At 96% ABV, Polish Spirytus is the strongest vodka in the world
Spirytus is made in Poland from distilled wheat, taken as far as it can go in alcoholic strength. The name simply means "spirit" in Polish.
Poland is Europe's largest producer of fermentation alcohol. The spirit is rectified twice using state-of-the-art equipment that delivers the highest possible purity. This rectified spirit is the backbone of every Polish vodka, including many award-winning brands known around the world.
Polish rectified spirit is completely neutral: no colour, no flavour, no aroma and no trace of the natural residues left over from fermentation.
In other words, it is quite literally "the perfect ethyl alcohol for making drinks".
How does it compare with the world's strongest drinks?
At 96% ABV, Spirytus sits at the very top of the list. Here's how it compares with the other heavyweights:
| # | Drink | ABV | Origin | Available at Licorea? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spirytus Rektyfikowany | 96% | Poland | No |
| 2 | Everclear 190 / Golden Grain | 95% | USA | No |
| 3 | Calavera / Château Saint Ferran absinthe | 89.9% | France | Yes |
| 4 | Pincer Shanghai Strength | 88.88% | Scotland | No |
| 5 | Balkan 176 | 88% | Bulgaria | No |
| 6 | Le Diable Noir absinthe | 85.4% | France | Yes |
| 7 | Sunset Very Strong Rum | 84.5% | St Vincent (Caribbean) | No |
| 8 | Le Diable Blue absinthe | 80.4% | France | Yes |
| 9 | Stroh 80 | 80% | Austria | Yes |
| 10 | Devil's Springs Vodka | 80% | USA | No |
None of these should ever be drunk neat.
Spirytus vodka
At 96%, its producers don't just market it as the strongest vodka in the world, but as the strongest alcoholic drink you can buy (in our shop you'll find 95% food-grade alcohol).
The secret behind its strength is the distillation process: Spirytus is distilled more than 70 times, right up to the practical limit of what distillation can achieve.
Several Polish producers make this style of spirit and it comes in 95% and 70% versions. The best-known brand is Spirytus Rektyfikowany, made by the Polmos distillery.
It's mainly intended as a base for making other drinks and is widely used in cocktails, but drinking it straight is strongly discouraged unless it has been diluted.
The UK was shocked when an 18-year-old died after drinking undiluted shots of Spirytus straight from the bottle. According to witnesses, it took just "a couple of shots".
Spirytus and the pandemic
The pandemic was a turning point for Spirytus, and sales soared.
With hand sanitiser in short supply in Poland, people turned to this spirit for its sheer alcoholic strength, and it became a go-to ingredient for homemade disinfectants.
The Wall Street Journal described it as "a very difficult drink to consume, but people believe that, because of its alcohol level, it will kill any virus or bacteria".
Andrzej Szumowski of the Polish Vodka Association, commenting on the rush for Spirytus and vodka as a sanitiser, said: "No other country in the world makes it to such a high standard as we do. It is a very high-strength vodka, which you could say has disinfectant properties".
He added that using vodka as a disinfectant is a long-standing habit in Poland: "This drink is part of Polish cultural identity and is often used as an antiseptic. In some households people dilute it with water to clean surfaces".
Can't get Spirytus? High-proof alternatives at Licorea
We don't stock Spirytus, as it isn't sold in Spain, where we ship from. Depending on what you need it for, these are the closest alternatives:
- For homemade liqueurs (limoncello, herbal liqueurs, cream liqueurs): 95% spirit for liqueurs (1 litre), Alcool NS Spécial 95% (1 litre) or the larger Alcool NS Spécial 95% (3 litres). Browse our full food-grade alcohol range, and if you need inspiration, try these 5 homemade liqueur recipes.
- For drinking (always diluted with water or in a cocktail): 89.9% absinthes such as Calavera Vert or Château Saint Ferran. See all our absinthes.
- For baking and flaming drinks: Stroh 80, the 80% Austrian rum, also available in a 1-litre bottle.
Spirytus FAQ
Where can I buy Spirytus?
It's easy to find in Poland and some other European countries, but it isn't sold in Spain. The closest substitute is 95% food-grade alcohol, which does the same job: steeping fruit and herbs to make homemade liqueurs.
Can you drink Spirytus neat?
No, it's not a good idea. At 96% it burns the mouth and throat, and even a small amount can lead to serious alcohol poisoning. It's made to be diluted.
How do you dilute 95% alcohol for liqueurs?
As a rule of thumb, equal parts 95% alcohol and water or syrup gives you roughly 47% ABV. For a limoncello of around 30%, use one part alcohol to two parts syrup. For creamy liqueurs in the style of Baileys or Amarula, you'll find exact quantities in our homemade liqueur recipes.
What's the strongest drink you can buy in Europe?
Among spirits made for drinking, 89.9% absinthes such as Calavera Vert are some of the strongest you can buy.