150-year-old beer from Arctic expedition opened to create brand-new version

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A bottle of beer, brewed 150 years ago for an expedition to the Arctic during the Victorian era, will be opened to help brewers create a similar version today.

Okay, so I was reading on the BBC about this crazy find – a bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale from way back in 1875! Apparently, it was brewed in Burton upon Trent, England, specifically for Sir George Nares’ expedition to the North Pole. The really cool part? They made it to survive the insane cold up there. It was about 9% alcohol and packed six times the calories of normal beer – basically, it was designed to keep those sailors fueled and warm in freezing temperatures. Pretty neat piece of history, right?

The bottle eventually turned up in a garage in Gobowen, Shropshire, and in 2015, it was sold at auction for around £3,300 (about $4,200 USD). The buyer was Dougal Gunn Sharp, who founded the Edinburgh brewery Innis & Gunn.

Sharp is now planning to analyze its yeast and flavors during beer production at its facility. This will help them create a new, limited-edition beer – Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale – in partnership with Allsopp’s Brewery.

150-year-old beer to be opened and recreated

While some might hesitate to open it, Sharp believes the greater mistake would be letting it collect dust. He explained that beer is best enjoyed when shared, especially considering this is the brewery’s 150th anniversary.

Jamie Allsopp, who brought back the Allsopp’s Brewery and is a direct relative of its founder Samuel Allsopp, likened the brewing process to ‘a kind of alchemy.’ He described the original Allsopp’s beer as exceptionally strong and remarkable.

Back in 1874, Allsopp’s Beer created a special brew called Arctic Ale for an expedition to the Arctic. Now, we’ve teamed up with them to recreate that same historic beer, using a bottle of the original as a guide! Enter for a chance to try a taste of brewing history.

— Innis & Gunn (@innisandgunn) November 3, 2025

Allsopp’s Arctic Ale was originally created for a British expedition to the Arctic in 1875-1876, led by Sir George Nares. Today, bottles of this ale are extremely rare and highly sought after by beer collectors.

This new version of the beer will have the same 9% alcohol content as the original and will be available later this year through a special lottery system for collectors and fans.

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2025-11-10 15:49