A Belgian underwater photographer has uncovered a 162-year-old bottle of Guinness while exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Dover, according to UPI Odd News.
Stefan Panis said the bottle was still intact when he found it last year and, after rinsing it off, saw that it was labeled Guinness and marked 1864. He believes it came from a case of 24 bottles and thinks more may still be in the area.
Panis told the BBC that scientists at KU Leuven University in Belgium are now examining whether they can recreate the beer from that era. He said there is a chance the complete DNA could be recovered, which could allow for a small re-brew of the stout from the 1860s.
He also said the beer inside may still be drinkable. Brewing historian Edward Bourke told Panis that the bottle being stored upside down may have helped keep seawater out by creating a pressurized seal, and Panis said he may return to the wreck to look for more bottles when conditions allow.
Diageo, the company that owns Guinness, said the discovery offers a fascinating look into the past, and its Guinness Archive team is working with the divers to learn more about the find.
