This article is more than 1 year old
Swedes brew up 18.5 per cent 'Ace of Spades Porter'
Porter? You'll need a porter alright
A Swedish brewery has concocted a tipple that packs an impressive 18.5 per cent alcohol content, giving the country's citizens something to conclusively celebrate in the wake of an a depressingly inconclusive election.
The recipe for Sigtuna Brygghus' Ace of Spades Imperial Stout includes fresh figs, raisins, honey and almost three kilos of dark chocolate.
More conventional ingredients include Columbus and green bullet hops, and traditional British ale yeast, with a second fermentation using an American yeast, Swedish news site The Local reports.
The international flavour is augmented by maturation in steel tanks with French oak chips.
If this agglomeration of flavours sounds like an oenologist's more psychedelic dreams, consider that a decent full-bodied red will come in around 14 per cent alcohol. At 18.5 per cent, the Imperial Stout is less Porter and more Port.
While some will consider the brew complete overkill - particularly the chocolate - others Swedes will no doubt see it as something to celebrate after an election which is likely to see either the far-right or the Greens hold the balance of power.
Last year British Brewer Brewdog created a an 18.2 per cent beer, Tokyo, claiming the UK strongest beer crown and sparking predictable outrage from health campaigners. Its recipe included jasmine, cranberries, malt and American hops, which together delivered a whacking six units of alcohol per 330ml bottle. ®