Alcohol
Product Information
Alcoholic Beverages Defined
Alcoholic beverages contain more than 1/2 of 1 percent alcohol by volume. Alcoholic beverages are classified as liquor, wine or beer depending upon their alcoholic content and the manner in which the beverages are made.
Iowa Code sections §123.3(4), (5), (7), (33) and (37)
Measuring Alcoholic Content
Alcoholic content is measured in three different ways: volume, weight and proof. Liquor and some imported beers are measured by proof; wine by volume; and most American beers by weight.
To compare the alcoholic content of liquor, wine and beer, use these conversion formulas.
|
FROM
|
TO
|
CONVERSION FORMULA
|
| PROOF | VOLUME | PROOF / 2 |
| PROOF | WEIGHT | PROOF / 2 X .8 |
| VOLUME | PROOF | VOLUME X 2 |
| VOLUME | WEIGHT | VOLUME X .8 |
| WEIGHT | VOLUME | WEIGHT / .8 |
| WEIGHT | PROOF | WEIGHT / .8 X 2 |
| Example: A Canadian beer marked 8 proof is rated 4% by volume (8% divided by 2 = 4%). Multiply that by .8 to get 3.2% alcoholic content measured by weight. (8 proof = 4% volume = 3.2% weight). | ||
Nonalcoholic Beer
Nonalcoholic (NA) beer contains 1/2 of 1 percent (or less) alcohol by volume. Under Iowa law, beer contains more than 1/2 of 1 percent alcohol by volume.
Because NA beer does not contain enough alcohol to be classified as a beer, the laws and rules governing beer (legal-drinking age, hours of sale, etc.) do not apply. For example, licensees may lawfully sell and dispense NA beer to people under the legal-drinking age.
The Division does not encourage selling and serving NA beer to persons under the legal-drinking age. When on-premises licensees serve NA beer to individuals under 21, the Division recommends that the NA beer be served in the original container - not in a glass. The practice will assist law enforcement officials when entering an establishment and observing someone under the legal-drinking age consuming a beverage that looks and smells like beer.
Iowa Code sections §123.3(4) and (7)
