New Zealand explorers are Antarctica-bound to rescue a cache of rare whiskey left on the continent by British explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton during his journey in 1909. Buried under the floorboards of a hut where his crew spent a long, dark winter are two crates of an extinct brand of McKinlay and Co. whiskey. Experts say the historic booze has been preserved in ice, according to Stuff.co.az:
The New Zealanders will use special drills to free the trapped crates and rescue a bottle from the crates, discarded near the Cape Royds hut used by the Nimrod expedition, or at least draw off a sample using a syringe.
However, they won't be sipping the whiskey if they can remove it. International protocols say the crates can be removed from Antarctica for conservation only. Whyte & Mackay, the distillery that owns McKinlay and Co., says if they can draw a sample, the blend could be replicated and put back into production. So one day soon, you too could be sipping on Shackleton's preferred hooch. Let's hope their drilling adventure goes more smoothly than other recent trips to Antarctica... Related content: Discoblog: Antarctic Glaciers Melt and Spill Their Secret: DDT Discoblog: Antarctica and the American Southwest: Former Neighbors? Discoblog: Using Nuclear Tests on “Aged” Whiskey Could Save You $30,000
Image: flickr / individuo
