Alcoholic drink which contains a very high level of alcohol and "does not contain any added flavoring" is commonly called a neutral spirit. Generally, any distilled alcoholic beverage of 170 US proof or higher is considered to be a neutral spirit. Most yeasts cannot reproduce when the concentration of alcohol is higher than about 18%, so that is the practical limit for the strength of fermented drinks such as wine, beer, and sake. However, some strains of yeast have been developed that can reproduce in solutions of up to 25% ABV. Shot sizes vary significantly from country to country. In the United
Barley wine at a higher rate than other beers. Thus, barley wines tend to suffer a further price premium as compared with other beers. Similarly, many jurisdictions have different regulations regarding where beers and wines can be sold, leading to confusion regarding in which category barley wines fall and therefore limiting access. A variation on the barley wine style involves adding a large quantity of wheat to the mash bill, resulting in what is referred to as wheat wine. This style originated in the United States in the 1980s. Barley wine Barley wine is a style of strong ale of between 6-11%