Alcohol Freezing Point Chart: Complete Reference for Frozen Desserts
Every spirit, liqueur, wine, and beer — what temperature it freezes, and what that means for your ice cream.
If you make frozen desserts with alcohol, you need to know one number before you start: the freezing point of whatever you are adding. That number determines whether your ice cream sets firm, stays scoopable, or never freezes at all.
The chart below covers every category of alcohol you are likely to use in a frozen dessert. The freezing points are approximate — they shift slightly with sugar content, dissolved solids, and specific brand formulations — but they are accurate enough to make recipe decisions with confidence.
For the full science behind why alcohol depresses the freezing point and how to formulate around it, see our complete guide to alcohol in ice cream.
How to Read This Chart
ABV (Alcohol by Volume) is the percentage of pure ethanol in the liquid. A bottle labelled 40% ABV is 40% ethanol and 60% water (plus trace amounts of flavour compounds, sugars, and other solids).
The freezing point is the temperature at which a liquid begins to solidify. It is not the temperature at which the liquid becomes a solid block — most alcoholic beverages pass through a slushy phase before freezing completely.
Home freezer reference: A standard home freezer operates at approximately −18°C (0°F). Anything with a freezing point below −18°C will remain liquid in your freezer. This is the central fact of alcohol ice cream formulation.
The practical question this chart answers: When I add this spirit to my ice cream base, how much will it resist freezing? The lower the freezing point, the more aggressively it will soften the final product.
Freezing Point Chart: Spirits
These are full-strength distilled spirits — the backbone of most cocktail-inspired frozen desserts.
| Spirit | Typical ABV | Freezing Point (°C) | Freezing Point (°F) | Freezes in Home Freezer? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bourbon | 40–46% | −23 to −27°C | −9 to −17°F | No |
| Rye whiskey | 40–50% | −23 to −32°C | −9 to −26°F | No |
| Scotch whisky | 40–46% | −23 to −27°C | −9 to −17°F | No |
| Irish whiskey | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Japanese whisky | 40–43% | −23 to −25°C | −9 to −13°F | No |
| Vodka | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Gin | 37.5–47% | −22 to −28°C | −8 to −18°F | No |
| White rum | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Dark/aged rum | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Overproof rum | 57–75% | −37 to −55°C | −35 to −67°F | No |
| Tequila (blanco) | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Tequila (reposado/añejo) | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Mezcal | 40–55% | −23 to −35°C | −9 to −31°F | No |
| Brandy / Cognac | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Calvados | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Pisco | 38–48% | −22 to −29°C | −8 to −20°F | No |
| Grappa | 35–60% | −20 to −38°C | −4 to −36°F | No |
| Absinthe | 55–72% | −35 to −50°C | −31 to −58°F | No |
| Everclear / grain alcohol | 75–95% | −55 to −80°C | −67 to −112°F | No |
Key takeaway: Every full-strength spirit (37.5%+ ABV) stays liquid in a home freezer. When you add any of these to an ice cream base, the ethanol will actively resist freezing at −18°C. This is why ratio control matters — too much spirit and the base will not set.
Freezing Point Chart: Liqueurs and Cordials
Liqueurs are lower in alcohol and higher in sugar than spirits. They are more forgiving in frozen desserts because their ethanol content is moderate and their sugar contributes body and sweetness.
| Liqueur | Typical ABV | Freezing Point (°C) | Freezing Point (°F) | Freezes in Home Freezer? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cointreau | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Grand Marnier | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Chartreuse (Green) | 55% | −35°C | −31°F | No |
| Chartreuse (Yellow) | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Campari | 25% | −12°C | 10°F | Partially |
| Aperol | 11% | −4°C | 25°F | Yes |
| Kahlúa | 20% | −9°C | 16°F | Partially |
| Baileys Irish Cream | 17% | −7°C | 19°F | Yes |
| Amaretto (Disaronno) | 28% | −14°C | 7°F | Partially |
| Frangelico | 20% | −9°C | 16°F | Partially |
| Drambuie | 40% | −23°C | −9°F | No |
| Chambord | 16.5% | −6°C | 21°F | Yes |
| St-Germain | 20% | −9°C | 16°F | Partially |
| Maraschino (Luxardo) | 32% | −17°C | 1°F | Borderline |
| Limoncello | 25–30% | −12 to −15°C | 10 to 5°F | Partially |
| Crème de cassis | 15–20% | −6 to −9°C | 21 to 16°F | Yes |
| Midori | 20% | −9°C | 16°F | Partially |
| Triple sec (generic) | 15–40% | −6 to −23°C | 21 to −9°F | Varies |
| Sambuca | 38–42% | −22 to −24°C | −8 to −11°F | No |
| Fernet-Branca | 39% | −22°C | −8°F | No |
Key takeaway: Liqueurs between 15–28% ABV are the most forgiving for ice cream. They contribute flavour and sweetness while depressing the freezing point less aggressively than full-strength spirits. Campari, Kahlúa, Amaretto, and St-Germain sit in the sweet spot for frozen desserts.
Note that Cointreau, Grand Marnier, Drambuie, and Chartreuse are as strong as spirits despite being classified as liqueurs. Treat them accordingly in your formulations.
Freezing Point Chart: Wine, Beer, and Low-ABV
These are used less often in ice cream but are essential for sorbets, granitas, and wine-based frozen desserts.
| Beverage | Typical ABV | Freezing Point (°C) | Freezing Point (°F) | Freezes in Home Freezer? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lager beer | 4–5% | −2°C | 28°F | Yes |
| IPA / craft beer | 6–8% | −3°C | 27°F | Yes |
| Imperial stout | 10–12% | −4 to −5°C | 25 to 23°F | Yes |
| Prosecco | 11–12% | −4 to −5°C | 25 to 23°F | Yes |
| Champagne | 12% | −5°C | 23°F | Yes |
| White wine (dry) | 12–14% | −5 to −6°C | 23 to 21°F | Yes |
| Red wine | 13–15% | −5 to −6°C | 23 to 21°F | Yes |
| Rosé | 11–13% | −4 to −5°C | 25 to 23°F | Yes |
| Sake | 15–16% | −6°C | 21°F | Yes |
| Port | 19–22% | −8 to −10°C | 18 to 14°F | Partially |
| Sherry (dry) | 15–17% | −6 to −7°C | 21 to 19°F | Yes |
| Sherry (cream/sweet) | 17–22% | −7 to −10°C | 19 to 14°F | Partially |
| Vermouth (sweet) | 16–18% | −6 to −7°C | 21 to 19°F | Yes |
| Vermouth (dry) | 18% | −7°C | 19°F | Yes |
| Mead | 8–14% | −3 to −5°C | 27 to 23°F | Yes |
| Hard cider | 4–8% | −2 to −3°C | 28 to 27°F | Yes |
Key takeaway: Wine, beer, and other low-ABV beverages freeze readily in a home freezer. They are well-suited to sorbets and granitas where you want a frozen texture without fighting the physics. Their moderate alcohol content actually improves the texture of sorbets by reducing ice crystal size without preventing freezing.
Pure Ethanol Reference
For completeness:
| Substance | ABV | Freezing Point (°C) | Freezing Point (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pure water | 0% | 0°C | 32°F |
| Pure ethanol | 100% | −114°C | −173°F |
Every alcoholic beverage falls somewhere between those two extremes. The higher the ABV, the closer to ethanol’s freezing point. The lower the ABV, the closer to water’s.
Using This Chart for Recipe Formulation
The chart tells you how a spirit behaves in isolation. In an ice cream base, the calculation is more complex because sugar, milk solids, and fat are also present. But the chart gives you the critical starting point: how aggressively will this ingredient resist freezing?
Three practical rules:
Rule 1: If it won’t freeze in your freezer, it will fight your ice cream. Any spirit or liqueur with a freezing point below −18°C will remain liquid at your freezer temperature. The more of it you add, the softer the result.
Rule 2: If it freezes in your freezer, it will help your texture. Wine, beer, and low-ABV liqueurs (Aperol, Chambord, Baileys) actually improve frozen desserts. They depress the freezing point just enough to reduce ice crystal size and improve scoopability, without preventing the base from setting.
Rule 3: High-ABV liqueurs are spirits in disguise. Cointreau (40%), Drambuie (40%), and Green Chartreuse (55%) hit as hard as bourbon or vodka. Do not treat them like Kahlúa (20%) in your formulations. Check the ABV, not the label.
For specific ratio guidelines — how much of each spirit category to use per litre of base — see our complete guide to alcohol in ice cream.
A Note on Brand Variation
The ABV and freezing points listed here reflect standard commercial products. Specific brands may vary. Cask-strength whisky (55–65% ABV), navy-strength gin (57% ABV), and overproof rum (75% ABV) will have significantly lower freezing points than their standard-strength counterparts. Always check the label and adjust your recipe accordingly.
Sugar content in liqueurs also varies by brand. A high-sugar liqueur will behave slightly differently from a low-sugar one at the same ABV, because the dissolved sugar adds its own freezing point depression on top of the alcohol’s effect. When in doubt, err on the side of using less — you can always add more, but you cannot un-soften a base that will not freeze.
All freezing points are approximate and based on standard commercial formulations. Actual values vary with brand, sugar content, and other dissolved solids.
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