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120 Proof Beer – The Strongest Beer in the World - For Now

By Jim Cohen | August 2, 2010



Ladies and Gentlemen, just one week after “The End of History” was released by BrewDog, the record has been shattered. A Dutch brewery, brewery, 't Koelschip (The Refrigerated Ship), has recently released a 60% ABV (120 proof) beer. The beer is called "Start the Future" adequately named after BrewDog’s “The End of History” (how cute).

If you have followed Beer Universe over the past several months, you will know that we have covered this topic through several series of articles:

* 55% ABV Beer? You’ve Got to Be Kidding Me...
* When is a Beer Too Strong?
* The Strongest Beers in the Universe

At 60% ABV, the Dutch brewery is really pushing the envelope. As a comparison, there are only a handful of mainstream alcoholic beverages which are stronger: Bacardi 151 and Everclear. Both of these beverages are 75.5% ABV (Everclear is also available at 95% where legal). By the way, sometimes rubbing alcohol (the stuff you can’t and shouldn’t drink) ranges from 70% - 100% depending on the manufacturer.

Thinking about 60% ABV another way is comparing your traditional 5% ABV beer (let’s take Budweiser). If you drank 12 Budweisers in a row, you’d get the exact same buzz from drinking one bottle of Start the Future. I suppose if you are only trying to drink 1 beer when you go out, this may be the one that you’d want to select. Although, please remember this is supposed to be consumed more as a spirit than a beer.

Start the Future is reasonably priced at €35 ($45) a bottle and doesn’t come in a stuffed dead animal. If you recall, The End of History came in a squirrel’s body and was priced at over $750, as there were only 12 bottles initially produced.

We were stunned with a 55% ABV, thinking that it would take another brewer months to beat the record. After a week on the record books, Jan Nijboer, the brewer, showed us. Will this be the end of the competition?

"It has become a little competition," Nijboer said to Dutch news agency ANP. "You should see it as a joke."

Well we’re not sure that at 60% ABV you can call it a joke. However, with a reasonably priced bottle of Start the Future, we’d be willing to give this brew a try. Now we can only look forward for the next brewery to shatter the record…

Your Choice. Your Beer. Drink Up.
- Beer Universe