10 Of The Worlds Most Potent Alcoholic Cocktails

July 2024 · 8 minute read

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Aaah cocktails! Those interesting exuberant drinks that have the potential to lift flagging spirits and numb all of life’s little stresses! Where there are cocktails, there are friends, family and good times.

There’s a cocktail for every occasion, for every event and non event. There’s a cocktail in every color and flavor, not to let you down in case you have any particular fancies. And there’s a cocktail for just about any potency requirement, the light drinkers and the hardcore ones, equally welcome.

But if you were to ask me personally, I’d say what’s the point of a great cocktail if it does not give you a full booted kick? For me the mantra is simple, if your processor still runs, the alcohol’s wasted! For people like me, who crave the full booted kick over the pleasantly fuzzy buzz, here are a few highly potent alcoholic cocktails. These are definitely not for the weak hearted, nor are they meant for the lightweights who cannot hold their liquor!

10) Finland Asterix Cocktail

Finland Asterix (Via cocktailrecipeworld.com)

Though the Finland Asterix Cocktail measures just an 8 proof on the alcoholic scale, when made with stronger vodka, it can really climb the scale on a sprint. The original recipe calls for 2/3 ounces each of Finlandia vodka and Pisang Ambon liqueur, with 6 parts apple juice, 1.5 parts lemon juice and some lemonade. You can easily increase the alcoholic quotient of this great cocktail by substituting the Finlandia with some vodka that is on the upper end of the 100 proof scale, and you’ll definitely notice the changes. Ideally, the Finland Asterix cocktail should not be making the top ten list of most potent alcoholic cocktails but there’s room for improvement in the alcoholic scale department, which makes it feature here. For the most daring of cocktail lovers, try this mix with New Jersey’s Devil springs vodka that’s a hefty 160 proof!

9) Cuba Libre (Smokehouse Spin) Cocktail

Cuba Libre (Via francescopochetti.com)

Everyone’s heard of Cuba Libre, but if you've ever tasted the New York ‘The Strand Smokehouse’ version, you've tasted the spin that we've been gushing about. Yes, it is definitely the second weakest cocktail on our list but it is definitely one that will leave you half zombied. Cuba Libre is essentially a mix of rum, cola and lime, but the Smokehouse version calls for it to be more intricate and much dryer. The recipe starts with 2.5 ounces of Ballast Point Three Sheets Rum and is then topped with natural lime cola, that is custom made especially for the restaurant by Brooklyn Soda Works. The cocktail is then topped with a bit of caramelized pineapple juice and a wedge of highly potent moonshine soaked pineapple. This less sweet version of the Cuba Libre is a shot that leaves you reading a .10 on the meter that well surpasses the legal driving limit!

8) Jungle Juice Cocktail

Jungle Juice (Via cravingcomfort.blogspot)

The exotic sounding cocktail called jungle juice is one of the least potent drinks on this list and yet, this alcoholic concoction is enough to give you a good wake up call. Stephen Kittredge Cunningham’s, The Bartender's Black Book is the holy Bible for bartenders worldwide, and the book lists the recipe for this cocktail in neat detail. The cocktail involves soaking a large bowl of freshly cut seasonal fruits in large quantities of grain alcohol, preferably Everclear. Adding soda is completely optional and if you do not want to dilute the punch in any manner, steer clear of it. The strongest Everclear has 95 percent alcohol by volume and is banned in several American states. The weaker 151 version is usually the one considered best for mixing. Despite the scary alcohol facts on the cocktail jungle juice, if the drink is mixed correctly, you’d in no way be able to guess its alcoholic potency.

7) Sazerac Cocktail

Sazerac (Via harlowscuisine.com)

Now here’s a drink that packs a punch, especially if it is made right and with no substitutions. There are several different ways to make a Sazerac but the one that kicks the best is the recipe listed in, The Bartender’s Black Book. The recipe calls for 2 to 4 ounces of Peychaud’s Bitters and 2 ounces of rye whiskey, with one cube of sugar. A coat of absinthe on the inside of a chilled glass seals the deal for the cocktail. 100-proof whiskeys like WhistlePig or Rottenhouse and absinthe, between the alcohol range of 45-74, give the drink the best possible potency punch. Try it out, but make sure you have a designated driver for the night!

6) Long Island Iced Tea Cocktail

via:buskerbrownes.com

If you've ever gone to college, you must have definitely heard of the Long Island Iced Tea, for it is the commonest of common cocktails known to man! Well, yes I am exaggerating a tad bit much, but yes, this drink really is quite popular. The drink is deceptively alcoholic and packs a loaded punch that you never quite expect, since the sour mix and soda float is a fabulously clever act. The drink contains just about every possible alcohol variety, other than whiskey, and one serving is made with 1 parts each of vodka, tequila, rum, gin, triple sec and Coca Cola, and 1.5 parts of sweet and sour mix.

5) Aunt Roberta Cocktail

Aunt Roberta Coaktail (Via Vamshare.com)

The best (or the worst, depending on how you look at it) aspect of an Aunt Roberta cocktail is that it is 100 percent alcoholic, there being no mixers, juices or even fruits. To make this awesome cocktail, you’d require all the alcoholic essentials actually, for you’d need absinthe, vodka, gin, brandy and even some blackberry liqueur. Any drink that hails from Alabama should deserve its alcoholic respect, and that is most definitely true with this one. The combination of the anise flavored absinthe, and the fruity flavor of the blackberry liqueur is simply the stroke of genius. All this drink really needs is a good shake in a martini glass when you mix 2 parts absinthe, 1 shot of brandy, 3 shots of vodka, 1.5 parts gin and 1 shot of blackberry liqueur, and voila, the drink is ready for consumption.

4) Zombie Cocktail

Zombie (Via Rumologist.com)

Aptly named, the Zombie cocktail is designed to put you in a half comatose Zombie-like state in a matter of minutes, as you get through your glass. Yes, it contains a lot of non-alcoholic essentials, namely lime, orange and pineapple juices. But these are more than made up with all the different rums the drink requires. Let’s just run through them, shall we. Well, there’s the universally revered Bacardi 151 Rum with dark, gold and white rums. There’s also some apple brandy for variety. The original Zombie was created in 1934, and was changed and altered over the years, until the following recipe was deemed perfect. The recipe involves mixing 1 ounces each of pineapple juice, orange juice, dark rum and lime juice, with half an ounce of Bacardi 151 rum, half an ounce of apricot juice, 2 ounces of light rum and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let your friends know where to drop you off in case you're zoned out completely!

3) Black Russian Cocktail

Black Russian (Via www.tastespotting.com)

The black Russian cocktail is simply the white Russian without the dash of cream! For vodka lovers, this is a highly potent cocktail that can be enjoyed as a shot, or as an on the rocks cocktail. The cocktail just requires some coffee flavored liqueur and some vodka. Of course, you get creative with flavored vodkas but if it is really the alcoholic kick you crave, you should try making it with 160 proof Devil Spring’s Vodka from New Jersey. Ideally vodkas should be Russian, but this one from the US of A will leave you totally wasted for a good few hours. Try it at your own risk of course!

2) Death In The Afternoon Cocktail

Death In The Afternoon (Via thesipadvisor.com)

The dangerous sounding ‘Death in the Afternoon’ cocktail is a cocktail that contains highly concentrated alcohol. The fact that it contains some delicious, bubbly champagne makes the cocktail’s potency a well concealed deception, until you feel the punch, of course. The recipe calls for a solid ounce of absinthe or substitute such as Pernod, and remaining amount of champagne to fill a champagne flute. You can make this drink as light or as strong as required, like using a 148 proof absinthe is sure to make your drink distinctively alcoholic. If you intend to down one of these this evening, make sure you have a sober driver!

1) Negroni Cocktail

via:thepleasuresofthepalate.blogspot.com

The classic Italian cocktail named Negroni is a highly alcoholic cocktail that packs a phenomenal punch. It is definitely not meant for the uninitiated as it is not just alcoholic but is also uncharacteristically bitter. The cocktail is an evenly balanced mix of gin, vermouth and Campari with a traditional garnishing of an orange wedge. The cocktail is traditionally served in a chilled glass, filled three quarter of the way with cracked ice. The well mixed cocktail of 1 ounces each of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari bitters is then poured into the prepared glass, a picture perfect look that is wickedly inviting.

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