Beer is one of the oldest drinks: they learned to brew it back in the Neolithic. Some archaeological studies prove that people began to grow grain crops not in order to produce bread, but to brew beer.
Representatives of the Natufian culture, who lived in the territory of modern Lebanon, prepared foam for another 13 thousand years BC, using wheat and barley for this, but they still did not know how to bake bread.
In later times, brewing began to be widespread, in many countries becoming a real culture. Belgium and Germany are recognized world leaders in this area: every year, millions of tourists come to these countries primarily to try a glass of local beer. The cost can vary from a few dollars to several hundred, depending on the age and rarity of the drink.
In this selection we collected 10 bottles of the world's most expensive beer, for which record amounts were paid at different times.
10. Schorschbock 57 | $ 275 for 330 ml
The price tag a little less than $ 300 per bottle of 0.33 liters in this case is quite justified, since Schorschbock 57 - a unique drink. Its strength is 57.5%, which is a record in brewing. The manufacturer produced only 36 bottles, so the taste of this beer is familiar to units.
In theory, you can brew a drink even stronger, but then it violates the law on the purity of beer - Reinheitsgebot. It was invented 500 (according to other sources - 700) years ago in Germany and states that the “right” beer should be brewed with only three ingredients: hops, barley or barley malt and water. With such a set of initial products, it is simply impossible to obtain a strength above 57.5%.
9. Cantillon Gueuze 1978 | $ 397 for 350 ml
Beer Gueuze 1978 was brewed in Belgium at the famous Cantillon brewery in 1978, and sold a couple of decades later at Skinner auction.
The price is due not only to the excellent quality of the drink, but also to its age, because it was bottled back in the days of the 39th US President Jimmy Carter.
The owner of the company Cantillon, Jean Van Roy, in 2015 said that such a beer may no longer be, and called the cause of global warming. According to the ancient technology that they use, the drink brewed in the fall should be outdoors for some time at a temperature of -3C to -8C. Due to climate change, the autumn weather has become much warmer, and now even in mid-November in Belgium the temperature may be higher than the required indicator. The only way out is artificial cooling, but Jean Van Roy doesn’t want to resort to it yet, not wanting to violate the original recipe invented by his ancestors back in 1900.
8. Jacobsen Brewhouse Vintage No. 1 | $ 400 for 350 ml
The uniqueness of the bottles from this collection from Carlsberg is that it is the only modern beer aged in the old J.C. cellar. Jacobsen, built back in 1847.
Only 600 bottles were produced, of which only a few have survived to this day, so every year the cost Jacobsen Brewhouse Vintage No. 1 will grow steadily.
7. Brasserie Caulier Vieille Bon Secours Ale | $ 750-800 for 350 ml
The London bar Biodome can not be called the largest or most famous, but among beer lovers this place is extremely popular. Here you can try rare varieties, although it will cost a lot of money, such as a bottle Brasserie Caulier Vieille Bon Secours Ale. Dark Ale with a strength of 8% was released in a limited edition and you can buy it only at this place.
6. BrewDog The End of History | $ 765 for 350 ml
It’s hard to imagine what was in the head of people who invented beer Brewdog the end of history. It has an unusually high strength, and its appearance is truly insane, but it is this madness that justifies such a high price.
Only 11 bottles were produced, and not only the entire series is unique, but each bottle separately: the creators decided to put them in stuffed animals. Ermine, squirrel, hare and others - all of them serve as “covers” for beer, which looks a little creepy.
It is noteworthy that especially for BrewDog The End of History animals were not killed: skins were taken from the already dead, knocked down by a machine. The crazy design is complemented by the same wild strength - 55%, which is 15% more than vodka.
5. Nail Brewing Antarctic Nail Ale | $ 800- $ 1,500 per 500 ml
Beer Antarctic Nail Ale by Nail Brewing - This is the rare case when buying an alcoholic drink can benefit someone. To prepare the drink, we used real water from Antarctica - one of the cleanest and oldest on the planet, and beer itself was the “star” of trading at the world's leading auctions (the first bottle went under the hammer in 2010).
The Australian brewery provides all possible assistance to the organization Sea Shepherd, which is involved in the protection of whales in the Antarctic, and all proceeds from the sale of Nail Brewing Antarctic Nail Ale go to this fund. "Buy beer - save whales from extinction"- it sounds like a joke, but in fact this is the case.
4. The Lost Abbey Cable Car Kriek | $ 923 for 750 ml
The Lost Abbey Brewery, located in California, cannot boast a centuries-old history, but its recipe is largely unique, which is clearly visible in beer The Lost Abbey Cable Car Kriek.
The Americans work on Belgian technology, considering their beer the best in the world, and were able to achieve considerable success in this. Selling one bottle of 7% ale for nearly $ 1,000 is not something all Belgian brewers can do. This happened in 2014 at the Skinner auction, where "Lost Abbey"Was a real discovery.
3. De Cam / Drie Fonteinen Millennium Geuze 1998 | $ 923 for 750 ml
The double name beer was not without reason: it was prepared by the joint efforts of two breweries from Belgium - De Cam and Drie Fonteinen Millennium Geuze 1998 .
Masters from each took the best practices of their company, combined them with the best practices of partners and created a drink that has almost no equal, at least in terms of cost.
What is difficult to say with taste, since Skinner, who bought it at the auction, did not share his impressions with the public, if he even decided to drink it. It is likely that it adorns his collection so far.
2. Cantillon Loerik 1998 | $ 2 583 for 750 ml
5% bottle Cantillon Loerik 1998 Year of the spill - Skinner auction record holder In 2014, more than 2.5 thousand dollars were paid for it, which no one expected before bidding. Everyone understood that the price would be high, but so much so ...
This beer was released only once, and its taste is a mystery with seven seals. No one knows if it tastes good, but in such drinks the price is by no means a matter of taste. History is much more important.
1. Allsopp’s Arctic Ale | $ 503,300 for 650 ml
It was history that allowed the bottle Allsopp’s Arctic Ale to become the most expensive, because her taste is most likely disgusting. This beer was bottled in 1875 for the members of the expedition to the Antarctic, at that time it must have been tasty, but what happened to it after almost 150 years is a mystery.
The buyer, who laid out more than $ 5,000 at an auction in England, bought it for his private collection, in which it will gradually rise in price.