"Dan Abel" > wrote in message
...
> In article > ,
> Dog3 > wrote:
>
> > Oh man, this stuff sounds killer. A couple of shots of beer and you're
on
> > the floor. The article states "everyone" that has tried it has been
> > enthusiastic. I guess so. After a few glasses one is probably
unconscious.
> > I think I'll pass.
> >
> > Michael
> >
> > Fri Sep 9,11:24 AM ET
> >
> > BERLIN (Reuters) - A German brewer has concocted what he says is the
> > world's strongest beer, a potent drink with an alcohol content of 25.4
> > percent that is served in a shot glass.
>
>
> I'm sorry, Michael, but this seems ridiculous, and nothing more than a
> publicity attempt (which has apparently worked, at least on this group).
> Techniques for increasing alcohol content have been known for hundreds
> of years. Much whiskey is made out of the same ingredient as beer
> (barley), can be served in a shot glass, and has a much higher alcohol
> content than this stuff. It's just not called "beer". I'm not going to
> call this stuff "beer" either. It is common to call beverages made like
> beer but more than about 10% alcohol "barley wine".


It may be a publicity stunt to some degree at least, but people have not
been making beverages this strong by fermentation alone (which this *is*)
for hundreds of years at all, it is a comparitively recent thing. That there
are beers that can now be brewed to these strengths at all is a direct
result of these 'strongest beer in the world' competitions between different
brewers. Many techniques are used to achieve these high alcohol counts, but
it all starts with yeasts specially bred to have a high tolerance for
alcohol.

> They don't taste
> much like beer, and need to be aged more like wine than beer. In normal
> fermentation, the yeast is killed when the alcohol content reaches
> around 14% or a little higher.

So you are taking issue with the naming of these as 'beers'?

> If you have somebody in a bar knocking back a couple of pints of a light
> beer, they'll be walking out pretty steadily. If you have somebody
> knock back a couple of pints of whiskey, they'll be having some troubles.

Precisely - these are not brewed to be consumed in the same amounts as your
average strength beers. I have actually enjoyed quite a few brews in the 17
to 20 % abv range, but not by the pint! There may be *some* gimmick
involved, but it sure as heck is not *all* gimmick.

Cheers!




Shaun aRe