Whisky from 1909 Shackleton expedition discovered

According to a recent news story from the U.K., explorers have found cases of whisky left on Antarctica during the 1909 exploration of the continent by Ernest Shackleton.

In that early 20th Century expedition, Shackleton and his team braved the largely unexplored continent to venture closer to the South Pole than any one ever had. For this achievement, Shackleton was knighted by King Edward VII.

According to the recent Irish Examiner article, the whisky bottles were underneath the floorboards of the shack that was used in part of that expedition. The bottles were found by a team restoring the shack.

The group had expected to find just two crates of whisky and brandy. They were amazed to find five.

Better yet, some of the bottles were intact, revealing spirits are from defunct brands Chas Mackinlay & Co, and The Hunter Valley Distillery Limited Allandale (Australia).

Drinks group Whyte & Mackay is considering relaunching the brands. The company hopes it can determine the recipes of the originals and reproduce them accordingly.

Perhaps in the process, the company can capture some of the magic of Shackleton himself too.

Although the exploits of that 1909 expedition were certainly enough to permanently place him among the ranks of important explorers, it was his subsequent trip to Antarctica that elevated him to Legend status.

In 1914 Shackleton and his team returned to Antarctica, hoping to cross the continent from sea to sea, via the pole. But disaster struck this expedition when its ship, Endurance, was trapped in pack ice and was slowly crushed before the shore parties could be landed. An epic journey ensued, with numerous heroic exploits and countless brushes with death - ending remarkably with no loss of life.

Maybe that time they remembered to take the booze with!

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