On Sun, 11 May 2008 21:11:31 +0100, Stimpy
wrote:

On Sun, 11 May 2008 20:42:22 +0100, Mark Morton wrote

Is it written down anywhere how much alcohol needs to be in something
before it's "an alcoholic beverage"?

ISTR it used to be 2%.

You are confusing percentage (of alcohol by volume) with degrees
proof. 100deg proof = ~57 % abv ('Merkan measure is different).

From http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pd...olguidance.pdf :-

"10. All prepacked drinks with an alcoholic strength of more than
1.2%(abv) must be labelled with an indication of alcoholic strength by
volume. This must be shown as a figure (to not more than one decimal
place) preceded by the word "alcohol" or by the abbreviation "alc" and
followed by the symbol "% vol". Specified positive and negative
tolerances are permitted in respect of the indication of alcoholic
strength.

11. Specified descriptions can be used to describe drinks of not more
than 1.2%(abv). These descriptions include:
· "low alcohol" - a drink with an alcoholic strength by volume of not
more than 1.2%;
· "de-alcoholised" - a drink from which the alcohol has been extracted
and which has an alcoholic strength by volume of not more than 0.5%;
and
· "alcohol-free" - a drink from which the alcohol has been extracted
and which has an alcoholic strength by volume of not more than 0.05%.

12. Furthermore, the description “non-alcoholic” shall not be used in
conjunction with a name commonly associated with an alcoholic drink,
except in the composite name “non-alcoholic wine” when that composite
name is used in accordance with regulation 43 of the Food Labelling
Regulations."

In Scotland, an "alcoholic drink" is merely defined as "a drink
consisting of or containing alcohol" [s.147(1) Licensing (Scotland)
Act 2005]; in England and Wales "alcohol" is defined (with exceptions)
as "spirits, wine, beer, cider or any other fermented, distilled or
spirituous liquor" [s.191(1) Licensing Act 2003]. The principle
exception in the context of drink is that alcohol[ic drink] of a
strength less than 0.5% is excluded from those general definitions
[s.191 Licensing Act 2003, s.2 Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005].

Slainte!