Overview
- Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder of Innis & Gunn, will open a 150-year-old bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale to seed a new brew called Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale in partnership with the revived Allsopp’s Brewery.
- The bottle, bought at auction for just over £3,000 after being found in a Shropshire garage, is one of a handful remaining from the 1875 British Arctic Expedition led by Sir George Nares.
- Brewed to the original style, the recreation targets around 9% ABV and the rich, unfermentable sugars and high calorie content that helped the Victorian ale resist freezing in extreme cold.
- Limited quantities are scheduled for release later in 2025 at Innis & Gunn taprooms in Edinburgh and Glasgow and at Allsopp’s venues in London, with a small number of hand-bottled editions offered by ballot and a few additional stockists.
- Innis & Gunn says the historic bottle will be ceremonially opened during brewing at its Perth facility, with Allsopp’s descendant Jamie Allsopp describing the project as a “physical bridge to the past.”