Extreme beers arrive - Premier Wine
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:06 pm
Thems some strong beerHIGH ALCOHOL CRAFT BEERS HIT NOVA SCOTIA
BrewDog is About Taking Risks and Upsetting Trends, but First and Foremost, Great Tasting Beers
Halifax, NS, July 12, 2011: Until recently Nova Scotians had to settle for beers containing 11.9%ABV or less. This is no longer the case as Premier Wine & Spirits has just acquired three new beers from Scotland's BrewDog - Tokyo* (18%), Tactical Nuclear Penguin (32%) and Sink the Bismarck (41%).
BrewDog represents the epitome of craft brewing innovation and ingenuity. In the four short years since their first batch of beer was finished BrewDog has become Scotland's largest independent brewery utilizing fresh, natural ingredients without preservatives, additives or pasteurization. BrewDog has been met with much international attention for brewing such irreverent and extreme beers. For example The End of History is a limited run of 12 bottles utilizing road kill and an expert taxidermist and at 55%ABV is currently considered the strongest commercially available beer in the world.
How does a beer get to be so strong? In the case of the Tokyo* Imperial Stout the alcohol content is achieved naturally through the use of champagne yeast instead of typical brewer's yeast that would die long before the desired alcohol level was reached. In the case of Tactical Nuclear Penguin and Sink the Bismarck the beer is stored at very cold temperatures (in an ice cream warehouse) so that the water freezes. The remaining liquid is filtered from the ice, leaving a highly concentrated beer. The fractional freezing techniques employed are similar to the process vintners use to produce ice wine.
BrewDog does not stand alone in the world of high ABV beers. Some Belgian breweries have been brewing beers above 12%ABV for decades and more American craft breweries are pushing the envelope every day. Ever since the first release of Sam Adams's Utopias hit 24%ABV in 2002 (and was marketed as the strongest beer in the world) craft brewers have striven to outdo each other to lay claim to the world's strongest beer. Utopias is still the strongest naturally brewed beer in the world.
With price tags that would make the casual beer drinker faint these beers are decidedly for the most dedicated of craft beer aficionados.
The issue of high ABV beers first came to light in late 2010 when the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission briefly banned application and ordering of beers exceeding 11.9%ABV, the point at which federal excise codes cease to recognize a product as beer and it becomes "imitation spirit". In Nova Scotia, the NSLC had no specific rules on the subject but tended to follow the federal limit of 11.9%ABV for beer. After months of questioning this rule an internal review decided that such products would be allowed on a case by case basis. Many jurisdictions in Canada still do not allow for beers over 11.9%ABV under any circumstances.
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