The world’s most potent drinks

Guaranteed to knock the wind out of you. Again, and again, and again…
From absinthe to tequila with 75% ABV, these are drinks you should really handle with care.

---

1. Everclear

The world’s strongest alcoholic drink. Manufactured in the US by American spirit company Luxco, this grain spirit is a mean, mean 95% Alcohol By Volume (ABV). They say the liquor is colourless, odourless and tasteless and we’re inclined to take their word for it. We can do without singed taste buds for the moment, thank you very much.

2. Spirytus

There’s vodka and then there’s Spirytus. Coming in a close second on our list, this Polish vodka also has a mind-numbing 95% ABV. Don’t let the simple, non-descript bottle fool you. Handle with extreme caution.

3. Bruichladdich X4 Quadrupled Whisky

Scotch whisky… This should be easier than the other curiosities on our list right? Well, you can certainly hope. This isn’t any run of the mill 40% ABV Scotch. Instead, this is the result of distiller Bruichladdich’s attempt to distill a single malt whisky four times. What they end up with is a 92% ABV Islay whisky that is left to age in oak for 10 years before it is bottled. Getting your hands on a bottle isn’t easy since there are just 5000 bottles produced.

4. Absinthe

It’s hard to say where absinthe’s biggest fascination lies – in the little drinking ritual it calls for, the fact that until very recently it was banned in the US, or perhaps it’s the tales of the appearance of a notorious green fairy that’s anything but heavenly! Either way, the original Swiss wormwood-based elixir is (in)famous as a drink that gets the party started. Absinthes are available from 45% ABV to 85% ABV.

5. Bacardi 151

It almost seems like the brief for this went – ‘best to set fire to’. If you like your flaming shots, then Bacardi 151 will be familiar. At 75.5% ABV, this rum means serious business and comes with a stainless steel fire arrester cap. See what we mean?

6. Sierra Silver Tequila

Say the word ‘tequila’ and if you did college right, your mind will flood with memories (or flashbacks) of ‘fun’ nights. We shudder to think what would’ve gone down if we had Sierra Silver Tequila on hand. At 75% ABV, that’s a disaster waiting to happen.