Recommended reading (use your translation features if you need to): @francois just posted about the whittling away of ABV in spirits to save money on alcohol taxes, and the preposterous subterfuge some brands resort to in their labeling, with a focus on dry gin in the European markets he travels in.
Francois also wades into the corrosive effect this enshittification has on the mixed drinks world, and ropes in @Splificator, particularly his fascinating 2022 Martini essay for The Daily Beast:
ABV matters. For mixology alone, we generally want our brandies at least 45%, our dry gins at least 47%, or rums at least 45%, our whiskies around 50%. There’s some nuance to it, and within limits, you can correct for lower proof spirits, but quality sure is easier to achieve without having to.
Here in the States, there is still wailing and gnashing of teeth over Beefeater’s dilution from 47% to 44% ABV. Well, Beefeater is only 40% in many other markets, and one need look no further than 1600 Pennsylvania Ave to know that “it can happen here”. Meanwhile, our 75cl bottles are probably slipping to 70cl (standardization, with a side of 7% more profit!) and we seem to be well into a major slump in the liquor industry, where every producer will be chasing any good news they can.
It doesn’t look good.
Meanwhile, I encourage everyone to throw their market weight behind the 47% dry gins we still have (Tanqueray and Hayman’s are the two that particularly come to my mind) and to push back on the brands that are too eager to sacrifice the quality of their products just to generate a blip of “shareholder value”.
Excellent article, and yes, proofs do seem to be in retreat. Fortunately there are more distillers willing to lean into niche markets these days. I would love to find a good, not-weird, not-too-expensive traditional-botanical American craft gin at 47%, or at least 45% (the proof quality American gins were always bottled at). Anyone got suggestions?
I’m on the last few ounces of my 44%ABV Beefeater 1.75L that replaced my 47% bottle, and I’m trying to not to support their 40% offering. I’ve bought a bottle of Ford’s at 45% (the 1L bottle costs as much as the 1.75L Beefeater though) and it’s helping to stretch out that last gasp of Beefeater.
I did consider Tanqueray at 47+% for my replacement 1.75L bulk bottle in the next few weeks.
There have been some reverse ABV moves like Old Overholt not only going from 40% to 43% but also moving from 3 to 4 years in recent years.
I was feeling similarly betrayed by the ABV of my favorite gin - Beefeater - lowering the ABV for the 2nd time in like 4-5 years.
HOWEVER (correct me if I’m wrong) it seems as tho Beefeater only exported that stuff to us while they’ve been keeping it at 40% in the UK for a long time. I’ve seen plenty of old paintings or pics of Beefeater showing it with 40%.
, Junipero is one of my favorites, 49.3% and around $30-$35.