High gravity beer refers to specialty beer

Beer

Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...

 either craft beers or malt liquor

Malt liquor

Malt liquor is a North American term referring to a type of beer with high alcohol content. In legal statutes, the term often includes any alcoholic beverage above or equal to 5% alcohol by volume made with malted barley. In common parlance, however, it is used for high-alcohol beers made with...

s with an increased specific gravity. A beer with an original gravity 1.070 is generally considered to be high. High gravity beers are a traditional expression of beer making in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, but only a small percentage of microbreweries

Microbrewery

A microbrewery or craft brewer is a brewery which produces a limited amount of beer, and is associated by consumers with innovation and uniqueness....

 in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 produce them. They may more expensive than mass-produced

Mass production

Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...

 beer due to larger amounts of high quality grains or malt used, or in the case of malt liquor lower in cost or equal to other mass-produced beers, and full of more filler grains or adjuncts

Adjuncts

Adjuncts are unmalted grains used in brewing beer which supplement the main mash ingredient , often with the intention of cutting costs, but sometimes to create an additional feature, such as better foam retention.- Definition :Ingredients which are standard for certain beers, such as wheat in a...

. They may be more flavorful, intended to be sipped and savored, and are often paired

Wine and food matching

Wine and food matching is the process of pairing food dishes with wine to enhance the dining experience. In many cultures, wine has had a long history of being a staple at the dinner table and in some ways both the winemaking and culinary traditions of a region will have evolved together over the...

 with carefully prepared foods, or in the case of high gravity malt liquor, they may sacrifice some flavor for an inexpensive boost of alcohol level, and may be paired with junk food

Junk food

Junk food is an informal term applied to some foods that are perceived to have little or no nutritional value ; to products with nutritional value, but which also have ingredients considered unhealthy when regularly eaten; or to those considered unhealthy to consume at all...

.

Alcohol content

High gravity beer tends to have higher alcohol content

Alcohol by volume

Alcohol by volume is a standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in an alcoholic beverage .The ABV standard is used worldwide....

 compared to other beers due to the concentration of sugar

Sugar

Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...

and flavor-enhancing ingredients at the beginning of the brewing process. Steel Reserve, one example of a high gravity lager beer contains 8.1% alcohol.