What beer has the highest alcohol in it?

November 28, 2025 •

4 min read

With an astonishing 75% ABV, Scottish Beithir Fire is considered the world's strongest beer, but other contenders have challenged for the title using extreme brewing methods. The quest to create what beer has the highest alcohol in it has pushed the boundaries of traditional brewing, resulting in powerful and intense brews that rival hard liquor. These beverages are often sipped slowly, much like a fine whiskey, rather than consumed quickly.

Quick Summary

An exploration of the world's most potent beers, detailing the record-holding brews, the special brewing techniques required, and the history behind the creation of these high-alcohol beverages. Covers major competitors and their extreme ABVs. It also provides insights into how these beers differ from standard commercial offerings.

Key Points

Current Record Holder: Scottish Beithir Fire from 88 Brewery currently holds the record for the highest alcohol content in beer at 75% ABV.
Extreme Brewing Techniques: High-ABV beers are created using special methods like freeze distillation (removing ice to concentrate alcohol) and fortification (adding distilled spirit).
Prominent Competitors: Other notable high-alcohol beers include Brewmeister's Snake Venom (67.5% ABV) and Schorschbräu's Schorschbock 57 (57.8% ABV).
Sipping, Not Chugging: Due to their extreme strength, these beers should be consumed slowly and in small measures, similar to spirits, to be safely enjoyed.
Brewing Rivalry: The quest for the world's strongest beer has involved a notable rivalry between Scottish and German brewers, pushing the limits of brewing innovation.
Health and Safety: Extreme ABV beers carry significant health risks if consumed irresponsibly. Labels often feature warnings, and moderate consumption is crucial.

The World's Strongest Beers: A Look at the Record Holders

For beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts, the pursuit of the world's strongest beer is a fascinating topic. The title has been held by several brewers over the years, with new contenders consistently pushing the limits of what is possible within the definition of beer. The extreme alcohol content is achieved through specialized and unconventional brewing processes, far removed from the methods used for a standard lager.

The most commonly cited contenders for the highest ABV title are often from Scotland and Germany, breweries that have engaged in a literal "arms race" of high-alcohol brewing. These brews are not typically found at your local pub and come with serious recommendations for responsible, moderate consumption.

Scottish Beithir Fire: A Record-Setting Brew

Scottish Beithir Fire, from 88 Brewery, currently holds the title for the world's strongest beer, at a staggering 75% ABV. This incredible strength is achieved by starting with a high-ABV Scottish-style barley ale and then blending it with pure Scottish spirit. The process takes over three months to complete and includes triple-filtering the final product to remove impurities. The result is a viscous, intensely-flavored beverage that is closer to a spirit in its consumption profile.

Brewmeister Snake Venom: A Previous Title Holder

Another well-known and formidable entry is Snake Venom from Brewmeister, a Scottish brewery. Holding the title previously at 67.5% ABV, Snake Venom uses a unique combination of smoked peat malt and two yeast varieties: a standard beer yeast and a champagne yeast. The key to its strength lies in the process of freeze distillation, where the beer is repeatedly frozen and the ice crystals (which are mostly water) are removed, leaving a more concentrated, potent liquid. This method, similar to making an Eisbock, allows for an extremely high alcohol concentration.

The German Rivalry: Schorschbräu

The quest for the strongest beer also led to a fierce rivalry between Scottish brewery BrewDog and German brewery Schorschbräu. Schorschbräu's Schorschbock 57, a 57.8% ABV Eisbock, was a direct competitor. The German brewer's use of the Eisbock technique, a traditional method of freeze-distilling beer, produced an immensely strong and flavorful brew that put it on the map of extreme beer production.

How Extreme ABVs Are Achieved

Creating these powerful beers requires brewers to go beyond the limits of standard fermentation. While regular brewing can naturally achieve up to 12-14% ABV by providing ample fermentable sugars and selecting a high-tolerance yeast, pushing beyond this requires different techniques.

Higher Sugar Concentration: Adding a larger quantity of malt extract or other sugars (like corn sugar) to the wort gives the yeast more to convert into alcohol.
Specialized Yeast Strains: Brewers use particular yeast strains, including champagne yeast, that are more alcohol-tolerant than standard varieties.
Freeze Distillation (Eisbock Technique): This process involves freezing the beer and removing the ice, which is mostly water, thereby concentrating the alcohol and flavor. It is a controversial technique among purists who argue it deviates from the traditional brewing process.
Fortification with Distilled Spirits: Some producers, like 88 Brewery with Beithir Fire, directly add distilled spirit to the beer base to increase the alcohol content. This method is also a subject of debate in the brewing community.

Comparison of High-ABV Beers


Beer Name	Brewery	ABV	Primary Brewing Technique	Tasting Notes	Carbonation
Scottish Beithir Fire	88 Brewery	75%	Fortification with spirit	Intense, spicy, fiery finish	None (viscous)
Snake Venom	Brewmeister	67.5%	Freeze Distillation & Fortification	Sweet, nutty, fruity with intense heat	None (viscous)
Schorschbock 57	Schorschbräu	57.8%	Eisbock (Freeze Distillation)	Sweet, malty, with caramel notes	Minimal
The End of History	BrewDog	55%	Freeze Distillation & Fortification	A potent brew served in a stuffed animal	None
Samuel Adams Utopias	Samuel Adams	Up to 28%	Barrel-aging & Blending	Rich, malty, sherry-like, with flavors of fruit and wood	None
Barrel Aged God Complex	River North Brewery	20.6%	Barrel-aging	Complex, with notes from the brandy barrel	Low
Black Tuesday	The Bruery	19.7%	Barrel-aging	Imperial stout with complex dark fruit, vanilla, and oak notes	Low

Responsible Consumption

Due to their extraordinary strength, these beers should be treated more like a fine spirit or liqueur. They are meant to be sipped and savored in small quantities, not consumed in large amounts like standard beer. The health risks associated with excessive alcohol consumption are significantly higher with these potent brews. Always check the ABV and consume responsibly.

Conclusion

While a variety of contenders have held the title over the years, the current answer to "what beer has the highest alcohol in it" is Scottish Beithir Fire, with its 75% ABV. However, the landscape of extreme brewing is constantly shifting, with innovative brewers pushing boundaries using both traditional freeze distillation and controversial spirit fortification methods. The creation of these potent brews represents a fascinating chapter in craft beer history, offering a unique sipping experience for adventurous and responsible drinkers.

For more information on the world of craft brewing, visit the Brewers Association website to explore different styles and brewing techniques.

Common Types of High ABV Beers

Imperial Stouts: Rich, dark beers with roasted flavors, often aged to add complexity.
Barleywines: Strong, malty, and complex beers that can be either English or American style.
Belgian Quadrupels: Dark, strong Belgian ales with notes of caramel and dark fruit.
Eisbocks: German lagers created using the freeze distillation method to concentrate the alcohol.

Frequently Asked Questions

ABV stands for Alcohol By Volume. It measures the percentage of a beverage's total volume that is pure alcohol.

Extreme alcohol levels are typically achieved through methods like freeze distillation, which concentrates the alcohol by removing water, or by fortifying the beer with distilled spirits after fermentation.

Although some high-ABV beers rival spirits in strength, they are technically still considered beer by some definitions if they have not been fully distilled. However, the fortification process used for some of the strongest versions is a subject of debate.

Depending on the style, high-ABV beers can have complex and intense flavors. Snake Venom, for instance, has notes of sweet caramel and dark fruit, while barrel-aged imperial stouts often taste of roasted malt, chocolate, and oak.

These beers are extremely rare and are not sold at most bars or liquor stores. They are often limited-edition batches available directly from the brewery or specialty online retailers, and often come with a warning label.

An Eisbock is a type of lager that has undergone freeze distillation to concentrate its alcohol content, often resulting in a higher ABV than what can be achieved through fermentation alone.

Natural fermentation can reach impressive levels, but the absolute peak is much lower than fortified or freeze-distilled versions. Typical high-ABV, naturally fermented styles like barleywines and imperial stouts range from 8% to 20%, but are nowhere near the 50%+ range.