Bars are the perfect place for strong drinks. The atmosphere, the people, the music, it all calls for something stronger than usual.
However, not knowing which drink to order and whether or not it is strong enough can lead to either you not getting the fun you need and want or mixing drinks in order to find the one that is right for you.
Having the correct info could significantly improve your evening and help you have the time you came for. So, what are the strongest drinks to order at a bar?
To know if a drink is strong, you first need to establish what a strong drink is. A strong drink isn’t only a drink that could get you drunk quickly, but a drink that could give you certain excitement when you drink it.
It doesn’t have to mean that strong drinks are overly aggressive, but they are certainly sharp and edgy. A strong drink is a drink that has a substantial percentage of alcohol; it is sharp, goes down with a burn, and actively excites you.
In addition to the well-known strong drinks such as vodka, whiskey, tequila, mescal, rakia, ouzo, and other national alcohols that have the capacity to knock down a horse with a single shot, there are other mixed drinks that are strong and available at bars.
If you want to have strong drinks at a bar, you better be ready to pay a pretty penny for them, as they aren’t cheap. There are, of course, cheaper versions, but those are probably of lower quality.
Drinking a strong and low-quality drink is cold and would be detrimental for you almost immediately after you have one too many.
More: 15 Highest Alcohol Content Beers
Strong Drinks To Order At A Bar
Therefore, if your idea of a strong drink is ethanol-smelling vodka, you better pass on that and make it a cocktail by diluting it with some additional ingredients. So, if you are going big on the drinks, you should go big on the tab as well.
In the following article, I will give you a list of strong drinks to order at a bar so that you can have the night that you want without falling sick the next day.
1. Long Island Iced Tea
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It is only fitting that Long Island Iced Tea is the opener of this list. Containing rum, triple sec, gin, tequila, and rum, the alcohol amount in this cocktail is pretty substantial.
The coke, as the last ingredient, makes this cocktail bearable to drink and even tasty, so you will easily hose it out of the glass.
However, just because it is sweet and easy to drink doesn’t mean that you should rush it. You will be able to have a few in a short time span, but don’t because you will condemn your friends to carry you home, as you will definitely get woozy halfway through the first one, let alone a few more in a short period.
Also check: 27 Cheap Drinks To Order At A Bar
2. Hand Grenade
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Made with vodka, rum, melon, or other fruit liquor, this is a cocktail worthy of its name. The liquor masks the fact that this is an expressively ethanol-tasting cocktail.
Even the best vodka and rum in the world create a strong and burning sensation, which the liquor masks skillfully.
Nevertheless, even the fruity part of this cocktail is alcoholic, so be prepared for a real grenade when having it. Go slowly and patiently to know your limits and drinking capacity. This cocktail is not a joke.
3. Aunt Roberta
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Probably the strongest one on this list, this merciless cocktail contains vodka, gin brandy, blackberry liquor, and, as if that isn’t enough, absinth as the final ingredient. This is a mind-melting drink that burns awfully hard.
It is so sharp that it is almost scorching; however, the blackberry liquor does make things easier. It adds much-needed sweetness to the cocktail. The story about this cocktail is rather gruesome, as aunt Roberta fled her abusive home to find a better tomorrow.
She became an alcoholic prostitute who started mixing drinks, whereby she killed 34 people in two years due to the inadequate quantities of alcohol in her cocktails. She herself died of alcohol poisoning, never getting to see her better tomorrow.
4. Negroni
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This is a rather delicious and refreshing cocktail, though it is pretty strong. Containing gin, Campari, sweet vermouth, and an orange twist. It is pretty appealing and inviting to look at as well, but don’t let its appearance fool you, as this is a potent drink.
5. Corpse Reviver
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This complex cocktail is really known as a drink that “could make the dead dance.” Another colorful cocktail with a very descriptive name. It contains gin, Cointreau, Absinth, Lillet Blan, and lemon juice and creates a very strong rush.
This cocktail is an excellent mood-improver and an even better conversation starter. Pace yourself with this one, though; go slowly and hydrate.
6. Sazerac Rye Whiskey
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Containing cognac, angostura bitters, and a sugar cube, this is a strong and sweet cocktail at the same time. The biggest challenge about this cocktail is the sugar cube. It additionally stimulates the alcohol and makes it stronger.
Usually, the quantity isn’t high, half a shot glass, but still, it isn’t to be underestimated. It is delicious nevertheless, but not as easily drinkable, despite of its amber and honey color shades.
7. The Death In the Afternoon
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Made with absinth and champagne, packed in an elegant glass with a sugar-coated rim, this cocktail seems far less dangerous than it actually is.
The absinth and champagne create a deadly drink combination you need to be very careful with, as it may quickly get straight to your head. The creator of this drink is Ernest Hemingway, and if you have ever read something of his, you will know what this cocktail is all about- taking away from reality.
8. Nicolashka
Two shots of vodka, espresso powder, and lemon sugar are the ingredients for this drink. This is one of those merciless combinations that give you the idea that you are in control, only to smack you on the floor minutes later.
Don’t be fooled by the energy and sense of control the espresso powder gives you, as no amount of espresso powder can outrun vodka. If you have two of this cocktail, that’s four shots of vodka; if you have three, that’s six, and so on.
So do the math carefully before you decide to have fun with Nicolashkas.
9. Zombie
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Made of several liquors, fruit juices, and several types of rum, you will soon be walking like a zombie from this cocktail if you are too quick to drink it. It looks far more gentler than it is, but don’t be fooled by its exotic appearance, as it will knock you out the minute you start trusting it too much.
10. Bone Dry Martini
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You must have heard about a dry martini, but bone dry? It sounds a little extreme, but in reality, it isn’t as hardcore as it sounds, though it is far from mellow. This is a single-ingredient drink, but believe me, it is all it needs.
The Bone Dry Martini consists of chilled rum poured into a chilled glass. When I say chilled, I don’t mean slightly cold, but stone, teeth-grinding cold. At the bottom of the glass, there are two olives that additionally dry out your mouth.
So, the mouth-drying cold, combined with the salty olives, does create a bone-dry sensation that could go straight to your head if you don’t hydrate after each sip of this cocktail.
11. Cranberry Moonshine
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With its gentle and fairy-like name, this cocktail looks very dreamy, almost surreal. Slightly red and crimson-colored, with a few berry fruits as a decoration, which you can eat; of course, this cocktail is the fair lady on this list.
However, the fair lady has a dark side, emerging slowly but surely, so don’t let it seduce you all the way. Consisting of vodka, cranberry juice, apple cider, and sometimes, champagne, it can be fierce if it gets into you too deep.
12. Black Russian
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Black Russian is a vodka and coffee liqueur, so two ingredients, both of which are alcoholic. Even though it is easy to drink and doesn’t have a sharp alcoholic taste, it is pretty strong. Still, it is one of the gentlest on this list.
It is generally sweet-tasting, which means you don’t have to worry about having too much too quickly, as it doesn’t slide that fast. It is easily drinkable, but it doesn’t glide as quickly as the mojito, for instance.
Don’t worry about having too much, as you won’t probably be able to. Still, it is good advice to be careful and conscious when having it.
13. The Four Horsemen Number Three
The four horsemen, indeed. The horsemen in this cocktail are Jim Beam bourbon, Jack Daniels whiskey, Johnnie Walker scotch, and Jose Cuervo gold tequila. Having a tad too much of this cocktail will lead you straight to the apocalypse.
You can also have it as a shot or sip it very slowly from a glass. If you do shots, please pace yourself and have water after each shot. Note that water is what you need, not juice, not soda, as sugar will only make the alcohol angrier.
14. Dos Aquis
Since it contains three types of rum, the Dos Aquis cocktail is regarded simply as a serving of rum. However, you won’t have the same effects if you drink a glass of single-variety rum and a glass of this three rum varieties cocktail.
The differences in the making of the rums, their particularities, and their alcohol content definitely play a significant role in the strength and effects of this drink. Made with cinnamon fire rum, horchata rum, and coffee rum, this isn’t an easy drink.
The cinnamon fire rum adds a fiery and hot dimension to the cocktails, the coffee rum amplifies the cinnamon fire rum flavor, and the horchata rum is there to balance everything out. Sadly, horchata rum is too tame to fight these two aggressive boys, so you will still end up with a strong-tasting and very potent drink.
15. Moscow Mule
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Everything about this mixer says ruggedness. From its appearance served in a metal cup, to the color of the drink itself, to its aroma and flavor. Oddly enough, some call it mild and tame, and it is the ginger beer to blame for this misinterpretation of this drink.
Ginger beer has a very particular and refreshing dimension, filled with citrusy notes and a recognizable ginger aroma. Because it is so specific, ginger tends to overpower the surrounding flavors, creating the dominant flavor note. Therefore, in the Moscow Mule, it gives a false impression that it is a mild drink when in fact, it is generously strong.
Made with ginger beer and vodka, the Moscow Mule combines two alcohols and no mildening agent. The serving cups are substantial, too, so be on the more cautious side when having this drink.
16. Distillery Drop
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Made with marble vodka, Gingerello, and lemon juice, this is a refreshing cocktail, no doubt. However, you will be mixing more than two alcohols.
The gingerello is a mixture of several ginger beers, so you will be having an alcohol combination composed of three alcohols, at the least.
Also, mixing beer with hard liquor such as vodka is not the best decision you can make. Beer and hard liquor are definitely a great pair which is fun to be around, but they can be a deadly combination if you don’t pace yourself.
Therefore, remember that you are having a multiple-alcohol cocktail that can easily knock you down the second you lower your guard.
17. The Martini
This classic cocktail is made with gin, vodka, and vermouth, and the “the” means that this is the original version of this drink. This is a strong one, and you need to take your time with it. Luckily it is served in modest quantities, unlike Long Island Iced Tea, which is served in a tall glass.
Therefore having one or two won’t damage you a lot, but after the second one, be careful and patient, and don’t forget to stay hydrated.
18. Liquid Cocaine
Before I describe this cocktail, I need to stress that no, there is no cocaine involved here. However, it has been said that the rush cocaine creates is very similar to that created by this cocktail.
Made with jaeger, rum, cinnamon schnapps, and peppermint schnapps, this is an all-alcohol cocktail and is very strong. Therefore, after every sip of the cocktail, take a sip of water to keep yourself hydrated.
19. Caribou Lou
Packed elegantly in a nice thin glass decorated with cherries, this cocktail is a wolf in sheep’s fleece. It contains pineapple juice, coconut rum, and high-proof rum. Of the three ingredients, one is non-alcoholic, but it isn’t enough to milden the rest of the alcohols involved in this dangerous cocktail.
Sip very slowly and take a break somewhere around halfway; take a glass of water and go on. Don’t have more than three, as the glasses are pretty substantial.
20. Black Honey
Made of Cynar, lime juice, cinnamon syrup, and Jamaican rum, this is a strong drink, both alcohol, and taste-wise. Its name is really suitable as it does resemble honey, only a darker shade, and it tastes very similar to honey.
Served in moderate quantities, one will get you a bit warm but won’t do much damage; however, once you start with the plural form, be careful and drink cautiously.
21. French 75
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This elegantly packed cocktail, definitely reminds me of the famous French elegance, in the form of a lily-white and refined drink in an elegant glass. Still, elegance isn’t all there is about this drink; a potency is its second name.
Containing lemon juice, syrup, cognac, and champagne, this is definitely one of the stronger-tasting cocktails. The cognac is optional, and you can have this cocktail without it, but it won’t taste the same, as it will lack the warmth and fruitiness only cognac can provide.
22. Boulevard Des Reves
This drink is a combination of sweet vermouth, Campari, and gin, all packed nicely in an elegant glass decorated with mint leaves. With its slightly green color, it seduces the eyes before it seduces the palate.
It is sweet-tasting and easily drinkable, but don’t be fooled by its gentility, as it reveals its true colors soon after you finish off your first glass.
23. Hayseed Manhattan
Made of bourbon, sweet vermouth, and angostura bitters, this is a potent cocktail where all ingredients are alcoholic. Its appearance is very soothing, as is its effect. Perfect for a calm night out with your favorite people for an open-hearted conversation.
However, your open heart can soon get heavy if you go overboard with this drink, so drink water, rest between sips, and be patient.
24. Old Fashioned Schnapps
Containing gin, Maraschino liqueur, and grapefruit juice, this drink is definitely a zinger. It is, however, very delicious and exquisitely versatile.
Bitter from the gin, sweet, fruity, and sour from the Maraschino liqueur, and expressively refreshing from the grapefruit juice, you will definitely enjoy this cocktail.
However, the problem is it doesn’t have the typical strong drink bite and sting, so you will have nothing to warn you and let you know that you aren’t dealing with a toy but with a serious beverage.
Therefore, you need to be aware of the fact that you are mixing alcohol, and you need to pace yourself with it.
25. Blue Arrow
Made with blue curacao, triple sec, gin, and lime juice, you will feel as if you are drinking some fruity cocktail while, in fact, you are plowing yourself with alcohol.
This is a genuinely sneaky cocktail that can sneak up on you, and you won’t notice how strong it is before it is too late.
Seductive and very appealing, sweet and high in viscosity, this is a very attractive cocktail you can easily get carried away with.
What Is A Strong Alcoholic Drink That Tastes Good?
There are many strong alcoholic drinks that taste good. Good-tasting alcohol is always welcome, but it can also be a problem. You can easily drink a lot since it is tasty, but it never ends up well, neither the same night nor the next day.
Long Island Ice Tea is a great-tasting strong alcohol; also, Blue Arrow, Old-Fashioned Schnapps, and Black Russian are all absolutely delicious but fiercely strong cocktails.
What Drink Gets You The Most Drunk At A Bar?
In addition to two or three alcoholic cocktails, spirits are also very strong drinks that can get you very drunk at a bar. For example, four shots of tequila or vodka will do a great job of getting you drunk in a short time span.
Whiskey, bourbon, rum, and gin are also incredibly strong and merciless. However, I would say that vodka is the sharpest of the all. Two shots of vodka get straight to your head, three shots get you woozy, and four will get you doing the limbo without a limbo stick.
What Is The Strongest Liquor At The Bar?
In theory, you can order Spirytus vodka at a bar. This is the most viciously strong alcoholic beverage you can possibly imagine that is allowed to drink. However, you mustn’t drink more than a drop or two mixed with other ingredients in a cocktail.
It has over 95% alcohol content which can be detrimental to your organs if you go over the allowed amount. So even though this is the strongest liqueur at the bar, don’t take your chances unless you are a very experienced and knowledgeable vodka drinker.