Ever wonder why so many restaurants or bars have “Brix” in the name? It’s not a reference to the too-hip exposed brick wall in the dining area. It’s a wine word, in fact, and here are three definitions, ranging from the straightforward to the nerdy.

 

Brix: The measurement of the amount of sugar in a liquid. Grapes gain more brix as they ripen. The sugar converts to alcohol during fermentation and therefore the higher the brix, the greater the alcohol in the wine.

 

Brix: Unit of measure for the sugar content of grapes. Grapes are generally harvested at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting in alcohol after fermentation of 11.5 to 14 percent.

 

Brix: Brix is used in the food industry for measuring the approximate amount of sugars in fruits, vegetables, juices, wine, soft drinks and in the starch and sugar manufacturing industry. Different countries use the scales in different industries; in the UK brewing is measured with specific gravity X 1000, European brewers use Plato degrees, and US industries use a mix of specific gravity, Brix, degrees Baumé and Plato degrees. For fruit juices, 1.0 degree Brix is denoted as 1.0% sugar by weight. This usually correlates well with perceived sweetness.

 

photo