New 'strongest beer' launched

Schorschbock: 'World's stongest'?

German sets 'record straight'

A Scottish bar is stocking what is claimed to be the world’s strongest beer, a 40% brew that is being knocked out at £10 a 25ml shot.

The arrival of Bavaria-brewed Schorschbock at Glasgow’s West Bar scotches the claims of Aberdeenshire’s BrewDog, which launched what it said was the world’s strongest beer last year.

“We’re selling it because we wanted to put the record straight,” Petra Wetzel, the German owner of the Glasgow Green brewpub, told BG today.

“I don’t like stories that aren’t true getting bandied about. The world’s strongest beer is from Bavaria and that’s why we’re selling it. The brewery is from my home area.”

Self-styled punk brewer BrewDog launched 32% Tactical Nuclear Penguin last November, on the day the Scottish Parliament was discussing imposing minimum drinks pricing, loudly proclaiming it was the “world’s strongest beer”.

The launch won BrewDog headlines across the country but its claim proved to be doubtful. Franconian brewery Schorschbräu, producer of the 40% Schorschbock, put its name to a 32% beer last year.

Only a limited run of 33cl ceramic bottles of Schorschbock were produced. Each is sealed with wax and numbered individually by the brewmaster.

West Bar has secured two bottles of the beer and is limiting sales to one measure per customer. Despite this, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland Jack Law has gone on the record branding the beer “irresponsible”.

“There’s a lot of media hype,” said Wetzel, who is to meet Law next week. “He may have been misquoted or I think he wasn’t given the right information. I don’t think he was told it’s being restricted to small quantities.”

Schorschbock has been likened to a golden beer, with warming, liquor-like flavours and a treacly consistency. Wetzel added: “I tried it last night. I think it’s really lovely. If you like whisky or liquor with a beer taste, this is for you.”

What do you think; is beer at 40%ABV worthy of the name? Is Schorschbock really the world’s strongest beer or do you know better? Post your comments here.