A shipwreck dive off the English coast has produced an unusual relic: an 1864 Guinness bottle that still contains liquid. The find has opened up a tantalizing possibility for scientists and stout fans alike — whether a 162-year-old beer could be recreated.
What happened?
According to UPI, while exploring a wreck near Dover, Belgian underwater photographer Stefan Panis recovered the bottle.
Once he cleaned it, Panis could make out the Guinness label and the date 1864, indicating the stout had been underwater for well over a century.
He said the bottle seemed to be part of a 24-bottle case and suspects other cases may still be on the wreck. He intends to return for another dive when conditions improve, the outlet reported.
Scientists at KU Leuven University in Belgium are evaluating whether the contents hold enough information to reproduce a version of the stout from the 1860s. The discovery also drew a response from Diageo, Guinness's parent company, according to UPI.
"Discoveries like this provide a fascinating window into our past and help build a deeper understanding of our heritage," a spokesperson said, as quoted by UPI. "Currently, our Guinness Archive team is liaising with the divers to gather more information and evaluate the find."
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It is a rare physical record of how a famous drink may once have tasted.
Why does it matter?
Historical food and drink are often known through written records, but surviving samples that can actually be tested are much rarer.
If the bottle remained unopened, it could preserve clues about period ingredients, brewing practices, and even the microorganisms involved in fermentation.
Recreating old foods and beverages can help researchers study preservation, production methods, and how products changed as manufacturing became more industrialized.
"There is a possibility that it's still drinkable, Panis said, as quoted by UPI. "The question is if the sea water has come into the bottles through the corks. If not, most likely the beer would still be drinkable."
Brewing historian Edward Bourke said the bottle's upside-down position may have helped keep seawater from entering.
The discovery is moving into the analysis stage.
Panis told the BBC, as quoted by UPI, "There is always a chance that we can recover the complete DNA, and then we can do a small re-brew of the exact beer that was found in the 1860s." If enough biological material can be recovered, researchers may be able to produce something very close to the original.
Panis also hopes to revisit the wreck in search of additional bottles. Finding more could improve researchers' understanding of how the beer was stored and whether any bottles remain sealed and uncontaminated.
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