A group of divers came across a rare find that deserves a nod of approval from beer lovers across the globe.
Videos by Wide Open Country
While exploring a shipwreck in the English Channel, underwater photographer Stefan Panis and his team discovered a 162-year-old bottle of Guinness.
For historians keeping score at home, that means that the bottle was brewed during Abraham Lincoln's presidency and predates the invention of telephones, light bulbs and gas-powered automobiles.
"I resurfaced and the top of the bottle was super clear, and I was really amazed to see 'Guinness Extra Stout London,' Panis told Inc.
The bottle was found in the boat's cargo. Panis and fellow diver Eddie Huzzie, 68, then sent samples from the 19th-century bottle to microbiologists at the research university KU Leuven in Belgium.
"There is always a chance that we can recover the complete DNA. Then we can do a small re-brew of the exact beer that was found in the 1860s," Panis said.
Recreating the stout using the original would be a cool experiment. Interestingly, an enticing alternative remains possible: the 162-year-old stout may be drinkable.
Panis said, "There is a possibility that it's still drinkable. The question is whether the seawater has come into the bottles through the corks. If not, most likely the beer would still be drinkable."
The Belgium-born underwater photographer admitted that he is not a fan of the stout. However, he said that he wouldn't hesitate to try it if the bottle proves drinkable.
A spokesperson for Diageo, Guinness' parent company, said: "Discoveries like this provide a fascinating window into our past. And help build a deeper understanding of our heritage."
"Currently, our Guinness Archive team is liaising with the divers to gather more information and evaluate the find."
Internet Reacts to Rare Guinness Discovery
Upon learning that a nearly 200-year-old bottle of booze was discovered, it didn't take long for the internet to chime in on the matter.
Unsurprisingly, most social media users urged the divers to give the 19th-century bottle a swig.
"As the advert says, good things come to those who wait," a user wrote on X.
"The fact that we might be able to taste what Guinness was like in 1864 is absolutely insane," another replied.
Another user wrote, "I guarantee it still tastes better than half the crap IPAs out today."
