Getting hammered on a Friday night is nothing unusual. Hangovers? Throbbing headaches? The drinks that usually knock you out are child’s play compared to what lies in the darker realm of alcoholic beverages. In fact, the spirits sold at most bars and clubs have as much as 40 to 45% ABV tops.
Unbeknown to many, there lies a dangerous breed of alcoholic spirits that exist in some parts of the world that can go up to as high as a murderous 96% ABV. Eager to meet your maker? Here’s a list of 7 alcoholic drinks that could actually kill you.
1. Absinthe
Absinthe has a pretty vile reputation. The potent greenish spirit, made from anise, wormwood and many other botanicals was once thought to cause a whole host of side effects, including convulsions, hallucinations, mental deterioration and psychosis.
The spirit is often referred to as the Green Fairy because people have claimed to have seen actual fairies after drinking it. There are different varietals of absinthe that exist today. Some vary in colour and alcohol percentage.
The infamous Absinthe Green is historically bottled at 45 to 74% ABV, however, some modern varietals can even be as high as 83% to 90% ABV.
ABV: 45% to 90%
2. Bacardi 151
Despite its discontinuation, this popular high-proof rum continues to strike fear into the hearts of many who have endured the repercussions of ingesting it.
Bottled at 151 proof, a bottle of this bad boy comes with a special stainless steel fire arrestor which prevents it from exploding if it ever comes into contact with fire.
If that doesn’t vouch for its potency enough, we don’t know what will.
You’ll often find Barcadi 151 being used in extremely small quantities to elevate classic rum-based cocktails such as Daiquiris and Cuba Libres, although some folks even go as far as to serve them as shots—ouch.
ABV: 75.5%
3. Everclear
Everclear is a brand of neutral grain spirit that is 190 proof—that basically means that it’s insanely strong.
Due to its crazily high alcohol content, the product has become iconic in pop culture, often having a notorious reputation.
Like most high ABV spirits, It’s typically used to make homemade liqueurs, such as limoncello and even bitters such as angostura bitters.
Some people even adopt it in cooking, using its high concentration of alcohol as a solvent to better extract flavours from certain ingredients.
Don’t try too hard to analyse the taste of it because, by the time you do, you’ll probably need a tongue transplant.
ABV: 95%
4. Devil Springs Vodka
A spirit to be reckoned with, Devil Springs Vodka is notorious for its 80% ABV, making it one of the most lethal vodkas on this planet. People seldom drink this straight up–if at all. Instead, they add them to juices and mixers in very small quantities or use it to set things on fire.
ABV: 80%
5. Diesel 190
This neutral grain spirit is clear, colourless but lethal, boasting a very high alcoholic percentage ranging between 75.5% to 95%.
Made in America and distilled from 100% grain, Diesel 190 is a high proof neutral spirit. A spirit that was created with the intention for mixing, a drop or two adds a nice bite to cocktails and the likes. Other uses include concocting punches and making home-made bitters. Given its high ABV, this isn’t something you’ll want to do shots with—you might actually die.
ABV: 90%
6. Moonshine
Moonshine was originally a slang term referring to high-proof distilled spirits that were usually produced without government authorisation or oversight. Although it may look identical to water, this illicit alcoholic beverage is infamous for its potency — and for the peril associated with drinking it.
Moonshine was commonly found in places where consuming alcohol was either illegal or prohibitively expensive, thus, many people seek to make their own alcohol for personal consumption. Due to the inexperience and sheer lack of proper supervision, many people have actually died from consuming these home-made spirits—more commonly so by alcohol poisoning.
ABV: 75% or higher
7. Spirytus Rektyfikowany
This murderous Polish vodka is not for the faint of heart—even trying to pronounce its name got us dizzy. In fact, we’re wrapping our brains around why it was even created in the first place.
Spirytus Rektyfikowany is more potent than the widely-known Everclear and exists (for now) as the world’s strongest alcoholic spirit. If you ever land yourself a bottle, don’t be too eager to chug it down—there’s a reason why they call drinks like these spirits.
ABV: 96%
No Comments