‘Snake Venom’ Might be the Strongest Beer in the World

When many people think beer, they think of a low alcohol content, refreshing beverage that can be consumed in volume at barbecues or tailgates. Which makes sense: Most beer hovers between 5 and 10 percent alcohol by volume. But the brewers at Brewmeister went the complete other way with what they allege is the strongest beer in the world.

Aptly named Snake Venom, the beer weighs in at a whopping of 67.5 percent alcohol by volume. According to BeerAdvocate, the brew is an English barleywine style of beer, which has a color ranging from amber to brown and a thick body. The flavors in this style range from fruity to bittersweet with a very palpable alcohol presence.

Snake Venom does exhibit some unusual characteristics. For one, the beer isn’t carbonated, which might shock some beer drinkers. Also, since it’s much stronger than the average vodka, tequila, and whiskey, the brewery suggests serving in a smaller glass, which is actually quite common for strong beers. It’s safer for one, but it’s also easier to appreciate the drink for the same reason it is advisable to sip higher quality tequila: One can value the flavor, aroma and body of a beer more thoroughly if sipped slowly from a smaller glass.
 
There are more than 5,000 breweries in America — the most in the country’s history. Creativity has been the result of all the new brewers, and many domestic craft breweries have been experimenting with high-alcohol endeavors since the craft beer renaissance here began. Some of the big players — including Stone Brewing, Brooklyn Brewery and Boulevard Brewery — have attempted to brew stronger, high-alcohol beer to meet the demand of a curious and thirsty craft beer audience. Stone Brewing’s Ruination Double IPA 2.0 features 8.5 percent alcohol by volume. Brooklyn’s Local 1 and Local 2 tote a healthy 9 percent alcohol by volume. Boulevard Brewery’s Smoke Stack series features a Quadrupel Ale appropriately named Sixth Glass, which boast 10.5 percent alcohol by volume. However, none of these strong beers can manage to compete with Snake Venom.

It’s not currently available in the United States, but it wouldn’t be completely unheard of if a brewery in America took the high alcohol content as a challenge. After all, BrewDog already has a 55 percent alcohol by volume American beer.