Alcohol discovered on a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea is thought to be the world's oldest drinkable ale and could fetch a tidy sum at auction
Experts have described 200-year-old champagne and beer recovered from a shipwreck in the Baltic Sea and opened this week as “absolutely fabulous”.
Diver Christian Ekstroem discovered the hoard of bottles aboard the remains of a schooner off the coast of the island of Aland, between Sweden and Finland, in July.
Bottles of beer found in the wreck are thought to be the world’s oldest drinkable ale, and could provide the recipe to allow it to be replicated. Finnish authorities have approved the idea and several breweries, including one managed by Christian Ekstroem, have expressed interest in brewing the beer for today’s drinkers to taste.
The champagne came from Maison Juglar, which ceased production in 1830, and Veuve Clicquot, and is thought to be the oldest drinkable champagne in the world. Each bottle recovered is expected have a minimum auction reserve price of around £45,000.
