract on mixing.) The term proof comes
from a 17th century test for proving the
quality of spirits that involved moistening
gunpowder with the spirits, and then
putting a flame to it. If the gunpowder
burned slowly, the spirits were at proof; if
it spluttered or burst into flame, they were
under or over proof respectively.The Flavors of Spirits Spirits are served at
temperatures ranging from ice cold (Swedish
aquavit) to steaming hot (Calvados). To