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Unveiling a 150-Year-Old Brewing Secret: Innis & Gunn to Release 1875 Arctic Ale

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

In a unique collaboration between Edinburgh-based Innis & Gunn and the revived Allsopp's Brewery, a 150-year-old bottle of Allsopp's Arctic Ale has been chosen to create a modern version of the historic ale. The original bottle, brewed in 1875 for British explorers venturing into the frozen north, is one of a handful still in existence. Innis & Gunn founder and master brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp plans to use a quantity of the ale to seed a new limited-edition beer, called Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale, following the original Allsopp's recipe.

Key Takeaways:

  • The original bottle of Allsopp's Arctic Ale is one of a handful still in existence, brewed in 1875 for British explorers venturing into the frozen north.
  • Innis & Gunn founder and master brewer Dougal Gunn Sharp acquired the bottle at auction more than a decade ago for £3,000, a significant price given the rarity of the ale.
  • The new beer, Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale, will be brewed using a quantity of the original ale and an old brewery's recipe.
  • The ale was designed to provide sustenance for sailors enduring temperatures as low as minus 40C, with an alcohol strength of around 9% and six times the calorie content of conventional beer.
  • Records from the Victorian era describe the ale as dark brown and so thick it had to be lifted from the brewing copper in buckets.
  • The beer accompanied several Arctic expeditions, including Vice-Admiral Sir George's 1875 attempt to reach the North Pole.
  • Jamie Allsopp, founder of the new-look Allsopp's Brewery and a direct descendant of Samuel Allsopp, said the collaboration with Innis & Gunn feels like "a physical bridge to the past".

Statistics:

  • The original bottle of Allsopp's Arctic Ale was brewed in 1875 for British explorers venturing into the frozen north.
  • The ale has an alcohol strength of around 9%.
  • The ale has six times the calorie content of conventional beer.
  • Only a handful of bottles of the original ale still exist.

Sources:

  • "Scottish brewer pours 150-year-old beer into new brew".

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a3b1a4c2d5662a0c3fa45a9419e6d3bd

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