My kind of archaeology.

[Carleton Hughes]

Drilling for Scotch whiskey on frozen continent


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1 hr 36 mins ago
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – A beverage company has asked a team to drill through Antarctica's ice for a lost cache of some vintage Scotch whiskey that has been on the rocks since a century ago.
The drillers will be trying to reach two crates of McKinlay and Co. whiskey that were shipped to the Antarctic by British polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton as part of his abandoned 1909 expedition.
Whyte & Mackay, the drinks group that now owns McKinlay and Co., has asked for a sample of the 100-year-old scotch for a series of tests that could decide whether to relaunch the now-defunct Scotch.
Workers from New Zealand's Antarctic Heritage Trust will use special drills to reach the crates, frozen in Antarctic ice under the Nimrod Expedition hut near Cape Royds.
Al Fastier, who will lead the expedition in January, said restoration workers found the crates of whiskey under the hut's floorboards in 2006. At the time, the crates and bottles were too deeply embedded in ice to be dislodged.
The New Zealanders have agreed to try to retrieve some bottles, although the rest must stay under conservation guidelines agreed by 12 Antarctic Treaty nations.
Fastier said he did not want to sample the contents.
"It's better to imagine it than to taste it," he said. "That way it keeps its mystery."
Richard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay's master blender, said the Shackleton expedition's whiskey could still be drinkable and taste exactly as it did 100 years ago.
If he can get a sample, he intends to replicate the old Scotch and put McKinlay whiskey back on sale.
"I really hope we can get some back here," he was quoted as telling London's Telegraph newspaper. "It's been laying there lonely and neglected. It should come back to Scotland where it was born.
"Even if most of the bottles have to remain in Antarctica for historic reasons, it would be good if we could get a couple," Paterson said.
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[Kuan]

I'll have one on the rocks please.

[Jim B.]

Shurely shome mishtake !!!!??

[kerry]

Ernest Shackleton was quite a man. I flew to NYC some years ago to view the lifeboat he sailed from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island, an incredible feat. The display at the Natural History Museum was surrounded by video screens of the southern ocean. There were sextants which you could use to attempt a sun sight in those huge waves and a computer would grade your navigational skills. Quite fun.
I think a person would be hard pressed to find a more resourceful group of men than those who survived that Antarctic expedition. It is ironic that a number of them met their demise in WWI shortly after surviving such difficult conditions.

[junqueyardjim]

I had the book story of the Shackleton Expedition a few years ago, and it is an unbelievable story of survival. I would read it again but I can't find my book. It was republished about 10 years ago by Dr. James Dobson's "Focus on the Family" Institute. Does anyone recall the correct name of the book?

[kerry]

Endurance. I was not aware that Focus on the Family ever published it. There's a coffee table book about the expedition with lots of pictures taken by the brilliant photographer on the trip. There's also a documentary film which includes movie footage he took. My recollection is that Shackleton forced the photographer to throw a lot of plates into the water because he was afraid the photographer would risk his life to protect them and he didn't think it was worth it.

[junqueyardjim]

Yes Kerry, that is what is reported in the book also, that most pictures which were heavy photographic plates were dumped to save weight, I think even as they abandoned the ship and left with dogs and sleds. I think now that they even abandoned the dogs and the men pulled the sleds - terrible predicament!

[Carleton Hughes]

"Strong Spirits have always been the backbone of every serious endeavor" My Gramps,1979.

[Graplr]

Originally Posted by Kuan

I'll have one on the rocks please.

I'll take mine neat...it has been sitting on the rocks for a century after all.

[Hatterasguy]

These days you would probably get flack for shipping in crates of Scotch.

Winston Churchill used to bring casses with him when he was in the army. I remember reading one of his packing lists. It was like 5 pairs of socks, 6 cases of Scotch, 4 pairs of pants, 5 cases of Brandy...

[Mistress]

Be nice to see what it tastes like...Hey Carleton you going on the expedition?

[Mike D]

Somewhere on the Antarctic ice field a lonely explorer sits in his hut sending a missive to the backers of the expedition," Have located cases of Scotch-stop-bottles appear to be empty-stop-will continue to examine specimums-stop- more supplies needed-stop-soda water in desperate short supply-stop- your's sincerely, Carleton-stop-end transmission"

[Carleton Hughes]

Imagine losing that precious fluid and surviving on naught but food and water.

[Mistress]

Originally Posted by Carleton Hughes

Imagine losing that precious fluid and surviving on naught but food and water.

I shudder to think what that would have been like...."Donner Party of Five" right this way please...