- 20 bottles of Guinness from 1864 found in shipwreck off Dover coast
- Belgian diver Stefan Panis discovered the bottles in the Mindora shipwreck
- The Mindora sank in 1864 after collision near Dover en route to Vancouver
As many as 20 bottles of Guinness, dating back to 1864, have been found on a shipwreck, located approximately five kilometres off the coast of Dover. Belgian underwater photographer Stefan Panis has been credited with the discovery, with researchers now analysing the contents to see if they can recover enough DNA from the stout to produce an authentic recreation of the original beer.
The beer bottles were discovered in the ship's cargo under constant high pressure and absolute darkness, regarded as perfect conditions for preservation. The Mindora, which collided with another vessel off the coast of Dover on November 27th, 1864, had set sail from London to Vancouver a week earlier.
Panis, who has been diving for more than 40 years, contacted Guinness to share information about the 162-year-old discovery. Though he initially emerged with a single pint, Panis believes there might be multiple cases in the shipwreck.
"We lifted the artefact, and then on the surface a quick rinse revealed 'Guinness'. Seeing the size of the case, I think it is definitely a case of 24 bottles. But there might be more cases."
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Following the discovery, samples from the bottle were sent to microbiologists at KU Leuven University in Belgium for analysis
“There is always a chance that we can recover the complete DNA, and then we can do a small re-brew of the exact beer that was found in the 1860s,” Panis said.
A spokesperson for Diageo Ireland, the British multinational that owns and manufactures Guinness, said the Guinness Archive team “has been in communication with the divers to gather more information and evaluate the find”.
“Discoveries like this provide a fascinating window into our past and help build a deeper understanding of our heritage," the spokesperson was quoted as saying by The Irish Times.
