Tired of your liquor store’s same old selection? Sometimes, you just need something stronger. These five drinks happen to be the strongest in the world, offering a worthy challenge to seasoned liquor lovers. Be careful, though. Fail to drink responsibly and you’ll need an attorney skilled in representing interest of auto accident victims.
5. Bruichladdich X4
Bruichladdich is a Scottish single malt packing a whopping 92% alcohol rating. Distilled no less than four times, this beast is powerful enough to fuel a car’s engine (as proven by BBC in a spotlight feature). If that isn’t enough to peak your interest, check out the bottle’s unique label design.
The distillery still used its original Victorina-era equipment, featuring an open “7-tonne mashtun.” Their setup also includes wooden washbacks, two wash stills, and narrow-necked spirit stills from the time. There are no computers used in the process, and they continue to rely on the age-old gravity distilling process.
4. Everclear
America’s strongest drink, Everclear has been the bane of many a drinker from frat parties to contests. It’s crafted from corn, allowing it to surpass other types of spirits with an intense 95% alcohol rating. This is an unfinished vodka that utilizes the rectified distilling process.
If the high end Everclear is too much to handle, Luxco also distills it in 120, 151, and 189 proof. The 189 proof (94.5%) was created to bypass state laws that prohibit its full alcohol content. Even the manufacturer says that this product should me mixed with water and other ingredients to bring down the alcohol level. So, don’t drink this one straight.
3. Spirytus Rektfikowany
The 3rd and 2nd place spots on this list are shared. Spirytus Rektfikowany hails from Poland, the country who currently holds the highest blood alcohol content ever recorded. This is an insanely strong vodka crafted from grain, reaching an impressive 96% alcohol rating.
Its strength comes from being highly concentrated ethanol, purified through repeated distillation. That’s where Rektifowany, or Rectified, comes from. While other rectified spirits exist, Spirytus Rektfikowany is the iconic original.
2. Cocoroco
Sharing the 96% alcohol rating is Cocoroco, an incredibly hard liquor from Bolivia. Distilled from cane sugar and sold in a tin can, this liquor is prohibited in just about any country for being too strong. Bolivia’s neighbor Chile, for example, only allows up to 55% alcohol ratings.
The reasoning behind the tin can is that it’s more portable, allowing anyone to simply carry and conceal the can. Why not have a 96% drink at the ready, right? Jokes aside, getting busted with a can in the U.S. will land you in federal hot water on top of needing a skilled DUI attorney.
1. Eesti Piiritus (Estonia Spirit)
Eesti Piiritus earns the coveted title of strongest liquor in the world, as well as a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. Hailing from the Baltic state of Estonia, it comes in at an impressive 96.6% alcohol rating.
This potato vodka got its start back in the 15th-17th century in the Rakvere distillery, back when the process began on Estonian soil. It’s survived the Soviet Union, carrying on that old adage that Russians can truly handle their alcohol. You’ll have to travel to taste this one, but it’s well worth the journey.