Five crates of scotch and two of brandy were finally recovered by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, while restoring an Antarctic hut used more than 100 years ago by Irish explorer Sir Ernest Shakleton.   Some of the bottles were cracked, but many are believed to be intact as you can hear the liquid when the crates are moved.

These crates were first discovered in 2006 under the floorboards of the hut; the ice they were in was just too deep at the time.  Whyte & Mackay launched the bid to receover the Scotch to be able to test it and find out if it was made by McKinlay and Co.  If so, the company intends to attempt a recreation of a recipe from 1909 that has been lost over the last century.

The real surprise in the recovery effort was finding the brandy crates, which were labeled by their respective makes Chas. Mackinlay & Co and The Hunter Valley Distillery Limited Allandale (Australia).  The 2006 team originally reported only the scotch crates.

Some of the bottles must stay in the ice; that is part of the 12 Antarctic Treat nations conservation regulations.

The Shakleton’s expedition was attempting to reach the South Pole in 1909 when it had to turn back 100 miles short of their destination.  Many supplies were left behind as ice formed around their camp; the spirits were a part of the casualties.  All members of the expedition returned home safely.   The South Pole was first reached by Norweigian explorer Roald Amundsen two years later.

Amazing how durable whisky can be.  The recovery team could smell the whisky in the area from the bottles that had broken.  You can’t tell me someone didn’t lick the ice while no one was watching, just to get a little taste of the past.