Hurricane High Gravity is a malt liquor from Anheuser-Busch built for one job: maximum alcohol per dollar. At 8.1% ABV in its High Gravity form, it sits well above a standard lager, and it has spent decades as one of the most recognizable budget malt liquor brands in the US, sold in everything from 40oz bottles to 4-packs of 16oz cans.
Where Malt Liquor and Hurricane Came From
Malt liquor as a category dates back to the early 1960s, when National Brewing in Baltimore started looking for a way to compete with the marketing budgets of Anheuser-Busch and Schlitz. The category grew through the 1970s and 80s on the strength of higher ABV at a similar price point to regular beer, and Anheuser-Busch eventually built its own entries, including a short-lived Budweiser Malt Liquor in 1971 and the notoriously strong King Cobra in 1984. Hurricane followed as part of that same competitive push, positioned as a value malt liquor brand rather than a premium one.
Hurricane exists in two forms: a standard Hurricane malt liquor around 5.9% ABV, typically sold in 40oz bottles, and Hurricane High Gravity at 8.1% ABV, sold across 12, 16, 24, 25 and 40oz formats. The High Gravity version is the one most people mean when they talk about Hurricane, and it has gone through a packaging shift from a Black Label to a Silver Label across its lineup in recent years, though the recipe and strength have stayed consistent.
ABV, Sizes and How It Actually Tastes
| Version | ABV | Common sizes |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane (standard) | 5.9% | 40oz bottle |
| Hurricane High Gravity | 8.1% | 12oz, 16oz, 24oz, 25oz cans, 40oz bottle |
As a malt liquor, Hurricane is brewed with a higher proportion of adjuncts (typically corn or rice) alongside barley malt, fermented with a strain and process built to push higher alcohol content rather than complex flavor. Expect a sweet, slightly syrupy corn-forward profile with minimal hop character, noticeably boozier on the finish than a standard lager given the 8.1% strength. It is built to be served ice cold, which masks most of the sweetness that becomes more obvious as it warms.
If Hurricane’s strength is the appeal but you want to compare it against other high-ABV options, our High ABV Beer guide has a full chart of where different beers and malt liquors land, and our standard-drink math in our ABV Equation guide is worth reading if you want to know exactly how many standard drinks are in one 40oz bottle at this strength.
How It Compares to Other Malt Liquors
Hurricane sits in the middle of the malt liquor pack on strength. Colt 45 typically runs around 5.6% ABV, closer to the standard version of Hurricane than the High Gravity one, while King Cobra pushes up to 6% and specialty releases like Olde English 800 High Gravity can edge past 8%. Steel Reserve 211, another common convenience-store shelf mate, runs 8.1% ABV, identical to Hurricane High Gravity, which makes the two a near-direct head-to-head on paper. Our Colt 45 review covers that lower-ABV alternative if 8.1% is more than you’re after for a single can.
If you’re comparing malt liquors by the numbers rather than just by shelf placement, our High ABV Beer guide has a full chart showing where 8%+ malt liquors and beers land relative to standard lager, and our Natural Light review and Keystone Light review cover the lower-ABV budget beers most often stocked right next to it in the same cooler.
Where to Buy It
★ 3.9
8.1% ABV malt liquor, available in multiple can and bottle sizes.
Check availability on Saucey
Hurricane is widely stocked at convenience and liquor stores across the US as one of the cheaper options in the cooler. Our Best Gas Station Beers guide covers where it sits against other budget options if price per can matters more than style.
FAQs
What is the ABV of Hurricane malt liquor?
Standard Hurricane is 5.9% ABV. Hurricane High Gravity, the more common version, is 8.1% ABV.
Is Hurricane a beer or a malt liquor?
It is classified as a malt liquor, a category defined by higher ABV and a heavier reliance on adjunct grains like corn or rice compared to a standard lager.
Who makes Hurricane malt liquor?
Anheuser-Busch, the same brewer behind Budweiser, King Cobra and several other malt liquor brands developed as part of the category’s growth through the 1970s and 80s.
