Answers.Body: <p>Primarily through the use of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing">freeze distillation</a>.   After the beer is brewed, using the normal process, the temperature is brought down below the freezing point of water, but above the freezing point of alcohol, so some portion of the water in the beer freezes into ice and can then be removed.  What remains has a far higher concentration of alcohol than what can be achieved via brewing alone.  </p>
  
  <p>Some beers such as <a href="https://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/utopias">Sam Adams Utopias</a> <em>do</em> attain quite high levels of alcohol through the use of carefully engineered strains of yeast, though nothing like the percentages in the beers you list...Only in the high 20s ABV.  Beyond that point, we haven't yet cultivated yeast that can live and continue to produce alcohol so cheating, if you will, is required. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-05-24T16:33:27.020Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-05-24T16:33:27.020Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Xander
Answers.Body: <p>Number 3 and number 4 in your list is actually getting its high ABV by adding pure ethanol. The brewery didn't admit this at first, but eventually they admitted to be adding ethanol to get the high ABVs. Sadly, I can't find the blog post where they admit this at the moment.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2016-06-20T13:59:02.500Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2016-06-20T13:59:02.500Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Håkan Fahlstedt
Body: <p>I was looking for some new beers to try and I came across some really, <em>and I mean really</em>, strong beers and here are a few examples: </p>
  
  <ol>
  <li><a href="https://www.brewdog.com/item/4/BrewDog/Sink-The-Bismarck.html" rel="nofollow">Sink in the Bismark - AVB: 40%</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/the-end-of-history" rel="nofollow">End of History - AVB: 55%</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.drinksupermarket.com/brewmeister-armageddon-65-scottish-eisbock-beer-330ml-bottle-65-abv" rel="nofollow">Armageddon - AVB: 65%</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.drinksupermarket.com/brewmeister-snake-venom-275ml-bottle" rel="nofollow">Snake Venom - AVB: 67.5%</a></li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>My question being how do they get beer so strong?</p>
  
  <p>These beers are stronger than some spirits! How is it possible to make these?</p>
  
Tags: <abv>
Title: How do they get beer so strong?
UserDisplayName: Jamie Eltringham
ThreadText: # How do they get beer so strong?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2016-05-24)
  
  I was looking for some new beers to try and I came across some really, *and I mean really*, strong beers and here are a few examples:
  
  1. [Sink in the Bismark - AVB: 40%](https://www.brewdog.com/item/4/BrewDog/Sink-The-Bismarck.html)
  2. [End of History - AVB: 55%](https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/the-end-of-history)
  3. [Armageddon - AVB: 65%](http://www.drinksupermarket.com/brewmeister-armageddon-65-scottish-eisbock-beer-330ml-bottle-65-abv)
  4. [Snake Venom - AVB: 67.5%](http://www.drinksupermarket.com/brewmeister-snake-venom-275ml-bottle)
  
  My question being how do they get beer so strong?
  
  These beers are stronger than some spirits! How is it possible to make these?
  
  **Tags:** abv
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2016-05-24. Score: 10 | Accepted answer
  
  Primarily through the use of [freeze distillation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing). After the beer is brewed, using the normal process, the temperature is brought down below the freezing point of water, but above the freezing point of alcohol, so some portion of the water in the beer freezes into ice and can then be removed. What remains has a far higher concentration of alcohol than what can be achieved via brewing alone.
  
  Some beers such as [Sam Adams Utopias](https://www.samueladams.com/craft-beers/utopias) *do* attain quite high levels of alcohol through the use of carefully engineered strains of yeast, though nothing like the percentages in the beers you list...Only in the high 20s ABV. Beyond that point, we haven't yet cultivated yeast that can live and continue to produce alcohol so cheating, if you will, is required.
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2016-06-20. Score: 1
  
  Number 3 and number 4 in your list is actually getting its high ABV by adding pure ethanol. The brewery didn't admit this at first, but eventually they admitted to be adding ethanol to get the high ABVs. Sadly, I can't find the blog post where they admit this at the moment.
  
  
  ---
  
  