Alcoholic drinks are popular all over the world. It's hard to find an adult who has never had a drink. But sometimes the desire to try something new crosses all boundaries.
1. Ayahuasca
Ayahuasca (meaning "vine of the dead" or "vine of spirits" in Quechua) is a hallucinogenic drink made by the indigenous people of the Amazon. Its main ingredient is a vine from the melon family known as the spirit vine. Amazonian Indians believe this drink has the power to briefly connect the two worlds of the living and the dead with an invisible thread. This is hardly surprising: the powerful psychoactive effect of ayahuasca, reinforced by a belief in the existence of spirits, directs hallucinations in the desired direction, and you may well see deceased relatives. The preparation of this enchanting drink, in every sense of the word, is as follows: pieces of the spirit vine are simmered for 12 hours along with a whole bunch of leaves from other plants, which serve as spices. Another interesting effect that ayahuasca has on the body is its immediate cleansing of all parasites living in it.
2. Goldenrot
Goldenrot is a Swiss cinnamon schnapps (containing 53.51 TP3T of alcohol) containing very fine but clearly visible flakes of real gold. Each liter of Goldenrot contains approximately 15 mg of gold. Strains with tiny holes are manufactured specifically for this drink, which trap the particularly large gold flakes. However, most snobs who buy a bottle for over $300 drink it without straining, resulting in tiny pieces of metal often damaging the stomach lining. There have been cases of gold remaining in the stomach for several months, causing discomfort, burning, and nausea. Upon exiting, the precious metal can also become lodged, causing damage and suppuration in the rectum.
3. Gilpin Family Whiskey
This extremely rare drink of the gods is produced exclusively to order, which is sure to interest all whiskey connoisseurs without exception. However, they will likely struggle to suppress a natural gag reflex upon learning that the main ingredient in Gilpin Family Whisky is the urine of elderly people with type 2 diabetes. The creator of this masterpiece is the flamboyant designer and researcher James Gilpin, who has been repeatedly sent to a psychiatric hospital by critics. Mr. Gilpin extracts urine from a group of elderly volunteers, including his own grandmother. Before the freshly collected urine is used to make the whiskey, it undergoes a simple purification process—filtering it through a regular water filter.
4. Tsongsul
Tsongsul is a not very popular traditional Korean drink. It's a wine made from human feces and medicinal herbs fermented in alcohol for 3-4 months. The website decided to test this disgusting concoction on three unsuspecting Chinese women, who you can see in the photo. The naive women gave the following assessment of Tsongsul's taste: "It's a very tasty drink, easy to drink, and has a very smooth aftertaste. I think it will be a real hit among women who enjoy sweet alcoholic drinks." However, they immediately changed their minds when they learned that this sweet alcoholic concoction is made from Korean poop, declaring that Tsongsul "tastes like shit.".
5. Fijjtu Beer
The title of the world's most dangerous beer rightfully belongs to an African brew called Fijjtu, produced using rotten, parasite-infested water. The Fijjtu brewery was shut down in 2003, after five years of operation, after it was discovered that excessive consumption of its product resulted in bloody diarrhea, excruciating headaches, and vomiting (and that's only in the worst-case scenario). Some connoisseurs of this beer reported seeing vivid images while intoxicated, earning this intoxicating beverage the nickname "God's Dew.".
6. Armageddon is the strongest beer in the world.
The new creation of Scottish brewer Brewmeister, Armageddon, will bring the apocalypse to your stomach. This foamy drink boasts an incredible 65% alcohol content. This hellish brew is even stronger than whiskey and vodka!
“"The strongest beer in the world," reads the label on Armageddon's bottle. This title hasn't been officially awarded by Guinness World Records, but I think it's only a matter of time: the previous record holder, "End of History," is a whopping 15% lower in strength than Armageddon.
Brewmeister co-founder Lewis Shand says: “Armageddon is much closer to a liqueur than a beer in terms of its composition, but it has been classified as a beer in terms of its flavour, which we couldn’t be happier about!«.
He also added: "Armageddon" is a nuclear warhead that will hit you in the head in such a way that you will remember it for the rest of your life.
This beer is very popular, as a group of friends only needs one bottle to fall under the table!
This is why Brewmeister warns everyone that Armageddon should be consumed with extreme caution and strictly in small doses!
Brewmeister brewer Jon McKenzie said, "To achieve such a high alcohol content, we had to develop a special fermentation method we call 'ice fermentation.' As a result, this beer is much thicker than the one you're used to drinking.".
How does this special method work? The beer is made using crystal malt, wheat, flaked oats, and the purest Scottish spring water, which is frozen during the brewing process! This is done to increase the alcohol content! The mechanism is very simple: the water freezes, but the alcohol does not. The brewers remove the excess water in the form of ice, resulting in a beer with a whopping 65% ABV!
7. Mollort
The most disgusting alcoholic drink in the world in terms of its taste is malört – a Scandinavian schnapps made from wormwood (35% alcohol).
They say that if you try mollort just once, the taste, which many describe as “poisonous poison,” “nasty stuff,” and “vile abomination,” will haunt you for the rest of your life.
Mollort has a distinctive odor, which includes a whole bouquet of aromas that evoke memories of burnt rubber, turpentine, ballpoint pen ink, and embalming fluid.
In 2011, Mollert was awarded the title of "Worst Liqueur in the World".
8. Changaa
Changaa is a Kenyan moonshine and one of the cheapest alcoholic drinks in the world. It gained its greatest popularity in African slums. Drinking chang'a is extremely harmful to the body, and alcoholics addicted to this drink typically have very short life spans.
The literal meaning of the word chang'aa is "kill me quickly," which perfectly captures the essence of this swill, each shot of which will take several years off your life.
Changaa is produced by distilling grains such as corn and sorghum. This sounds good, except that African moonshiners are completely unfamiliar with sanitation and quality standards, so the finished product can contain anything from sand to human waste. Furthermore, competing producers, eager to present their product in a favorable light, add secret ingredients to impart a distinctive flavor and aroma, such as battery acid, jet fuel, embalming fluid, and the like.
To get completely high, just 300-400 grams of changha is enough. Afterward, a person often loses consciousness and experiences a severe hangover the next morning, accompanied by terrible headaches and nausea. Often, changha consumption completely ruins a person's memory, making it impossible to remember the heroic deeds they accomplished during a drunken stupor, which, however, is probably for the best.
9. Miracle cough drink
In the 19th century, heroin was considered an excellent cough suppressant. Just think about it: from 1898 to 1910, this powerful drug was sold as a morphine substitute and a cough medicine for children. Imagine your prepubescent child coming up to you and saying, "Mom, I'm sick, give me some heroin!".
It certainly helps with coughs, but there's no need to explain how dangerous this drug is. Nevertheless, back then, heroin was considered a harmless "aspirin," capable of instantly relieving a nagging ailment.
10. Rice vodka on mice
Strong alcohol infused with scorpions and caterpillars is nothing new, but how about vodka infused with baby mice? The babies are chosen while still furless, no older than three weeks, and infused with vodka. The drink is then left to mature for a year in a cool, dark place before it's ready to drink. According to the manufacturers, it not only tastes great but also helps protect against disease.
11. Chicha
The recipe for chicha was invented by the ancient Incas over six centuries ago: women thoroughly chew corn and spit the resulting paste into a jug, which is then diluted with water and steeped in clay bottles. However, this drink is now being banned because it can cause disease.
12. Snake wine
Although this drink originated in Vietnam, its production technique is now used in other Asian countries. The main ingredient is a venomous snake, which is steeped in alcohol to neutralize the venom. Sometimes, small snakes, cockroaches, turtles, and even birds are added for decoration.
13. Everclear
This is the name of the world's strongest liqueur, which, due to its alcohol content (95%), was included in the Guinness Book of World Records. Although it's more of a true spirit, its smooth flavor earned it the nickname "liqueur.".
14. Rotten Toe Cocktail
This signature drink of the Canadian bar "Sourtoe Cocktail Club" is perhaps oddly the top drink on our list. The cocktail, which costs around $5, is made from a real severed human toe, laced with some kind of liquor. Legend has it that back in 1973, Captain Dick Sivens slipped his toe into a friend's glass. And now, the amputated toe cocktail has become a tradition for joining the elite club.
15. Mezcal, or tequila with a pickled caterpillar
A traditional Mexican alcoholic drink. It is made from fermented agave sap with the addition of the larvae of the moth (Hypopta agavis), which parasitizes the plant. Mezcal is made using either white or red larvae. Incidentally, the red ones are considered more valuable. Navisa was the first company to add insects to its product back in the 1940s, as a way to differentiate itself from other producers. As a result, some companies adopted this idea and continue to use it today.
This marketing ploy is meant to convey the drink's high alcohol content (40%), and that if the alcohol content were lower, the larva would dissolve. A small bag of scarlet powder is often sold with the bottle. This is nothing more than ground chili peppers, salt, and dried caterpillars. The powder is sprinkled on the hand, licked, and then downed in one gulp, a shot of mezcal. It probably tastes better than it looks.
16. Snake's Blood Cocktail«
Travelers to Southeast Asia are often tempted by dishes and wines made from slithering creatures. For example, rattlesnake kebabs, grain alcohol, or rice wine made with floating snake. But not everyone would dare try the "Snake's Blood" cocktail.
To make it, you need just two ingredients: strong alcohol (tuak, rice vodka, or arak) and a snake with its head freshly severed or its belly slit. The blood is drawn directly from the snake into your glass and stirred. The cocktail should be consumed in one gulp to prevent the blood from clotting. This "delicacy" can be enjoyed in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand.
17. Fugu hire-sake
You've probably heard about the poisonous fugu fish and how difficult it is to prepare. Here's another drink called "fugu hire-sake." It's made from the dried tail and fins of the fugu fish, which are set on fire and then doused with hot sake. It's meant to be consumed in one gulp.
18. Mamma Mia Pizza beer
Tom and Athena Seefurth, a brewing couple from Illinois, aren't afraid to experiment. They produce a beer with a standard ABV of 4.61 TB/3T and... the flavor of a Margherita pizza. To make it, the brewers first prepare the pizza, then grind it into a paste, place it in a cloth bag, and then place it in a vat of boiling water, steeping it like a tea bag. Then, using the resulting infusion, they brew ale using the traditional recipe. The resulting beer has a vibrant pizza aroma and a finish of garlic, basil, and oregano.
19. Milk beer "Bilk"«
The Japanese have long been famous for their obsessive desire to combine the incompatible. So it's no surprise that a drink consisting of a mixture of beer and milk is popular in this country. "Bilk" emerged from the overproduction of milk on Hokkaido farms in 2006. The son of the manager of one of the island's liquor stores, unperturbed by the situation, struck a deal with the renowned Abashiri Beer brewery to produce a drink consisting of beer and milk. To everyone's surprise, the milk beer was a hit with many, described as "light and pleasant." The "Bilk" brand became famous thanks to another factor: the Japanese, without thinking twice, simply combined the words "milk" and "beer" to name the new drink. However, the resulting word "bilk" is an English verb meaning "to deceive.".
20. Rice vodka with scorpion and spider
In Thailand, a popular drink is rice vodka infused with scorpions or spiders. The latter, despite its impressive size, is not at all poisonous.
21. Shubat
This drink is very popular among Mongolians, and its preparation method is similar to the well-known kumys, but it's not as simple as it seems. Airag is made from mare's milk, which is poured into a mare's stomach. The container of milk is hung at the entrance to the yurt and left to ferment and become alcoholic. The drink has a distinctive taste, and its aroma leaves much to be desired, but for variety and alcoholic memories, don't miss the chance to try real Mongolian airag if you have the chance.
22. Jandia
This alcoholic Indian drink is made from hay, fermented rice, and various herbs (some of which are of unknown origin). The process of preparing handiya is quite labor-intensive: the herbs are first dried, then ground into powder, mixed with rice flour, and rolled into balls. The herbal balls are left to dry in the sun, after which they are mixed with rice. The cooked balls are boiled into a porridge, which is left to ferment in the sun. The final product is a cloudy and unappealing liquid, which is drinkable. Handiya is believed to satisfy hunger for several days and cure many ailments.
23. Three Lizards Liqueur«
To create this drink, rice liquor is infused with real lizards (usually of the gecko family). Traditional Eastern medicine believes that this transfers the gecko's energy into the alcohol, and then into the drinker.