I tried world’s strongest beer with alcohol % higher than most whiskies – fire hit me & it felt like I swallowed a wasp
IT has such a high alcohol by volume rating, it carries a DANGER warning on its spout.
But this is no rum or absinthe — this is Beithir Fire, a £45 bottle of BEER.
With a dizzying ABV rating of 75 per cent, it will come as little surprise that it holds the title of World’s Strongest Beer — and it is brewed in Britain.
“A few people who have tried it said their tongue went numb,” said Andrew Chapman, CEO of Edinburgh’s 88 Brewery, which created the drink.
“People say they can track it all the way through their system — they can feel exactly where it is inside them.”
The name Beithir comes from a dragon in Scottish folklore, hinting at its fiery nature.
Around the top of each bottle is a bright-yellow label advising drinkers not to neck more than 35ml in one sitting — just under a double shot.
And this caution is no joke — a single 330ml bottle of the brew contains 24.75 UNITS of alcohol.
By comparison, the NHS recommends adults drink no more than 14 units a week, and a bottle of five-per-cent Heineken contains just 1.7 units.
The yellow label also reveals the brew’s best-before date is in 100 YEARS, making it the beer with the longest shelf-life in the world.
Secret gets out
Andrew is confident the drink will remain the world’s strongest for a while.
He said: “We looked at a higher ABV when we were creating it, and 75 per cent seemed to be the maximum limit we could get to without it really becoming quite painful.
“We’ve also got the issue with shipping — at 75 per cent, effectively, it’s dangerous goods.
“So if we go higher, the shipping becomes expensive.”
But just how is a drink this strong still classed as a beer?
“We brew a beer to the highest alcohol point we can, which is about 20 per cent,” Andrew said.
“After that it’s distilled, going through a six-filter process three times to remove sugars and impurities.
“People could argue it’s a spirit — and when it comes to paying UK duty, that’s what it’s classed as.”
Sales of the drink have rocketed by 89 per cent in recent months, and more bottles of the brew have been shipped in the first eight months of 2024 than in 2023 and 2022 combined.
Andrew said: “Beithir Fire was created for a particular market.
“But, as with most products, the secret gets out and people in the UK and America started talking about it.”
He also said UK drinkers tend to take heed of the warning label, but punters in the US see it as a challenge.
“I’ve watched videos of people in the US trying to drink a whole bottle and it hasn’t always ended well,” he said.
If you are tempted to pair it with food, Andrew says: “It goes well with anything that’s stronger — cheeses, meats, as if you were having a whisky.”
Just keep a fire extinguisher handy!
‘It’s like swallowing a wasp’
SUN man Thomas survived taking a swig and offered his verdict . . .
FROM lagers to IPAs, I can happily say that I’m a fan of most beers and I’d never hesitate trying something new if it’s put in front of me.
But I can confidently say this is the first beer I’ve ever had that had a bright-yellow label looped round the neck of the bottle, warning you not to drink more than a double shot’s worth.
I will admit: I was nervous.
Having tried absinthe and other high-proof spirits, I knew that drinks this strong were not for the faint of heart.
To try it is one thing, but to enjoy it? There was only one way to find out.
Pouring out the amber liquid, there’s no immediate smell that hits you.
But then I held it up to my nose.
Immediately, my nostrils felt like someone had stuck a match up them.
It was sharp, strong and didn’t exactly give me any reassurance that the dragon-themed branding was just for show.
Bearing in mind that this wasn’t a beer you swig, I took a medium-sized sip, and let the fire hit me.
For a moment, nothing.
Then it hit all at once. I felt like I’d swallowed a wasp.
It stung, it burned, and it forced my face into all sorts of strange positions as I felt it go down inside.
But then this feeling went, and I was left able to focus on the pleasant, hoppy, almost whisky-like flavour it left.
My verdict? I’m a fan – and honestly, I think it’s about as enjoyable a 75-per-cent ABV concoction could be.
Drinking it is not a wholly pleasant experience, as colleagues who tried it like a normal beer found out.
But overall, what it takes in pain, it gives back in pleasure.
Now time for a few more sips . . .
FIVE more of the world’s strongest beers, and the people behind them
Snake Venom, 67.5%, Brewmeister beers in Aberdeen.
Armageddon, 65%, Brewmeister (it’s Snake Venom’s weaker brother).
Start The Future, 60%, Koelschip microbrewery in the Netherlands.
Strength In Numbers, 57.8%, by BrewDog and the Schorschbock brewery in Germany
Schorschbock 57.57%, also by the Schorschbock brewery.