Most Expensive Bottle of Beer
Last November at Sea Shepherds auction in Fremantle, the number one bottle
(of 30) of Antarctic Nail Ale was sold for $800. The unique beer which was
brewed with ice brought back from the Antarctica from the Sea Shepherds last
campaign. The Sea Shepherd will soon leave on their seventh campaign to stop
Japanese killing whales in the Antarctic sanctuary. All proceeds from Antarctic
Nail Ale go to the Sea Shepherd.
The previous most expensive beer in the world was a $765 bottle of "The end of
History" brewed by Brewdog's. In a high alcohol level beer brewing war earlier
this year, Scottish brewery "Brewdog's" brewed eleven bottles of 55% Alc beer
sold in animal carcasses.
Nail Brewing Australia's brewer John Stallwood says "It is great to sell the
most expensive bottle of beer in the world but it is all about a good cause. It
is also good that a beer about saving the whales is now most expensive beer in
the world rather than high alcohol beer sold in animal carcasses. I think future
beers that sell for over $800 won't just be unique but will also be for good
causes.
Antarctic Nail Ale over takes Crown Ambassador Reserve ($90) as Australia's
most expensive beer. Nail Brewing's own "Clout Stout" a 10.6% alc Russian
Imperial Stout brewed to age was Australia's second most expensive beer at
$60 a bottle (only 300). Victoria's Holgate Breweries "Beelzebub's Jewels"
and Moo Brews Imperial Stout are also above the $30 a bottle mark.
The bottled beers that sell for over $30 are usually limited numbered, high
alcohol specialty beers brewed for aging. Microbreweries small batches
enable small brews of really unique beers. They take a lot of time,
ingredients and money.
Australia has some of the best breweries in the world. Most of our beers are
about 4-5% alcohol and of varying styles. Australian microbreweries struggle
to supply standard alcohol beers at competitive prices due to excise. Excise
is paid on alcohol strength. The cheapest rate that microbreweries/consumers
pay for a standard 4.6% full strength beer is over $1/litre of beer. This is
for draught beer and bottled beer is a higher rate.
John Stallwood says, "If any publicity message is taken from Antarctic Nail
Ale being the most expensive beer in the world, I hope it is that the Sea
Shepherd is on its seventh campaign to save whales in the Antarctic because
no one is stopping the Japanese killing whale for commercial profits in
food." John also hopes that the message of high excise to microbreweries in
Australian beer (over$1/full strength litre) is stopping small business
growth to a growing market yet struggling industry".
Nail Brewing thanks the Elliot Syndicate for buying the #1 bottle and all
the helpers that put Antarctic Nail Ale together. Sea Shepherd has bottle #2
to 10 available if you would like to support the Sea Shepherd.
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