beer A.B.V.

[greyman42]

If a beers ABV is 4% and you mix it 50/50 with lemonade to make a shandy, does the Shandy then become a 2% drink?

 

[Lrd]

No, it's still 4%, you just have less of it

 

[Domh245]

No, it's still 4%, you just have less of it

The beer is still 4% but the shandy is 2%

ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume, so 100ml of your 4% beer contains 4ml of pure alcohol. If you make yourself 1l of shandy by combining that with 200ml of lemonade, there is still only 4ml of alcohol in the drink. That volume, expressed as a percentage (4/200)*100= 2%

 

[RichmondCommu]

I've never understood why people bother with shandy. If I'm driving I just go for a soft drink.

 

[furnessvale]

If a beers ABV is 4% and you mix it 50/50 with lemonade to make a shandy, does the Shandy then become a 2% drink?

Legally no. The only <2% shandy that underage people can drink is prebottled.

 

[AndrewE]

Are you saying it's a legal requirement that for a minor it is bought in a bottle at <2%, or that it is <2% when sold (like a 50/50 mix of a beer that was less than 4% to start off with?)

 

[furnessvale]

Are you saying it's a legal requirement that for a minor it is bought in a bottle at <2%, or that it is <2% when sold (like a 50/50 mix of a beer that was less than 4% to start off with?)

Legally the drink must be <2% BEFORE any dilution (eg in the pub). Bottled shandy typically meets this requirement and can be sold to minors. Normal beers over 2% cannot be diluted legally by the publican to meet the required low level.
I do remember years ago that Watneys Special Bitter was 2.1%. A fraction weaker and they could have sold it to kids!

 

[tony_mac]

Where has this 2% come from?
If it's over 0.5% then it is subject to the licensing act.

 

[furnessvale]

Where has this 2% come from?
If it's over 0.5% then it is subject to the licensing act.

Indeed you are correct. I have been working with old legislation which was in force when I was a police officer. It appears that the percentage was tightened considerably in the new legislation introduced after I retired.

 

[robbeech]

Yes, definitely 0.5%. Shandy in cans is generally below this still, with only a few coming in as 'high' as 0.5%

 

[roversfan2001]

Yes, definitely 0.5%. Shandy in cans is generally below this still, with only a few coming in as 'high' as 0.5%

The cheapo shandy sold in my local corner shop is 7% beer (ABV 4%), meaning it is a whopping 0.28% ABV; though for 39p for a 330ml can that's not too bad now I think about it

 

[thejuggler]

If a beers ABV is 4% and you mix it 50/50 with lemonade to make a shandy, does the Shandy then become a 2% drink?

Yes.

When whisky is bottled it leaves the cask at 60-70% abv. Unless it is sold at cask strength the abv is reduced to the min 40% by adding water.

If you want cask whisky at 40% abv you need to wait about 50 years. However by then there won’t be much left in the cask as 3-5% evaporates each year and it can be totally unfit for drinking!