(TDB) - From cocktails we wish had never been invented to beer fermented by human saliva and everything in between, our world tour takes in some of the most disgusting alcoholic drinks out there.

One of alcohol’s great virtues is the ease with which it can be made: almost anything can be brewed and fermented. We round up some of the most unappetising beverages that demonstrate that although it is easy to make, it is very difficult to get right.

Some of the things on this list were invented by mavericks harnessing new technology while others are steeped in local cultural traditions, but all are bound to make you gag.

Chicha

We kick off the list with this traditional South American corn beer. Chicha makers chew the corn to mill and moisten it, as saliva converts the corn starch into fermentable sugars, and spit it out and leave it to dry.

Dating back to 5,000 BC and originating in the Andes, when fermented the purple corn creates a simple, light beer.

For those that aren’t thrilled at the prospect of drinking saliva, modern methods mean the corn can be germinated without the hours spent chewing.

Stag Semen Stout

This wacky concoction, the idea of New Zealand pub owner Steve Drummond and brewed by Kerry Gray, is the only semen-based drink on our list.

The chocolate stout includes a measure of “export quality” deer semen, and those who have dared to try it at the Green Man in Wellington describe is as “creamy”.

Thankfully, its creaminess comes from being served on hand pump rather than a carbonated tap.

Smoker’s Cough

A mixture that we think is best left to the imagination, this vile shot combines Jagermeister and mayonnaise, and lays a serious claim to being the worst looking drink on this list.

Smoking is bad for you, but we’re not sure drinking this would be any better.

Baby mice wine

Popular in China and Korea, this supposedly healthy tonic is made by dropping live two-day-old mice into a bottle of rice wine and leaving them to ferment for roughly a year.

It apparently has medicinal properties, and is supposedly effective at treating asthma, but the plonk is said to taste not unlike gasoline.

Even worse, after the wine has been drunk, the mice are eaten.