BrewMeister Snake Venom: The 67.5% Beer That Was the Strongest in the World

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BrewMeister Snake Venom is a Scottish beer with 67.5% alcohol that was launched in 2013 as the strongest beer in the world. Today that title is claimed by Scottish Beithir Fire, from 88 Brewery, at 75%.

Snake Venom is the exact opposite of what most people picture when they think of beer, a refreshing drink with a relatively low alcohol content that can be enjoyed in large quantities.

That picture makes plenty of sense, since most beers sit between 5 and 10% ABV (alcohol by volume), but the Scottish brewery BrewMeister broke every limit with a beer that it once billed as the strongest in the world.

How Was Snake Venom Made?

In 2013 BrewMeister set out to create the strongest and most dangerous beer in the world, in other words, the bottle with the highest alcohol percentage ever reached by a beer.

They named the result Snake Venom, and according to the brewery it reaches 67.5% alcohol by volume.

That strength does not come from fermentation alone. According to Food Dive, the beer is frozen and the ice is removed, so the alcohol becomes concentrated in the remaining liquid.

The official description of the beer reads:

It tastes like a liqueur and has a wide range of flavors, from bubblegum to caramel.

According to BeerAdvocate, it is an English Barleywine style beer, with a color ranging from amber to brown and a dense body.

Flavors in this style range from fruity to bittersweet, with a pronounced alcohol presence.

Snake Venom’s Special Ingredients

BrewMeister explains:

Our beer contains special ingredients to achieve a high alcohol volume, including smoked malt and two types of yeast: beer yeast and champagne yeast. It is not designed to mask the taste of the alcohol, which is very strong, but it still tastes like beer.

Snake Venom also shows some unusual traits for a beer. For one, the brewery describes it as an uncarbonated beer, which might surprise some drinkers.

And since it is much stronger than an average vodka, tequila or whisky, the brewery suggests serving it in a smaller glass, which is actually quite common for the strongest beers.

It is safer for the drinker, and it also makes the drink easier to appreciate for the same reason a better tequila is best sipped, because you can judge the flavor, aroma and body of a beer more thoroughly when you drink it slowly.

According to the brewery, every Snake Venom came with a seal of authenticity. At launch it cost 50 pounds, plus shipping, for a 27.5 cl bottle.

The label itself warned against drinking more than 35 ml per session, as noted by Wikipedia. That is the same as a small shot of liquor.

In 2014 the British Advertising Standards Authority ruled the 67.5% advertising misleading. It noted that the beer is concentrated by freezing and may have contained added ethyl alcohol, while BrewMeister replied that Trading Standards had measured 68%.

Its earlier beer, Armageddon, was advertised at 65% and some batches came out at 15.2%, so the company apologized. In 2015 BrewMeister changed its name, and the company now appears in the UK companies register as Keith Brewery Limited.

What Is the Strongest Beer in the World Today?

Scottish Beithir Fire, from 88 Brewery in Edinburgh, has been sold since 2021 at 75% alcohol. It is brewed as a Scottish barley ale that is then blended with spirit and filtered, according to The Takeout.

The record usually cited by Guinness World Records is a different one, BrewDog’s The End of History, which reached 55% in 2010. We covered that race between BrewDog and Germany’s Schorschbräu in the most expensive beers in the world.

No brewer’s yeast ferments to those strengths. These beers are concentrated by freezing, the technique behind the German Eisbock, or blended with spirits, so many brewers consider them closer to a liqueur than to a beer.

These are the strengths declared by their breweries, from highest to lowest.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. How Strong Is Snake Venom?

BrewMeister announced it at 67.5% alcohol by volume in 2013. That figure is reached by freezing the beer and removing the ice, and in 2014 the British advertising watchdog found its advertising misleading.

2. What Is the Strongest Beer in the World?

By declared strength, Scottish Beithir Fire from 88 Brewery, at 75% since 2021. The record usually cited by Guinness World Records is BrewDog’s The End of History, at 55% in 2010.

3. How Much Does Snake Venom Cost?

At its 2013 launch it cost 50 pounds, plus shipping, for a 27.5 cl bottle. We have not been able to confirm a current price, because the brewery changed its name in 2015.

4. How Do You Get a Beer Above 60% Alcohol?

No brewer’s yeast ferments to that strength. The beer is frozen and the ice removed, as with Eisbock, or it is blended with a spirit, as 88 Brewery does with its Beithir Fire.

5. How Should You Drink Snake Venom?

The label itself warned against drinking more than 35 ml per session. It is best served in a small glass, at room temperature, and sipped slowly like a liqueur.

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