Answers.Body: <p>In the <a href="http://www.alexreisner.com/misc/distilled-spirits" rel="nofollow noreferrer">History and Taxonomy of Distilled Spirits</a> There is ample evidence that distilled spirits were available during the time period you mentioned in a variety of places. We know that that Greek Alchemists developed the distillation processes about 1 AD and that a true distillation process was developed in Italy in the 1200s at the School of Salerno and Fractional Distillation was developed in the 1300s in Italy again. (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_beverage" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Distilled Beverages Wikipedia</a>) In 1313 there is evidence that <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/origin-of-brandy/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brandy</a> had been made, although not widespread. </p>
  
  <p>Then it seems in the 1400s, the doors open wide across Europe for distilled spirits.</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Claims upon the origin of specific beverages are controversial, often
    invoking national pride, but they are plausible after the 12th century
    AD, when Irish whiskey and German brandy became available. These
    spirits would have had a much lower alcohol content (about 40% ABV)
    than the alchemists' pure distillations, and they were likely first
    thought of as medicinal elixirs. Consumption of distilled beverages
    rose dramatically in Europe in and after the mid-14th century, when
    distilled liquors were commonly used as remedies for the Black Death.
    Around 1400, methods to distill spirits from wheat, barley, and rye
    beers, a cheaper option than grapes, were discovered. Thus began the
    "national" drinks of Europe: jenever (Belgium and the Netherlands),
    gin (England), Schnaps (Germany), grappa (Italy), borovička
    (Slovakia), horilka (Ukraine), akvavit/snaps (Scandinavia), vodka
    (Poland and Russia), ouzo (Greece), rakia (the Balkans), and poitín
    (Ireland). The actual names emerged only in the 16th century, but the
    drinks were well known prior to then. </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>So, from about 500AD to 1300 AD, it was possible you could find distilled spirits, they were not widely available. Then in the 1300s distilled spirits spread across Europe and became widely available by the 1500s. Which one was actually the strongest? We'll never know but 90+% ABV was probably achievable with 1500s technology. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-07T07:18:29.293Z
Answers.Text: Ah a sort of medieval 'Coco Roco' - I feel a medieval hangover coming on - very informative answer.
Answers.UserDisplayName: dougal 5.0.0
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-06T14:42:00.163Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-07T14:59:48.173Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-05-07T14:59:48.173Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Answers.Body: <p>I don't know for certain but movies set in that time period and region seem to indicate mead was fairly popular and its ABV could be more than 20% according to wikipedia.</p>
  
  <p>Stronger beverages like Absinthe, Gin and Vodka do not seem to have been invented by then.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-06T13:56:48.473Z
Answers.Text: Can you cite the wikipedia article where Mead can get over 20% ABV? Yeast has a really hard time fermenting above 18% and doubt there were strains back then that could that effectively.
Answers.UserDisplayName: farmersteve
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-07T22:33:33.207Z
Answers.Text: I've gotten mead close to 20% using medieval brewing techniques *once*.  It involved a super-strong yeast.  Most of the time it comes out closer to 10-12%.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Monica Cellio
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-16T00:42:16.727Z
Answers.Text: I wonder if mead, an alcholic beverage made from honey, was the strongest in antiquity. I believe it pre-dates beer and wine.  Alcoholic content is 8% - 20%.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Peter Point
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-05T20:03:42.603Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-05T20:03:42.603Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ammar Naseer
Body: <p>What is the strongest <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drink" rel="noreferrer">alcoholic drink</a> that was drank within the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe" rel="noreferrer">European nations</a> during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages" rel="noreferrer">Middle Ages</a> (5th to the 15th century)?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-06T01:28:31.253Z
Comments.Text: This question might be better received at the History Stack. Probably appropriate here, but you might get a more accurate answer there.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Cdn_Dev
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-06T11:55:47.930Z
Comments.Text: This question can be seen [here](https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/37885/what-is-the-strongest-alcoholic-drink-that-existed-during-the-middle-ages-in-eur) on History SE.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
Tags: <history><drink><europe>
Title: What is the strongest alcoholic drink that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe?
UserDisplayName: Ken Graham
ThreadText: # What is the strongest alcoholic drink that existed during the Middle Ages in Europe?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-05)
  
  What is the strongest [alcoholic drink](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_drink) that was drank within the [European nations](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe) during the [Middle Ages](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_Ages) (5th to the 15th century)?
  
  **Tags:** history, drink, europe
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: This question might be better received at the History Stack. Probably appropriate here, but you might get a more accurate answer there.  
  > **username_0**: This question can be seen [here](https://history.stackexchange.com/questions/37885/what-is-the-strongest-alcoholic-drink-that-existed-during-the-middle-ages-in-eur) on History SE.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-06. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  In the [History and Taxonomy of Distilled Spirits](http://www.alexreisner.com/misc/distilled-spirits) There is ample evidence that distilled spirits were available during the time period you mentioned in a variety of places. We know that that Greek Alchemists developed the distillation processes about 1 AD and that a true distillation process was developed in Italy in the 1200s at the School of Salerno and Fractional Distillation was developed in the 1300s in Italy again. ([Distilled Beverages Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distilled_beverage)) In 1313 there is evidence that [Brandy](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/origin-of-brandy/) had been made, although not widespread.
  
  Then it seems in the 1400s, the doors open wide across Europe for distilled spirits.
  
  > Claims upon the origin of specific beverages are controversial, often
  > invoking national pride, but they are plausible after the 12th century
  > AD, when Irish whiskey and German brandy became available. These
  > spirits would have had a much lower alcohol content (about 40% ABV)
  > than the alchemists' pure distillations, and they were likely first
  > thought of as medicinal elixirs. Consumption of distilled beverages
  > rose dramatically in Europe in and after the mid-14th century, when
  > distilled liquors were commonly used as remedies for the Black Death.
  > Around 1400, methods to distill spirits from wheat, barley, and rye
  > beers, a cheaper option than grapes, were discovered. Thus began the
  > "national" drinks of Europe: jenever (Belgium and the Netherlands),
  > gin (England), Schnaps (Germany), grappa (Italy), borovička
  > (Slovakia), horilka (Ukraine), akvavit/snaps (Scandinavia), vodka
  > (Poland and Russia), ouzo (Greece), rakia (the Balkans), and poitín
  > (Ireland). The actual names emerged only in the 16th century, but the
  > drinks were well known prior to then.
  
  So, from about 500AD to 1300 AD, it was possible you could find distilled spirits, they were not widely available. Then in the 1300s distilled spirits spread across Europe and became widely available by the 1500s. Which one was actually the strongest? We'll never know but 90+% ABV was probably achievable with 1500s technology.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: Ah a sort of medieval 'Coco Roco' - I feel a medieval hangover coming on - very informative answer.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2017-05-05. Score: 0
  
  I don't know for certain but movies set in that time period and region seem to indicate mead was fairly popular and its ABV could be more than 20% according to wikipedia.
  
  Stronger beverages like Absinthe, Gin and Vodka do not seem to have been invented by then.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: Can you cite the wikipedia article where Mead can get over 20% ABV? Yeast has a really hard time fermenting above 18% and doubt there were strains back then that could that effectively.  
  > **username_5**: I've gotten mead close to 20% using medieval brewing techniques *once*.  It involved a super-strong yeast.  Most of the time it comes out closer to 10-12%.  
  > **username_6**: I wonder if mead, an alcholic beverage made from honey, was the strongest in antiquity. I believe it pre-dates beer and wine.  Alcoholic content is 8% - 20%.  
  
  ---
  
  