Concern as world's strongest beer goes on sale in Glasgow bar

Feb 4 2010 By Tristan Stewart-Robertson

40 per cent German tipple on sale at Glasgow Green bar

GLASGOW has become the first city in the UK to offer the world's strongest beer at an astonishing 40 per cent.

Bosses at WEST at Glasgow Green are restricting tipplers to just one measure of German Schorschbock.

It's the latest brand in the strength stakes after Aberdeenshire firm BrewDog hit the headlines last November with their 32 per cent tipple.

Petra Wetzel, from Bamberg, Bavaria, is behind the award winning independent WEST bar, brewery and restaurant.

She said: "As a Franconian, I'm delighted to introduce Schorschbock, the world's strongest beer, to the UK to show my support for the tremendous work done by my fellow countrymen and brewers.

"The Schorschbock has a totally unique flavour that will appeal to any beer connoisseur and sits well alongside our own range of award winning premium quality lagers brewed right here in Glasgow.

"Due to its exceptional strength and rarity, we are restricting sales of Schorschbock to one measure per customer."

Schorschbock is brewed by Schorschbru, a craft brewer of speciality strong beer based in Oberasbach.

It is produced through a unique fermentation process and meets the Reinheitsgebot of 1516, the German Purity Law.

Alcohol groups were outraged when BrewDog last year launched their 32 per cent Tactical Nuclear Penguin beer.

Now Schorschbock has provoked concern.

Jack Law, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: "It's disappointing that this establishment has to resort to marketing tactics based on the alcoholic strength of a product at a time when Scotland is facing severe alcohol related problems."

Petra denied stocking the beer was a marketing tactic.

She said: "Far from being irresponsible, Schorschbock will sit on the bar alongside our selection of malt whiskies and other premium quality spirits.

"Measures will be restricted to 25ml per person."

West also produced the popular St Mungo bottled beer -named after Glasgow's patron saint - back in 2008.