A squad of brewers is working on a project to cheer the macrocosm ’s oldest beer , discovered over 20 class ago onboard a shipwrecked vessel off the coast the Preservation Islands , in southeasterly Australia .
The beer , befittingly namedThe Wreck – Preservation Ale , will goon salefor a limited time only in June .
TheSydney Coveleft Calcutta , India , in 1796 for a fledgeling penal colony in Sydney , Australia – but before it could attain its terminal destination , the ship sank .
It was not give away until 200 years later on when a squad of amateur divers stumbled upon the long lost shipwreck . In the other ' 90s , a marine archaeologist foretell Mike Nash go an acute attempt to salvage the remains .
Among the leather shoes , backbone , and canons , the squad landed upon 31,500 - liter - worth of old - timey hard drink . Tightly sealed glass bottles and icy waters had kept the alcohol surprisingly well - preserved . Today , it is still the world ’s oldest surviving bottled alcohol .
The alcoholic drink was analyze at the time , revealing traces of grape , interface wine , and beer . Now , 20 long time afterward , brewer are hoping to bring some of this old beer back to life using some of the barm found on the ship .
“ I think we might be able to culture yeast and recreate a beer that has n’t been on the planet for 220 yr , " David Thurrowgood , museum conservator and chemist , suppose in astatement .
The undertaking is being done in collaboration with the Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery , the Australian Wine Research Institute , and Australia ’s oldest brewery , James Squire , which was named after its father – a first fleet inmate who became the very first person to successfully domesticate hops in Australia .
To uprise this 18th - 100 beverage , the team re - study the contents of the bottles and sequester the yeast . Analysis of the genetic make - up unveil that it was a uncommon hybrid strain worlds out from the type used to make modernistic beer .
Then , it was taken to a laboratory and brewer start concocting drinks that could be commercially practicable . The process involveda lotof visitation and error . As beer maker Stu Korch pointed out , " tone down " the historic barm was no hateful feat .
“ Particular care has been taken to draw out and farm this barm into a brewage that heighten its unequalled characteristics , ” heexplained .
So , what can we have a bun in the oven this historic drink to taste like ? patently , " dark , malty , spicy & stormy " . The Wreck is a porter - style beer , animate by the porters , small ales and IPAs found on the ship , and contains hints of blackcurrant and spices .
But be warned all those tempted to try the old - timey brewage : " Because it ’s such an old salt , there ’ll be a hyphen of phenolics , and a spattering of blue funk . " Mmm , tasty .
