Overview
- Dougal Gunn Sharp will pour a portion of his 150-year-old Allsopp’s Arctic Ale into a new brew named Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale.
- The surviving bottle comes from Sir George Nares’s 1875 British Arctic Expedition and was originally produced in Burton-upon-Trent for polar rations.
- The Victorian ale was about 9% ABV, rich in unfermentable sugars, and carried roughly six times the calories of typical beer to withstand temperatures near minus 40C.
- Limited quantities are planned for Innis & Gunn taprooms in Edinburgh and Glasgow and Allsopp’s venues in London, with a ballot offering a small number of hand-bottled editions.
- Supporters frame opening the rare artifact as sharing brewing history, while others question sacrificing a scarce piece of material culture.