What is BrewDog - The Most Expensive and Strongest Beer of All Time

Sally Polly May 18, 2021 | 05:49

Imagine if you combine a bottle of beer with the strongest alcohol, and the taxidermy of a dead squirrel, you get the most expensive & strongest beer in the world: BrewDog - $20,000 Per Bottle and 55%.

How much do you expect to pay for a beer? If you’re talking about a cheap American lager like Budweiser, probably a couple of bucks at the most, right? Head into craft beer territory, and you’re going to pay more, maybe up to $10 on draft.

For most people, that’s close to the upper limit of what seems reasonable. But there are, in fact, beers that cost well beyond that range, into the hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Many may feel it’s ridiculous, but the prices are driven almost entirely by the fact that these beers are produced in extremely limited quantities, essentially created as limited-edition concepts meant to inflate value.

BrewDog "The End of History" - The most expensive and strongest beer in the history

Price: $20,000

This Scottish brewery first released this collectors' beer a decade ago. The ABV was 55% (stronger than most whiskeys), a bottle cost close to 700 pounds, and each was stuffed into a unique piece of taxidermy such as a squirrel or hare.

In 2016, the beer returned, priced at a jaw-dropping $20,000 per bottle.

What is BrewDog?

BrewDog founders James Watt and Martin Dickie (both only 26) were bored of the industrially brewed lagers and stuffy ales that dominate the UK market. They decided the best way to fix this undesirable predicament was to brew their own beers. Consequently in April 2007 BrewDog was born. Both only 24 at the time, they leased a building, got some scary bank loans, spent all their money on stainless steel and started making some hardcore beers.

BrewDog is dedicated to making cool, contemporary and progressive beers showcasing some of the world’s classic beer styles. All with an innovative twist and customary BrewDog bite.

The point was to raise funds to open a BrewDog brewery in Ohio, ultimately a successful endeavor. If you can still find a bottle from the original release and feel like coughing up the astronomical funds for it, expect a blond Belgian-style beer made using nettles from the Scottish Highlands and fresh juniper berries as flavoring agents.

Photo: BrewDog

This 55% beer is so strong that it is pushing the limits of what can be achieved in terms of alcohol content without ruining the taste – the new beer pushes the alcohol limit out by a further 25% over the previous record holder and the record is now more than double the alcoholic percentage of the world’s strongest beer.

The striking individual bottles were hand crafted by a taxidermist in Doncaster and each animal died of natural causes before they were used to hold the world’s most expensive beer. The outfits were made-to-measure and each bottle has its own quirky personality.

To achieve The End of History’s record-breaking alcohol content, BrewDog’s brewers use an extreme freezing technique whereby the beer is kept at temperatures well below freezing to separate the water from the solution. The process is then repeated dozens of times, requiring hundreds of litres of beer to be reduced through the process to produce just enough for a 330ml bottle – hence the record breaking cost.

The beer’s name “The End of History” derives from philosopher Francis Fukuyama’s book "The End of History and the Last Man", in which he postulates that democracy and political and economic liberalism will triumph and democracy will be the end point of political evolution.

BrewDog’s obvious claim is that no-one is going to beat their beer because it’s the final statement and cannot be beaten – we think Fukuyama was a lot safer in making his claim than the boys at Brewdog are.

Schorschbräu's Georg Tscheuschner responded to the news saying, "this is a great challenge, but it's not over yet."

Regardless, it also seems to be a withdrawal from the battle, as BrewDog’s blog states, “The End of History”, at 55%, is the final instalment of our efforts to redefine the limits of contemporary brewing.”

What is the strongest beer in the world?

The strongest beer in the world is the Brewmeister Snake Venom. Bottled at 67.5% ABV, the Scottish beer is easily the heaviest on offer.

More 5 Most Expensive Beers in the World

1. Sam Adams Utopias

Sam Adams is best known for its easy-drinking, affordable and somewhat ubiquitous Boston lager, but over the past decade, the brewery has also released expensive limited-edition barrel-aged beers, with the most recent release priced at about $210 per 25.4-ounce bottle. Utopias is a blend of batches of beer that are matured for up to 24 years in a variety of barrel types, including aquavit and moscat in the most recent release, according to the brand. The ABV clocks in at 28%, high enough to cause it to be banned in certain states. Expect a drinking experience that’s more on par with brandy than a beer, with a viscous and almost syrupy mouthfeel and deep malty flavors in every sip.

2. Sapporo Space Barley

Back in 2009, Sapporo released a beer made using barley descended from grain that spent five months on the International Space Station’s Zvezda Service Module. According to Sapporo, the point of this experiment was to study “the purpose of achieving self-sufficiency in food in the space environment.” The beer was released in Japan in a run of just 250 cases, which sold for 10,000 yen each, or about $100, with the proceeds donated to charity. There are likely still some unopened bottles floating around in the ether somewhere, but expect to pay a hefty premium if you locate one.

3. Schorschbock 57

At 57% ABV, is this really even a beer anymore? Well, yes, it is. The German brewery’s website makes it clear (in German, of course) that this is indeed “the strongest beer in the world.” Schorschbrau made this eisbock-style beer as part of a back and forth with the aforementioned BrewDog, resulting in an extremely limited-edition release (fewer than 40 bottles) that’s best sipped by the ounce instead of in a pint glass. Expect to pay at least $300 per bottle if you can still find one.

4. 3 Floyds Dark Lord

3 Floyds is an Indiana brewery that produces a variety of different barrel-aged beers with interesting names like Robert the Bruce and Bully Guppy. But one in particular stands out. To get your hands on a bottle of the brewery’s Dark Lord, you’ll have to attend the annual Dark Lord Day and endure hours of heavy metal and beer drinking. If that sounds appealing, prepare to shell out $150 to $200 for three bottles of this Russian-style imperial stout, along with one or two vintage releases and a tote bag. But you have to act fast, as tickets sell out in minutes. The 2020 Dark Lord Day was supposed to take place in May but has been postponed until further notice due to the pandemic.

5. Westvleteren 12

Belgian monks are well known for devoting their lives to spiritual matters in quiet monasteries during a life of philosophical reflection. Another important skill they possess happens to be brewing truly delicious beer. The monks at the Westvleteren brewery make beer in genuinely small batches. According to the brewery, the beer is a dark amber color and has notes of caramel, chocolate and raisin. To taste it yourself, you’ll have to order directly from the brewery, as part of its effort to limit skyrocketing prices on the secondary market.Cases have been known to command prices approaching $1,000 in the U.S.