ALCOHOL campaigners have hit out at a Scottish brewery who have started selling a 40 per cent beer.
WEST, a Glasgow run firm, have started importing Schorschbock, the world’s strongest lager, from Germany.
The drink overtakes BrewDog’s Tactical Nuclear Penguin as the nation’s strongest beer.
BrewDog – a Fraserburgh brewery – faced similar criticism when it launched the 32 per cent beer last November.
WEST are selling the heavy brew in their award winning restaurant on Glasgow Green and insist they will limit sales of the lager to one measure per customer.
Petra Wetzel, from WEST, said Schorschbock had a “unique flavour” and will appeal to connoisseurs.
But alcohol campaigners slammed the firm and said that a more “responsible” brewery would stick to weaker beers while the Liberal Democrats branded the stunt “highly irresponsible”.
Alcohol Focus Scotland say that alcohol misuse costs Scotland around £3.56 billion per year – £900 for every taxpayer while one in 20 deaths are alcohol related.
Chief Executive Jack Law 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.
“A more responsible brewery would have made an effort to find a good quality low strength beer for their customers to enjoy.”
Schorschbock is brewed by a German company in Oberasbach who specialise in strong beers.
Ms Wetzel, who is from Bavaria, 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.”
Liberal Democrat Justice spokesman Robert Brown added: “It is highly irresponsible to use the strength of a beer as the unique selling point in advertising campaigns.”
