Buzz
For beer enthusiasts or those with a taste for extravagance, these selections are a must-try.
1. Space Barley by Sapporo
Price: $110 for a six-packABV: 5.5%
In 2006, scientists from Japan and Russia conducted experiments to determine how barley could thrive in space. They sent barley seeds to the International Space Station and cultivated them in the Zvezda Service Module. After five months in orbit, the fourth-generation barley was returned to Earth, where Sapporo, a Japanese brewery, transformed it into the first-ever space beer. A six-pack is priced at $110—a reasonable cost for a beverage with extraterrestrial origins.
For a more affordable space-themed beer, consider 4pines Vostok Space Beer. This stout is the first beer designed for zero-gravity environments. Not only is it suitable for space consumption, but it’s also more budget-friendly at $20 for a six-pack. It’s an ideal choice for those who’ve fantasized about drinking where no one has drunk before.
2. Crown Ambassador Reserve
Price: $90 per 750mlABV: 10.2%
If Foster’s represents Australian beer, then Crown Ambassador Reserve symbolizes Australia’s luxury brews. Aged in French oak barrels for a year and presented in a champagne-style bottle, Crown markets Ambassador as a sophisticated alternative to wine. Since 2008, the Australian brewery has released four limited editions, with each batch restricted to 8000 bottles.
3. Tutankhamun Ale
Price: $75 for 500mlABV: 6%
In 1990, Dr. Barry Kemp, a Cambridge archaeologist, discovered Queen Nefertiti's Royal Brewery. Beneath the Egyptian sands, he uncovered 10 ancient brewing chambers, each containing remnants of beer residue. Using an electron microscope, Dr. Delwen Samuel analyzed these residues to decode the 3250-year-old recipe. Collaborating with Scottish brewer Jim Merrington, they produced 1000 bottles of this ancient brew. Initially, a single bottle sold for $7686, but the price later dropped to $75. Years after Merrington's breweries shut down, one might wonder if Tutankhamun's curse played a role.
4. Brewdog's Sink the Bismarck
Price: $80 for 375mlABV: 41%
Inspired by Nazi Germany's most formidable battleship, Sink the Bismarck was Brewdog's bold challenge to Schorschbräu, the German brewery that once held the title for the world's strongest beer. This brew not only briefly claimed the record but also revolutionized the craft. Brewdog describes it as a "quadruple IPA," freeze-distilled four times, packed with four times the hops and bitterness of a standard beer. It’s also 40 times pricier. For a slightly more affordable option, Brewdog offers the Tactical Nuclear Penguin.
5. Samuel Adams' Utopias
An overview of the Sam Adams Utopias. | Carter and Cat, Flickr // CC BY 2.0Price: $240 for 700mlABV: 27%
Priced at $240, Samuel Adams' Utopias holds the title of America's priciest beer. Released biennially, each batch matures in a variety of casks, including sherry, brandy, cognac, bourbon, and scotch, for as long as 18 years. (A hint of maple syrup is also added!) Due to outdated alcohol laws, Utopias is prohibited in 13 states. If the cost seems steep, keep in mind that recycling the bottle might earn you a nickel back.
6. Schorschbräu's Schorschbock 57
Price: $275 for 330mlABV: 57.5%
Launched in 2011, Schorschbock 57 is touted as the world's strongest beer. Master brewer Georg Tscheuschner asserts that a higher alcohol content would breach Germany's centuries-old Beer Purity Law. Only 36 bottles were produced, each priced at €200. Tasters describe this 115-proof bock as having smoky, nutty flavors with notes of raisins and a strong alcohol presence. Ratebeer.com awarded it a modest score of 20/100.
7. Carlsberg's Jacobsen Vintage
Price: $400 for 375mlABV: 10.5%
Carlsberg brewery located in Copenhagen. | Antony Stanley, Flickr // CC BY-SA 2.0In 2008, the Danish brewery introduced "the vintage trilogy" as a direct competitor to high-end wines. This barley wine is aged for six months in oak barrels from Sweden and France, offering flavors of vanilla, cocoa, and subtle notes of peaty "tar and rope." Exclusively available at premium restaurants in Copenhagen, only 600 bottles were produced each year from 2008 to 2010. Each bottle features an expiration date of 2059, giving you nearly five decades before the unique smoky flavor fades.
8. Brewdog's The End of History
Price: $765 for 330mlABV: 55%
Brewdog's End of History was intended to conclude the ABV competition, but it instead became a standout. At 110 proof and priced at $765, it ranks as the third strongest and second most expensive beer globally. This Belgian ale, infused with Scottish highland nettles and juniper berries, underwent multiple freeze distillations. Only 12 bottles were crafted, each encased in taxidermied roadkill—seven stoats, four squirrels, and one hare. Think of them as quirky, furry containers.
9. Pabst Blue Ribbon 1844
PBR is either incredibly affordable or astonishingly pricey. | Tom Shockey, Flickr // CC BY 2.0Price: $44.00 for 720mlABV: 6%
In the U.S., Pabst Blue Ribbon is known as one of the most affordable beers. However, in China, it’s considered a premium beverage, akin to the Mercedes Benz of beers. Priced at $44 per bottle, Chinese PBR costs 44 times more than its American counterpart. This version is far from ordinary—crafted with German caramel malts, aged in uncharred American whiskey barrels, and presented in an elegant glass bottle. Masterbrewer Alan Kornhauser created this ale to rival high-end wines and brandies. It’s exclusively available in China.
10. Nail Brewing's Antarctic Nail Ale
Price: $800-$1815 for 500mlABV: 10%
This pale ale isn’t made from animal ingredients but is crafted for animals. Produced by Nail Brewing in Perth, Australia, all profits support the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (known for their work on Whale Wars). The Sea Shepherds harvested ice from an Antarctic iceberg, melted it in Tasmania, and transported it to Perth for brewing. Only 30 bottles were produced, with the first selling for $800 at auction.
