Exploring the world of expensive beers reveals a fascinating array of brews that push the boundaries of flavor, craftsmanship, and price. These luxurious beers, such as BrewDog’s “The End of History” and Samuel Adams’ “Utopias,” are often produced in limited quantities and feature unique ingredients and brewing techniques. They cater to enthusiasts willing to pay a premium for a rare and exquisite drinking experience.
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- The Most Expensive Beers Money Can Buy
- Tutankhamun Ale – £62 per 500 ml bottle
- Westvleteren 12 – £66 per 500 ml bottle
- BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin Beer – £69 per 375 ml bottle
- Brewdog’s Sink the Bismarck – £88 per 500 ml bottle
- Sapporo Space Barley – £90 for a 6-pack
- Samuel Adams’ Utopias – £164 per 500 ml bottle
- Schorschbräu’s Schorschbock 57 – £343 per 500 ml bottle
- Carlsberg’s Jacobsen Vintage – £438 per 500 ml bottle
- 3 Floyds Dark Lord – £364 per 500 ml bottle
- De Cam & 3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze 1998 – £506 per 500 ml bottle
- Bourbon Vanilla Dark Lord Marshmallow Hanjee – £585 per 500 ml bottle
- Vieille Bon Secours Ale – £983 for 12 litres
- Lost Abbey Cable Car Kriek – £760 per 500 ml bottle
- De Cam / Drie Fonteinen Millennium Gueuze 1998 – £761 per 500 ml bottle
- Brewdog’s The End of History – £954 per 500 ml bottle
- Cantillon Loerik 1998 – £2,126 per 500 ml bottle
- Nail Brewing’s Antarctic Nail Ale – £1,495 per 500 ml bottle
- Dave Dog Brewery – £1,645 per 375 ml bottle
- Toppling Goliath Vanilla Bean Assassin – £4,111 per 500 ml bottle
- Arctic Ale By The Allsopp – £413 762,93 per bottle
The Most Expensive Beers Money Can Buy
Tutankhamun Ale – £62 per 500 ml bottle
With quite a low 6% ABV for super expensive beers, Tutankhamun Ale is a reproduction of an ancient Egyptian beer. It was introduced in the UK in 1996. Apparently, an archaeological team at Cambridge University discovered the remains of ancient ingredients used to make beer in Nefertiti’s time. The team leader approached Scottish and Newcastle breweries in the UK, and Tutankhamun Ale is the result.
Westvleteren 12 – £66 per 500 ml bottle
Belgian monks are renowned for their quiet devotional life and for brewing beer. Monks at the Westvleteren brewery make beer in genuinely small batches and it can only be ordered from the brewery. With its dark amber colour, the beer is said to taste of caramel, chocolate and raisin.
BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin Beer – £69 per 375 ml bottle
Named for its very cold brewing process, BrewDog Tactical Nuclear Penguin Beer is made using a process called “chill and skim.” Afterwards, it’s aged in whiskey barrels in freezing temperatures for about 8 months. Lastly, the beer is stored for three weeks at -20° C (-4° F). During those weeks, the brewery’s engineers decant beer regularly, leaving only ice remaining which concentrates flavours. This beer has a 32% alcohol concentration.
Brewdog’s Sink the Bismarck – £88 per 500 ml bottle
At a robust 41% ABV, think of Sink the Bismarck as an amplified IPA. The beer is Brewdog’s riposte to German beer company Schorschbrau in an effort to brew the world’s strongest beer. They refer to it as a quadruple IPA as it is freeze-distilled four times. So that means it is four times as bitter and contains four times as many hops as traditional beer.
Sapporo Space Barley – £90 for a 6-pack
Sapporo released this beer made using barley from grain that spent five months on the International Space Station’s Zvezda Service Module. The beer was released in Japan in a run of just 250 cases, which sold for 10,000 yen each. It’s now very hard to find and prepare for a hefty price tag.
Samuel Adams’ Utopias – £164 per 500 ml bottle
This is the US’s most expensive beer. It is bottled in limited numbers with batches released every two years. It is aged in sherry, brandy, cognac and scotch barrels where it gets its aromas from. It is stored for up to 18 years and has a 27% alcohol percentage. Because of this, it is banned in 13 US states. The drinking experience is likened to drinking a brandy with a syrupy mouthfeel and deep and dark malty flavours.
Schorschbräu’s Schorschbock 57 – £343 per 500 ml bottle
This eye-watering 57% ABV beer comes from the German brewery Schorschbrau. The beer even violated Germany’s Beer Purity Law, resulting in the brewery making only 36 bottles. It’s not even legal in Germany. It’s an Eisbock-style beer and you would be very lucky to find a bottle. If you do, perhaps drinking it under a doctor’s supervision would be good advice.
Carlsberg’s Jacobsen Vintage – £438 per 500 ml bottle
There’s something about saying “Skol” when drinking Danish beer, isn’t there? This beer is a barley wine beer with hints of vanilla and cocoa flavours. It is only available in Denmark and has an ABV of 10%.
3 Floyds Dark Lord – £364 per 500 ml bottle
3 Floyds is an Indiana brewery in the US. If you want to get your hands on the Dark Lord, you have to attend an annual Dark Lord Day (if you can get tickets) accompanied by ear-splitting heavy metal. Dark Lord is a Russian-style imperial stout.
De Cam & 3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze 1998 – £506 per 500 ml bottle
This beer has a low ABV of 7% and although only 8,000 bottles were produced, you can still find it in cellars around the world.
Bourbon Vanilla Dark Lord Marshmallow Hanjee – £585 per 500 ml bottle
This Indiana brewery brews this thick beer in whiskey barrels with vanilla beans. With hints of bourbon, chocolate, marshmallows and vanilla flavours, this confection is said to have many fans.
Vieille Bon Secours Ale – £983 for 12 litres
This Belgian ale is 8% ABV and has anise and toffee flavours. It is brewed by a family-run brewery that keeps its beers fermented for 10 years.
Lost Abbey Cable Car Kriek – £760 per 500 ml bottle
This sour wild beer is made in California with a 7% ABV. It is no longer made and it’s quite hard to find. All of which drive its price upwards on the world market.
De Cam / Drie Fonteinen Millennium Gueuze 1998 – £761 per 500 ml bottle
Also from a Belgian brewery, this is one of the most sought-after Iambic beers in the world. It was brewed to commemorate the millennium in 2000.
Brewdog’s The End of History – £954 per 500 ml bottle
This is not a beer for vegans or those big on animal rights. This blonde Belgian-style beer with its ABV of 55% will not only knock your socks off, each bottle comes stuffed in a taxidermied squirrel, weasel or hare. The beer is said to be brutal, both in alcohol concentration and its questionable packaging. It is brewed using highland thistles from Scotland and juniper berries as flavouring agents.
Cantillon Loerik 1998 – £2,126 per 500 ml bottle
Cantillon Loerik is one the most expensive beers due to its particularly long crafting process and its scarcity. It has a long re-fermenting process. Loerik means “lazy boy” in Flemish. It has a low ABV of only 5%.
Nail Brewing’s Antarctic Nail Ale – £1,495 per 500 ml bottle
This beer is an Australian Pale Ale brewed by taking some Antarctic ice, melting it down in Tasmania and then sending it to Perth in Australia for brewing. Only 30 bottles of this 10% ABV were ever made.
Dave Dog Brewery – £1,645 per 375 ml bottle
With 29 % ABV, only a few bottles are brewed per year. The beer is sought-after at liquor auctions all over the world.
Toppling Goliath Vanilla Bean Assassin – £4,111 per 500 ml bottle
This special edition beer was brewed only once in Chicago. It has a marshmallow flavour. Some people consider it the best imperial ever stout produced. It is very hard to find.
Arctic Ale By The Allsopp – £413 762,93 per bottle
This beer is more than 140 years old. It was part of the supplies on the 1875 Arctic Expedition led by Sir George Nares. Some bottles were found in a dusty garage in Shropshire in the UK. One of them sold at an auction for the astronomical price of £413 762,93 a bottle. This has to be the world’s most expensive beer.
It would seem that beer has entered the rarefied world of fine wine and liquor, which is obsessively pursued by wealthy collectors and connoisseurs. The humble hop and barley grain have come a long way!
Chermaine’s journey into the world of gemstones and crystals began as a child, collecting shimmering stones on family vacations. Today, she’s a certified gemologist and spiritual healer, intertwining the physical beauty of jewels with their metaphysical properties.
Chermaine has traveled to mines in Africa, marketplaces in India, and spiritual retreats in Bali, always seeking to deepen her understanding.