In pursuit of the world’s strongest beer
• May 6th, 2010 • Category: Beer News, featured
Thanks for playing, Sam Adams Utopias, but your time has come and gone. (Although you’re still an amazing brew.) There’s a new kid on the block — actually, two — and they’ve ripped the crown right off your head. Yes, we’re talking about the race to brew the world’s strongest beer.
Back in February, the Brew Dog dudes released Tactical Nuclear Penguin, which checked in at 32 percent alcohol. Almost immediately, Schorschbräu hit back with its newest brew, reaching 40 percent on the old “get you messed up” scale. Would England’s shenanigan-loving duo give up? Of course not.
Brew Dog announced Sink the Bismark, a quadruple India Pale Ale made by freezing lower alcohol beer, removing the ice, adding hops, and praying. StB comes in at a single percent more than the rival brew, and there’s cry from some circles that it’s a marketing ploy, but Brew Dog’s chief executive rightly points out, “You can’t just magic up a 41 percent beer in two weeks.”
Your move, Schorschbräu. Onwards, upwards.
Yes, Utopias isn’t the world’s strongest beer anymore, but it is still the world’s strongest naturally fermented beer. As you mention above, Brew Dog and Schorschbräu get their uber-high alcohol contents by freeze-distillation. The Utopias are fermented to their 27-28% ABV without any freezing. There’s nothing wrong with doing the freeze distillation–it’s a traditional German method (think Eisbock)–but I do think it’s important to point out the distinction. Cheers!
Thanks for the clarification, Mike.