The federal TTB recently tested (“sampled”) a variety of alcoholic beverage products. The results indicate that proofing and gauging for distilled spirits is a problem area for some distilleries. Because the excise tax for distilled spirits is based on alcohol content, proper gauging of distilled spirits is a vital factor in proper tax determination.

To help address this issue, the TTB just made available TTB Proofing Video Series on TTB.gov’s Distilled Spirits – Frequently Used Proofing Processes page. These instructional videos guide industry members, step by step, through several frequently used proofing procedures. The videos include close-ups of techniques and processes, and explain why it is important to correctly follow all of the steps involved in proofing spirits.