Key Takeaways
- A 150-year-old bottle of Arctic Ale, originally brewed for a North Pole expedition, will be opened to recreate the historic beer.
- The beer was a survival drink with 6x the calories of regular beer and 9% ABV to withstand -40°C temperatures.
- Brewer Douglas Gunn Sharp paid £3,000 for the rare bottle and will collaborate with the original brewer’s descendant.
A 150-year-old bottle of Arctic expedition beer will be opened to revive the historic brew. Douglas Gunn Sharp, founder of Innis & Gunn brewery, will use his £3,000 bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale to seed a new batch in collaboration with the revived Allsopp’s Brewery.
The Legendary Arctic Survival Beer
Originally commissioned by Queen Victoria for Commander George Nares’ 1875 North Pole expedition, this beer was designed as survival food. With six times the calories of regular beer and 9% alcohol content, it wouldn’t freeze even at -40°C (-40°F). Victorian records describe it as so “strong and nutritive” it had to be scooped from brewing copper with buckets.
Mr Sharp explains the significance: “This ale was brewed for a voyage of endurance and adventure, and I think it’s only right that it has one more journey – into the glass. There’s something very special about being able to taste a piece of brewing and maritime history.”
The Historic Expedition
George Nares set sail from Portsmouth on May 29, 1875, with HMS Discovery and HMS Alert carrying Allsopp’s Arctic Ale. His expedition became the first to pass through the channel between Greenland and Ellesmere Island, now known as the Nares Strait, disproving the theory of an ice-free Open Polar Sea.
Although the sledging teams set records for the furthest distance north, the expedition nearly ended in disaster when a massive scurvy outbreak killed several crew members. Despite this, Nares was knighted upon return, and the Arctic Ale achieved legendary status.
Reviving History Through Alchemy
Mr Sharp acquired his rare bottle at auction a decade ago after it was discovered in a Shropshire garage. “Some people might think it’s madness to open it, but I think the real madness would be to leave it sitting on a shelf,” he said. “Beer is meant to be shared, particularly on this, its 150th anniversary.”
Jamie Allsopp, direct descendant of the original brewer, initially thought the plan was “mad” but now embraces it. “It’s one of the strongest and most extraordinary beers ever made – more like a Madeira than a modern ale,” he said. “The idea of physically pouring history into a new brew is a kind of alchemy. It’s never been done before.”
The resulting Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale will be available in limited quantities at select venues, with hand-bottled editions offered through a ballot system.
