A trendy pub is selling the country’s most expensive draft pint - available for a pricy £22.50.
Speedway Stout is sold by The Craft Beer Co, which has bars across the UK and sells the stout for more than five times the cost of an average beer.
Fortunately, it packs a punch, as the US-brewed stout is 12 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV).
Per millilitre, the stout works out as more expensive than a bottle of luxury Belvedere vodka - which cost £45 each.
According to a barman in the chain’s Old Street pub, the beer is so costly because of its ingredients.
The beer, which is made in California by San Diego-based AleSmith Brewing Company, contains Blue Mountain Coffee from Hawaii as well as other expensive ingredients that give it its black colour, thick, syrupy consistency, and coffee-flavoured taste.
However, you don’t need to order an entire pint - as the bar is happy to serve a more affordable third of a pint.
Martin Hayes, managing director of The Craft Beer Co, said: "We sell the AleSmith Speedway Stout Hawaiian Special Edition by the 1/3 pint as standard.
"We do not stop people buying a 1/2 or even full pint should they wish, in the same way we do not stop people buying two or even three pints of standard strength lager.
"When we import into the UK and showcase some extremely rare and unusual beers that tend to be incredibly high in ABV - they do come at a premium prices."
AleSmith brewery in San Diego, California, USA, invented the stout, with hints of chocolate and malts as a “flagship” export brew.
According to the AleSmith website, the brew’s “ominous, pitch-black appearance” juxtaposes with the “fine carbonation and creamy mouthfeel that make it very smooth and surprisingly easy to drink.”
Another bonus is the lasting power of the beer - as the website states: "This beer ages very well and will continue to mature for many years to come."
In defence of the price, Martin added: "Being the original Craft Beer focused pubs in London, our business is curation, offering people an unmatched choice with unmatched hospitality and knowledge.
"We offer people a huge choice and our prices are always carefully calculated and incredibly good value."
The average price of a pint of beer in London was marked at £5.20 in 2018 - but nationwide that figure is £4.40.
