Brewery Successfully Recreates 172-Year-Old Beer Recovered From Shipwreck

A Finnish brewery has made good on its 2013 promise to recreate a 1840s-era beer salvaged from the bottom of the ocean: The Guardian reports Stallhagen brewery is ready to release Stallhagen 1842 and Stallhagen 1843, beers that scientifically re-create the brew discovered on-board a Finland shipwreck (the shipwreck, discovered in 2010, dated back to 1842). Stallhagen's brewmaster teamed with scientists from the Leuven Institute for Beer Research to determine the specific types of yeast and "living lactic acid bacteria" used in the original beer, which researchers concluded originated from Belgium. The modern-day recreation results in a beer "much sweeter than modern brews because of the way the malt was produced." (Stallhagen CEO calls the flavor profile "Champagne-like," noting that the light and subtle flavors represent how "luxury beer tasted in early 1800s.")

Stallhagen's two releases include the mass-market 1843 bottle and a collector's edition 1842, which will sell for £89 ($143 U.S.) per bottle. Below, go watch a video of the original shipwreck beers being discovered — and drank.

Video: The Discovery of Stallhagen Historic Beer