Beer is one of the oldest, most celebrated, most widely-appreciated crafts in the world. While most beer consumers probably stick to a few familiar brands when they choose to drink it, there is always something in the back of your mind that wonders what the strongest beers in the world taste like or what the most expensive beer might be. You might be surprised to find that the brews in the running for title of the “World’s Most Expensive Beer” are also some of the strongest in the world in terms of alcohol content. Then again, that really isn’t all that surprising.

TUTANKHAMUN ALE

At $52 bottle (one source suggests the retail price is $76) this beer is certainly more costly than your average weekend kickback, but when you consider that it is limited edition and is based on a recipe discovered in Queen Nefertiti’s Temple of the Sun it is definitely worth the price. Of course, when you discover that the Temple of the Sun, housed a brewery, it is not such a mystery that this recipe may have been left behind. When you look at the fact that the first bottle sold for $7,686 (and collectors are willing to pay over $500 for one bottle) the price becomes even more reasonable. Thus, Tutankhamun ale may be the most expensive beer ever sold at an auction. The name of the beer, then, is an obvious reference to Nefertiti’s stepson, commonly known as King Tut.

SAMUEL ADAMS UTOPIA

American patriots can cheer that the beloved Boston beer company has managed to brew a uniquely sophisticated beer that rings in around $100. At 50-proof it is potent, but the blend of high-quality hops and vanilla, oak, and caramel highlights might make you forget you are drinking beer in the first place. The ornate, copper-plated brew kettle helps mask the nature of the brew, looking more like Grand Marnier Liqueur Cuvee Du Centcinquantenaire than a simple bottle of beer.

CARLSBERG VINTAGE 3

Carlsberg is a beer company that has been around for a long time, so they know what goes into making a quality brew. Better known for their light-bodied, common ABV lager, the Vintage 3 is the third generation of a new direction of craft beers. More like a pale barley wine, this beer is aged in French Cote d’Or oak barrels and costs [the equivalent of] $348 per bottle, the most expensive beer they produce.

THE END OF HISTORY

Holding the title of “World’s Strongest Beer” for exactly 11 days, this beer from Scotland’s Brewdog brewery is a blonde, Belgian-style ale infused with nettles and juniper berries. For $765, it is the most expensive beer that comes to you wrapped in animal pelt and rocks a 55 percent ABV (okay, it’s the only beer).

ANTARCTIC NAIL ALE

For $800 you could own a bottle of the most expensive beer in the world. Brewed with actual Antarctic Ice, only thirty bottles were produced, but since all of the money goes straight to charity, it might also be the most humanitarian beer you will ever buy.

Beer is one of the oldest and most widely-celebrated beverages on the planet. It is something that has been brewed by ancient societies and has been shared by many different cultures throughout history and around the globe. Depending where your family comes from, you will have a different idea about what makes a “good beer,” but what might surprise you is that some of the most popular beer brands in the world are common to several different regions.

In the United States, for example, the most popular beer brands tend to be lighter in body and flavor. Generally, this includes things like lagers and pilsners, although craft brews and seasonal ales are generally well-liked too. As you might have expected, the big beer names like Coors Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, and Miller Lite are very popular. It may be a result of marketing or it may be independent of it. Imported favorites in America include Corona, Heineken, Guinness, and Fosters. Samuel Adams is one of the most popular varietal breweries in all the United States as well. The top selling beers in America are:

1. Bud Light
2. Budweiser
3. Miller Lite
4. Coors Light
5. Corona
6. Natural Light
7. Heineken
8. Michelob Ultra
9. Busch Light
10. Miller High Life

Of course, a little farther North, in Canada, the most popular beer brands are mostly from local breweries, despite the fact that Budweiser and Coors Light are also extremely popular. The number one beer in Canada comes from the Labatt Brewing Company. In fact, two of the most popular beers consumed in the Great White North are from Labatt: Labatt’s Blue and Labatt 50. Other Canadian favorites include Kokanee, Molson, and Moosehead, which are also commonly found in the US. Some of the more rare brands you may find consumed by Canucks are La Fin Du Monde and Alexander Keith’s IPA. One of the most unique beers brands that is favored in this region, though, is Sleeman’s Honey Brown Lager which adds a touch of natural sweetness to the sometimes light but bitter taste of lager beer.

Across the Atlantic, in the United Kingdom, you will find that most of the favorite beer brands are, again, local. Stella Artois is among the local favorites as well as Foster’s, Carling, Carslberg, Beck’s, Guinness, and Kronenburg. Stella Artois is, probably, one of the most popular brands exported to the United States as well. You may be surprised to find that Budweiser, the best-selling beer brand in America, is also one of the more popular imports in European homes and pubs. Perhaps the variety of preferred brews in the United Kingdom is evidence of the many cultures that constitute the region.

Another region where beer is popular, of course, is Australia. Some of the most popular beer brands in Australia include, obviously, Foster’s, but they also like Crown Lager. The most popular beer in the Land Down Under is called Victoria Bitter. You may notice that Australians seem to like lagers.