Updated August 2026.
In the United States, proof is twice the alcohol by volume. 80 proof means 40% ABV. 100 proof means 50% ABV. TTB requires the alcohol statement on the label as percent alcohol by volume; proof is optional extra. For vodka specifically, the spirit must be bottled at not less than 40% ABV (80 proof) (27 CFR 5.142). Flavored vodka may be bottled as low as 30% ABV (60 proof).
Most supermarket unflavored vodka — Tito’s, Absolut, Smirnoff Red, Ketel One — is 80 proof. That is custom, not a secret extra. Some 100-proof SKUs exist. Read the neck. EU vodka can be 37.5% ABV, which is 75 US proof. Import labels for the US still have to meet TTB if they are sold as vodka here.
Proof vs ABV
| Label | ABV | US standard drinks in 1.5 oz | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flavored vodka minimum (US) | 30% | 0.75 | 60 proof; sugar possible |
| EU vodka minimum | 37.5% | 0.94 | Not the US vodka minimum |
| US vodka minimum / typical bottle | 40% | 1.00 | 80 proof |
| 100 proof | 50% | 1.25 | Same 1.5 oz, more ethanol |
| Neutral spirits / some “grain alcohol” | much higher | do the math | Not automatically “vodka” |
US proof is a historical tax scale. It is not the old gunpowder test. It is not the UK’s obsolete Sikes scale. If a bottle says 40% alc/vol and 80 proof, those agree. If a marketing line says “triple distilled” and skips the number, ignore the poetry and read the government alcohol statement.
What proof does in the glass
A 1.5-ounce pour of 80-proof vodka is one US standard drink (NIAAA, December 2025) and about 97 calories (USDA 80-proof spirits). 100 proof in the same jigger is 1.25 drinks. Freezer vodka at 80 proof stays liquid — see does vodka freeze. For how many 80-proof shots add up, shots of vodka.
Vodka is a neutral spirit that may take up to 2 g/L sugar and 1 g/L citric acid and still be called vodka (27 CFR 5.142). More flavoring and it is flavored vodka or a specialty. That is identity, not a dare. Do not drink proof as a personality.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.142: neutral spirits / vodka bottled at ≥40% ABV; sugar and citric limits; flavored vodka ≥30% ABV in the BAM / labeling rules.
- TTB: alcohol content stated as % ABV; proof optional.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025). USDA 80-proof spirits ~97 kcal / 1.5 oz.