A Scottish brewer is set to open one of the rarest beers in the world in order to create a unique modern version of the historic ale.
Dougal Gunn Sharp with his original bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale. Photograph: Elaine Livingstone
Dougal Gunn Sharp, founder and master brewer of Edinburgh-based Innis & Gunn, will pour a bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale into a new brew commemorating the 1875 expedition of Sir George Nares, whose team set out to reach the North Pole.
The bottle, believed to be one of just a handful still in existence, was originally brewed in Burton upon Trent for British explorers venturing into the frozen north.
Sharp acquired it more than a decade ago at auction, for just over £3,000, after it was discovered in a Shropshire garage. Another bottle of the same beer from an 1852 expedition later made headlines when it sold for more than $580,000 on eBay, although it’s thought the transaction was never completed.
Now, in partnership with the revived English brewer Allsopp’s, Sharp plans to use a quantity of the famed antique ale to seed a new limited-edition beer — Innis & Gunn 1875 Arctic Ale — following the original Allsopp’s recipe.
“It’s hard to overstate how rare this bottle is,” said Sharp. “Some people might think it’s madness to open it, but I think the real madness would be to leave it sitting on a shelf. Beer is meant to be shared, particularly on this, its 150th anniversary.
“This ale was brewed for a voyage of endurance and adventure, and I think it’s only right that it has one more journey — into the glass. There’s something very special about being able to taste a piece of brewing and maritime history. That’s why we’re doing this.”
Only a tiny handful of bottles of the original Arctic Ale remain worldwide. Brewed at Samuel Allsopp & Sons, in Burton upon Trent, the beer was designed to provide sustenance for sailors enduring temperatures as low as -40°C. With an alcohol strength of around 9%, it was described as ‘strong and nutritive’, rich in unfermentable sugars that could resist freezing. It has six times the calorie content of conventional beer.
Records from the 19th century describe the ale as dark brown, ‘suggestive of old Madeira’, and so thick it had to be lifted from the brewing copper in buckets. Its strength and sweetness earned it a reputation as one of the most extraordinary beers ever produced.
The beer accompanied several Arctic expeditions: first, Admiral Sir Edward Belcher’s 1852 mission to locate the lost Franklin expedition, then Sir Leopold McClintock’s 1857 voyage, and finally Sir George Nares’ 1875 attempt to reach the North Pole. Though each ended in hardship, the story of Arctic Ale became legend among brewers.
Jamie Allsopp, founder of the new-look Allsopp’s Brewery and direct descendant of Samuel Allsopp, said the collaboration with Innis & Gunn feels like ‘a physical bridge to the past’.
He explained: “There’s something uniquely romantic about Allsopp’s Arctic Ale — it’s a story of heroism, endurance, and human daring. This was a beer brewed for explorers setting out to survive the extremes of the Arctic, designed to nourish them in conditions as low as -40°C.
“It’s one of the strongest and most extraordinary beers ever made — more like a Madeira than a modern ale — and its legend has only grown with time. Very few bottles still exist, and I’ve only ever seen two come up for sale.
“So when Dougal told me he planned to use one of his to help recreate it, I honestly thought he was mad — but I love it! The idea of physically pouring history into a new brew is a kind of alchemy. It’s never been done before, and it’s the perfect way to reconnect with a moment in brewing history that’s fascinated people for nearly 170 years.”
The new 1875 Arctic Ale will be brewed at Innis & Gunn’s Perth brewery using authentic malt and hop varieties from the original recipe. The bottle of Arctic Ale will be ceremonially opened during the brewing process, with the bottle incorporated into the fermentation.
The beer will be released later this year in limited quantities across Innis & Gunn’s Taprooms in Edinburgh and Glasgow, at Allsopp’s venues in London, as well as a select number of other stockists. A small number of hand-bottled editions will also be made available via a ballot. (Enter the ballot here.)
Sharp, who has built Innis & Gunn into one of the UK’s most awarded premium beer businesses since founding it in 2003, said the project represents ‘a moment of connection’ between brewing past and present.
He said: “The first time I read about Arctic Ale, I was captivated by the story. It’s part of a lost chapter in brewing — a beer designed to sustain explorers on one of history’s most extreme expeditions.
“When I found a bottle at auction, I knew I had to have it, not as a collector’s piece but as a brewer. To me, beer should always be about sharing stories and experiences. This is about bringing people closer to history — to taste what those explorers tasted, to raise a glass to their courage.”
Allsopp’s, once among Britain’s most famous brewers, was revived in 2021 by Jamie Allsopp, a descendant of its 18th century founders. Using original yeast strains and recipes recovered from the family archives, the modern brewery has reintroduced the classic Allsopp’s Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, and Pilsner, and now plans to help re-imagine its most legendary beer in partnership with Innis & Gunn.
The original Arctic Ale was lauded in its day as a masterpiece of endurance brewing. In 1888, brewery historian Alfred Barnard described a surviving sample as “a nice brown colour, vinous and nutty, and as sound as the day it was brewed”. By 1895, just 11 bottles remained at the Burton brewery.
Both Innis & Gunn and Allsopp’s describe the new 1875 Arctic Ale as a celebration of that heritage — and of brewing’s spirit of adventure.
Sharp added: “It’s not just about rarity — it’s about respect for history. This bottle has survived a century and a half. Now it’s time for it to live again.”
