No, it’s not the sequel to that Crystal Skull debacle. It’s a very real “adventure” being undertaken by beverage company Whyte & Mackay to rescue two crates of McKinlay and Co. whiskey lost to the icy Antarctic back in 1909.

The booze was the property of British polar explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, who had been on an expedition, subsequently abandoned. My guess is that he gave up when he lost the sauce. ‘Tis the only reasonable course of action.

So what’s the big deal about this well-aged whiskey? If you have to ask, you clearly don’t understand the appeal of drinking something that tastes like it came from an ancient Irish crypt. And of course, there’s a marketing angle:

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 whisky 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.”

Mystery or no, if you need taste-testers, Mr. Fastier, I would like to humbly offer my services.

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About the author

Casey Rae-Hunter
Casey Rae-Hunter is a musician, public policy wonk and the editor/publisher of The Contrarian Media. An in-demand speaker, he gives frequent talks at conferences and campuses on issues at the intersection of creativity, technology, policy and law, and is a go-to source for major media outlets from NPR to the New York Times. Casey works alongside leaders in the music, arts and performance sectors to bolster understanding of and engagement in key policy and technology issues, and has written dozens of articles on the impact of technology on the creative community. Casey is an adjunct professor at Georgetown University and the Deputy Director for Future of Music Coalition. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Media & Democracy Coalition and the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture. The Contrarian does not necessarily represent the views of the organizations to which he belongs.

5 Comments for Indiana Jones and the Shipwrecked Whiskey

Wes Covey

Wow. Yeah, I mean… wow.

I think we need a bottle for late nights at Contrarian HQ.

Casey Rae-Hunter

I’m inclined to agree. But I don’t think I’m gonna go to Antarctica to get it! I find Yeti to generally be assholes. Plus they smell like wet dog.

Wes Covey

Not to mention they drink all the whiskey.