A closeup of a person distilling alcohol.
You Can't Drink The World's Strongest Alcohol Neat

NEWS

By NIKITA EPHANOV
Overproof liquors refer to those with over 50% ABV. The strongest overproof spirit is some 192 proof, courtesy of Spirytus Rektyfikowany Vodka produced in Poland.
A bottle like this is nearly pure ethanol, with a predominantly boozy, burn-inducing flavor, and warrants special safety. Sampling it neat can be downright dangerous.
More than a dozen states have banned 190-proof grain spirits, which have even led to accidental deaths. A single 750 milliliter bottle contains enough alcohol to be lethal.
It can enable an unfortunately quick path to alcohol poisoning. Unlike typical drunkenness, this can cause confusion, difficulty breathing, seizures, and nausea.
Instead, Spirytus Rektyfikowany can be employed in very select mixology, but it's more commonly used in herbal and fruit infusions, as well as to make amaros and bitters in bars.