How much can you spend on a bottle of beer? Maybe a few hundred rupees? Or even a few thousand? But what if we told you that the most expensive beers in the world have been sold at auction for thousands, lakhs, and crores of rupees! Yes, you read it right! Expensive is an understatement for such beer bottles – but if you too are curious about them, here's team unsobered uncovering the ten costliest beer in the world ever sold!
Before you think this ale is straight from the era of the Egyptian kings, let us clarify that it is not! The Tutankhamen Ale is a faithful recreation of a traditional Egyptian beer. The beer’s recipe has been extracted from Queen Nefertiti’s concealed kitchen by Cambridge University archaeologists. With the help of Scottish and Newcastle Breweries, the institution revived this ancient elixir in 1996. Tutankhamen Ale is a remnant of an ancient brewing tradition steeped in Egyptian culture, a beer-brewing heritage that was almost lost in history. Limited bottles were sold after its revival, thus making it one of the rarest sold beer bottles in the world.
Price: USD 75 (INR 6533)
Brewdog’s beers are well-known across the world, but if there’s one beer that stands out the most, it is their Sink the Bismarck. The beer, made in Scotland, boasts four times the bitterness and hops content than a standard India Pale Ale. The beer packs an impressive alcohol content of 41%, an alcohol by volume (ABV) quite high for beer. However, despite its high ABV, the beer offers a bold, bitter, hop-forward taste with delicious notes of caramel, grapefruit, and spices.
Price: USD 107 (INR 9321)
Did you know that there was once a rare beer that claimed the title of the "world's first space beer"? That's right! Sapporo Space Barley was created through a unique collaboration between Sapporo Breweries, Okayama University, and a team of scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences. The brew’s key ingredient, barley, had journeyed into space on the Zvezda Service Module, which is itself a component of the International Space Station. It was only released in Japan in 2009, with only 250 cases sold in its run. Although the beer is no longer for sale, beer collectors are still in awe of the sheer concept and execution of this unique space beer!
Price: USD 115 (INR 10,018)
Over the years, Sam Adams has released quite a few limited-edition releases, and even though it is most famous for its Boston lager, the Sam Adams Utopias easily stands out! This is mainly because this drink is a blend of different batches of beer matured for up to 24 years in a variety of barrel types. This lends it a unique flavor profile that you’ll hardly ever find in any other beer. The ABV is also quite high for a beer, standing at 28% but the high ABV is easily complemented by deep, malty flavors that linger on your tastebuds.
Price: USD 210 (INR 18,295)
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When it was first brewed in 2011, the beer gained the title of being the world’s strongest beer at an ABV of a whopping 57% – which explains the ‘57’ in its name. The Schorschbock 57 had a balanced flavor profile, with rich, creamy, malt-forward character. With hints of raisin, plum, and anise, the beer packs a punch with the right amount of spice and heat. Even though it is no longer the world’s strongest beer, it remains as one of the costliest beers in the world!
Price: Anywhere between USD 300 (INR 26,135) to USD 417 (INR 36,328)
Carlsberg is known for its smooth, affordable beer, but did you know that it had ventured into luxury beer? This barley wine was introduced with the intention of rivaling luxury wines, but whether it succeeded is not much known. Despite that, what remains known is its distinct taste that offered flavors of vanilla and cocoa. This unique flavor was achieved through a rigorous maturation process that lasted for up to six months in French and Swedish oak barrels. If you get your hands on a Carlsberg Jacobsen Vintage today, how would you enjoy it?
Price: USD 533 (INR 46,434)
This exceptional beer was launched in Belgium in 1998 to mark the beginning of a new millennium. The De Cam & 3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze 1998 beer has a unique, tart, and complex flavor profile. Even though it was launched in Belgium, the beer has emerged as one of the most sought after collectible beers in the world. As one of the costliest beers in the world to be ever sold, the De Cam & 3 Fonteinen Millennium Geuze 1998 remains an exceptional blend and a true symbol of Belgian craftsmanship.
Price: USD 616 (INR 53,665)
A glimpse of this bottle might make you uncomfortable at first, but this is what makes the bottle a collector’s dream. BrewDog The End of History is an exceptional brew that is more famous for its packaging than the brew itself, And why wouldn’t it be? The remarkable packaging consists of taxidermied animals, particularly squirrels and weasels. Speaking of the brew itself, it is a robust blend of fruit, whiskey, malt, and oak – making it quite an exceptional beer with a peculiar encasing!
Price: USD 1,159 (INR 1,00,971)
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A bottle of Cantillon Loerik 1998 might not look like it’s a strong contender on one of the costliest beers in the world, but the price tag says otherwise. The Cantillon Loerik 1998 boasts of an impressive brewing process that is unique to this beer. It’s one of those beers that are made in fewer quantities and sold scarcely – all to maintain a sense of secrecy and intrigue. Despite its rarity, the beer has only a 5% ABV, making it quite an easy-to-drink beer.
Price: USD 1,722 (INR 1,50,0200
The costliest beer in the world to ever be sold is…the Allsopp’s Arctic Ale! And, can you guess the price tag? The ale is more expensive than all the other beers in this list combined! Despite its ultra-high price tag, the beer has an interesting history that will definitely fascinate you. Brewed in 1875, the beer was made for an Arctic expedition. It was briefly released for sale, but today, you won’t find it lying around in any retail store shelves. The bottle is a collector’s dream today – after all, who wouldn’t want to own a bottle that is itself a historical artefact?
Price: USD 503,300 (INR 4.3 crore)
Here we reach the end of the listicle on the costliest beer in the world! Did you take note of these price tags and did any of them make your head spin? Each of these expensive beer bottles don’t just have hefty price tags, they are collectibles in their own right. While most of them have been discontinued and some of them are owned by collectors, we’re sure there will be many more additions to this list in the near future.
