Beer is a favorite adult beverage for a lot of people. But the alcohol content varies a lot from beer to beer, and some people want a lot of bang for their buck. So what is the beer with the most alcohol?
The beer with the highest alcohol content is the Scottish beer Brewmeister Snake Venom which contains 67.5% alcohol by volume.
But that’s hardly the only one with a high ABV percentage!
In fact, a recent Gallup poll shows that 42% of Americans prefer alcohol beer to wine. We will be looking at boozy beers tons of beer fanatics love.
Now, as you know, the alcohol content of beers varies widely.
There are strong beers, high ABV beers with high alcohol content, and light beers with low alcoholic content. The higher the ABV, the faster one gets drunk. It’s a no-brainer.
We’ll get started by looking at a list of beers — the 25 world’s strongest beers, and then we’ll check out interesting facts about beer brands back home.
Let’s get into it.
1. Brewmeister Snake Venom
ABV – 67.5%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – Brewmeister
Brewmeister Snake Venom is the strongest beer in the world. The brewery that makes it is located in Moray, Scotland. The production of the beer involves the use of smoked peated malt and two varieties of yeast — one for beer, the other for champagne. It is frozen multiple times, and the ice crystals are removed.
2. Armageddon
ABV – 65%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – Scottish Brewery Brewmeister
Armageddon and Snake Venom are cousins, so to speak. In fact, they are produced by the same brewery. At a point, Armageddon held the number one position as the strongest beer in the world. Eisbock technic is employed in its production. This entail keeping the beer at a very low temperature to draw the water from it. It radiates herbaceous notes and hints of caramel.
3. Start The Future
ABV – 60%
Country of Origin – The Netherlands
Brewed by – Koelschip
Start The Future is proudly German Eisbock. It’s pale yellow and has a sweet and tangy taste. It’s thick and uncarbonated with a bitter aftertaste. Many buyers describe it as peppery and soapy.
4. Schorschbock 57
ABV – 57.7%
Country of Origin – Germany
Brewed by – Schorschbrau
Schorschbock 57 is full of caramel and cherry cognac notes. It’s ruby-brown with a lacy tan head and is laced with tobacco, raisin, and walnut. It is sweet, has no carbonation, and leaves a rich alcohol burn in its wake. It’s brewed by Schorschbrau, a brewery that’s renowned for its strong beers.
5. The End of History
ABV – 55%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – BrewDog
The End of History is blond Belgian ale brewed using deep freezing technology. It gives off notes of juniper berries, mead, and nettles. It’s limited edition beer, so it’s highly pricey. Each bottle comes with its own certificate and is presented in a striking package created by a taxidermist!
6. Obilix
ABV – 45%
Country of Origin – The Netherlands
Brewed by – Koelschip
Obilix was made by the same brewery that made “Start The Future”. It was the company’s first attempt into the world of limited edition beer. Its production was naturally restricted. Yet it was so powerful it made a lasting impression.
7. Schorschbock 43
ABV – 43%
Country of Origin – Germany
Brewed by – Schorschbrau
Schorschbock 43 hits you with its finely crafted traits once you taste it. It’s chestnut brown with a tiny tan head. In addition to its refined traditional beer ingredients, it includes fine brandy, tobacco, raisin, and walnut. And, like “57,” it leaves a lasting alcoholic burn.
8. Sink The Bismarck
ABV – 41%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – BrewDog
Sink The Bismark is a quadruple IPA that contains 4 times the hops and 4 times the bitterness and has been frozen 4 times to achieve its high ABV. It is thick and sweet. In fact, it’s syrupy. It’s liquorish and has no carbonation, and leaves a pleasant burn in the throat.
9. Espirit De Noel
ABV – 40%
Country of Origin – Italy
Brewed by – Baladin
Espirit De Noel is bright straw yellow and smooth. It has gentle notes of wood and faint hints of chocolate. It is aged in oak barrels until it’s refined enough for beer lovers.
10. Black Damnation VI Messy
ABV – 39%
Country of Origin – Belgium
Brewed by – De Struise Brouwers
Black Damnation is a Russian Imperial stout style beer. It is rich and creamy. It has chocolate flavors and hints of roasted malts. It’s pitch black with reddish and brownish hues. One feels the heat, but it’s integrated.
#brewdog Watt Dickie at craft beer transit, amazing stuff pic.twitter.com/8pceU6eNCE
— Juan Kawamura (@j3sei) January 1, 2014
11. Watt Dickie
ABV – 35%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – BrewDog
Watt Dickie has a malty and hoppy spirit. It’s injected with high-quality HGH, and it’s uncarbonated. It’s closer to a spirit than a beer. It has undergone a special freezing process to remove the water to concentrate its flavor.
12. Freeze The Penguin
ABV – 35%
Country of Origin – Italy
Brewed by – Revelation Cat
Freeze The Penguin is dark brown, syrupy, and has no head. It has a fruity, woody roasted aroma. It’s very sweet with hints of caramel and chocolate. It has a mild alcoholic burn and strong bitterness.
13. Tactical Nuclear Penguin
ABV – 32%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – BrewDog
Tactical Nuclear Penguin derives its name from the amount of time it spent in the freezing cold. It began life as an imperial stout and is then aged for 16 months and then stored at minus 20 degrees to get it to its current ABV. It was decanted periodically.
14. Schorschbock 31
ABV – 30.86%
Country of Origin – Germany
Brewed by – Schorschbräu
Schorschbock 31 is pitch black and fuity. It has no head or carbonation. You can discern the taste and aroma of chocolate, coffee, cocoa, and molasses. You definitely feel an alcoholic burn on your mouth, and it’s tempered by a dark chocolate and cocoa taste.
15. Doggerlander Malt Liquor
ABV – 30%
Country of Origin – Ecuador
Brewed by – Doggerlander Brewing Company
Doggerlander Malt Liquor is an American-style malt liquor. Hints of corn, rice, and sugar can be discerned. Of course, malted barley reigns supreme. It’s fritzier, fruitier, and sweeter than your good ol’ regular beer.
16. Samuel Adams Utopias — 10th
ABV – 29%
Country of Origin – U.S.
Brewed by – Boston Beer Company
Samuel Adams Utopias is assembled from a library of casks dating back to 1993. It has a bright, fruity character. It is aged in dozens of casks used for storing scotch, sherry, wine, rum, calvados, and others. It is then blended down, otherwise, it would be too ferocious.
17. Ghost Deer
ABV – 28%
Country of Origin – Scotland
Brewed by – BrewDog
Ghost Deer is the strongest fermented beer ever made at its ABV. And it was not attained through deep freezing. It was actually fermented to that level of strength! It’s unlike some we’ve explored earlier that are frozen, and the water is then taken out. Ghost Deer is straight hardcore. And yet its taste is appealing. It has herbal and milky chocolate notes.
18. Schoppe XXL
ABV – 27.6%
Country of Origin – Germany
Brewed by – Brauhaus Südstern
Schoppe XXL is made in the home of beer, Germany. It’s a highly refined Eisbock. In spite of its ABV, it’s easy to drink. It tastes like dark fruit.
19. Samuel Adam Utopias
ABV – 27%
Country of Origin – U.S.
Brewed by – Boston Beer Company
Samuel Adam Utopias 27, according to the makers, was made to challenge the perception of what beer can be. It is extremely barrel-aged. It blurs the line between beer and spirit. Its maker, the Boston Beer Company, pioneered barrel-aging.
Say you’re under-aged and wondering if you could use a fake ID to buy beer on Instacart, I’ve got the lowdown for you.
In a recent article I published, I explored whether Instacart actually checks IDs and how would an Instacart driver know it’s a fake ID.
I also spoke about whether you could use someone else’s license to get alcohol on Instacart and what Instacart would do if you don’t have an ID. Lastly, I wrapped it up by revealing which states have the best fake IDs.
Just click the link to read it on my site.
Let’s check out the remaining beers.
20. Mikkeller Black Fist
ABV – 26.1%
Country of Origin – Denmark
Brewed by – De Proefbrouwerij
Mikkeller Black Fist has been barrel-aged 10 times in different bourbon barrels, and it took the company two years to bring this imperial stout from its original ABV of 18% to the current 26.1%. It is creamy and thick. It’s better when decanted.
21. Special Darkest Night
ABV – 26%
Country of Origin – Belgium
Brewed by – De Struise Brouwers
Special Darkest Night is an imperial stout that is a heavy-hitting ale with a strong malt backbone. Its name is inspired by the enigmatic witch of Slavic lore. It has a smooth body and is rich with hints of chocolate, figs, and raisin.
Five Squared 25% ABV beer being poured by Urbain from De Struise at Keystone, thanks to our friends @FarmersCabinet pic.twitter.com/IliDVwe8
— Keystone Homebrew (@KeystoneHB) March 29, 2012
22. Five Squared
ABV – 25%
Country of Origin – Belgium
Brewed by – De Struise Brouwers
Five Squared is a quadruple-style beer. It’s hazy reddish orange with a foamy beige head, and its aroma and taste show the presence of chocolate, toffee, candied fruit, and brown sugars. It has a mild alcoholic kick and is slightly bitter.
23. Søgaard Isbuk
ABV – 24%
Country of Origin – Denmark
Brewed by – Søgaards Bryghus
Søgaard Isbuk is light brown. It’s an Eisbock, as its name suggests. So, it’s been frozen for a long time to bring out its flavor and power. It is strong with a rich, complex flavor.
24. Reserve Bipolar Frostitute
ABV – 23.6%
Country of Origin – Switzerland
Brewed by – Blackwell Brewery
Reserve Bipolar Frostitute is a British-style universal stout that has been barrel-aged and frozen. It has an extremely rich malty flavor. Hints of herbs and flora can be detected. And, of course, high alcohol, that’s easily consumed.
25. Herkimer Toripuru Strong Bock
ABV – 23%
Country of Origin – U.S.
Brewed by – Herkimer Pub & Brewery
Herkimer Toripuru Strong Bock is canned beet juice on the edge with dark marron in the center. It has no head but has a few random bubbles around the edge. It is smooth and easy to drink. Hints of cherry and cocoa powder can be tasted in addition to the alcohol. It’s also mildly bitter.
Now we know the highest alcohol content beers. You know what to reach for when you crave a potent beer — an alcoholic drink that belongs in the ranks of those with the highest ABVs.
Two interesting questions that follow from what we’ve been learning are what is a standard drink and why is it that some beers have higher ABV than others?
In the United States, one standard drink is roughly 14 grams of pure alcohol — found in 12 ounces of regular beer, which comes with an ABV of 5%. By the way, what’s ABV? It is Alcohol By Volume. It is a measure of the amount of alcohol in a liquid such as beer, wine, and spirits, expressed as a percentage of the total volume.
And the alcohol content of the beers varies because of the fermentation process employed in brewing beer. How much fermentable sugar the yeast has available to consume determines the amount of alcohol. The higher there is, the higher the ABV. The main source of fermentable sugar in most worts is malted barley.
When the alcohol content of beer is high, it cannot be sold in a grocery store and can only be sold in a liquor store. There are laws about this legislation, and they vary from state to state.
All the talk about beer with high ABVs is probably making you think of liquor, right? That reminds me, a recent article I published goes into whether Trader Joe’s sells liquor.
In it, I shared a list of states that allow liquor to be sold at Trader Joe’s and if alcohol is cheaper there. I also shared what kinds of liquor it sells and whether you get a case discount.
Just click the link to read it on my site.
Now, let’s check out answers to some common questions a lot of folks ask.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which American beer has the most alcohol?
Hair of the Dog is the American beer that has the most alcohol. Its percent ABV is 29%! That’s too much alcohol if you ask me. To put it in perspective, 5% is the alcohol content of average beer. Hair of the Dog has more than five times the average!
A brewery in Oregon, Portland, United States (with the same name as the beer) makes it. It started production in 1993 and aims to provide beer drinkers with new and unusual styles. Creativity and originality are integral to the company’s philosophy.
As such, over the years, it has developed a reputation for strong and barrel-aged ales, dense and dank imperial IPA, and historic lagers. Its ales have literally been stored in oak barrels for a period of time. A method that’s common in Belgium.
I guess reading about different alcoholic beverages is probably getting your taste buds excited, and what you’d like now is simply any good beer. Preferably cold beer. A six-pack of beer or even a case of beer would be more like it, right?
So, here are some elegant and delicious American brews (not with the most alcohol). You’ll enjoy Dogfish Head, Stella Artois, Coors light, Miller lite, Milwaukee’s Best Ice, Blue Moon Belgian white, Evil twin, Bruery Back Tuesday, and Natural Ice.
Could you order beer through Doordash?
You’re in luck because that’s what I got into in a recent article I published. In it, I explained how you order alcohol from Doordash and whether it’s cheaper to use than Instacart to order alcohol.
I also got into whether your ID would be scanned before it would be handed over, and I revealed whether they deliver everywhere.
Just click the link to read it on my site.
Which beer has 8% alcohol content?
Steel Reserve 211 High Gravity is an American malt liquor style beer with 8.1% alcohol content. It has an IBU (international bitterness units scale) of 20. The IBU is a measure of the bitter taste of beer.
It is a smooth malt liquor brewed with extra malted barley and select hops for high gravity. High gravity is a brewing method employed for producing beer with high alcohol content. Steel Reserve is made by the Steel Brewing Company in California. It is owned by Miller, a subsidiary of Molson Coors.
Introducing Ice Cream Dive Bars, a perfect blend of smoky vanilla, gooey caramel, and the beer you love brought to you by Miller High Life X @TipsyScoop
Visit https://t.co/T70t82RAjg to learn more. pic.twitter.com/9awA4oiwqA— Miller High Life (@millerhighlife) August 15, 2022
What is the cheapest beer with the most alcohol?
Miller High Life is the cheapest beer with the most alcohol. It has an alcohol content of 5.5%. Now, that’s a bit higher than the average ABV for most American beers, which range from 3.5% to 3.8%.
It’s not pricey. A six-pack can be as cheap as $5. It’s not the most refined or the most sophisticated brew, but when you want a beer that packs a punch and is budget-friendly, it’s the way to go.
Miller High Life is brewed by Miller Brewing Company. It’s the company’s flagship beer — it was launched in 1903! The company uses its proprietary blend of malted barley, Miller yeast, and hops sourced from the Pacific Northwest.
What is the lightest beer with the highest alcohol content?
Hurricane High Gravity and Natty Daddy by Anheuser-Busch have high alcohol content. Both light beers have ABVs of 8.10% and 8%, respectively. Hurricane High Gravity is a malt liquor option with 188 calories. Natty Daddy is one of the top light beers and has 181 calories.
As you can see, both are ideal if you’re looking for strong beer, seeing as they have high ABVs. Looking for an affordable way to get drunk fast? They’ll get the job done. But, they are not what you’ll choose when you want a highly refined flavor. Quality is not their strong suit.
If you’re in the market for something really unique, it’s best to opt for limited edition beer.
What states still limit grocery stores to sell only 3.2% beer?
As of the time of writing, Minnesota is the only state that still limits grocery stores to sell only 3.2% beer. But, it’s possible that soon, the state will join the rest of the country in allowing grocery stores to sell full-strength beer. The legislation applies to craft beer and standard beer.
The legislation around 3.2 beer is a reflection of the fact that the sale and consumption of alcohol have had a contentious hue in the nation. Even though virtually all the states, except Minnesota, have legitimized the sale of high-strength beers. There are still different laws around the sale of alcohol in different states.
Have you ever wondered if you could get beer to buy at Trader Joe’s?
That’s what I got into in a recent article I published. In it, I shared info on whether Trader Joe’s makes their own beer and how much the beer is. I also get into whether they sell Guinness and if they have cheap beer.
Just click that link to read it on my site.
Conclusion
In the article, we learned about beers with higher alcohol content than regular beer.
Their percent alcohol content is through the roof! And we also learned about those with low alcohol content. We looked at examples of domestic beer and of international brews. Some brews seek to blur the line between beer and liquor.
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