Archaeologists digging in the American West have made a remarkable discovery after uncovering a sealed alcohol bottle dating back around 150 years.
The excavation, led by archaeologist Ian Wright, took place during the summer months at a location high in the Wasatch Mountains in Alta, Utah.
Whilst Alta draws visitors today for its renowned ski resorts, the area had an entirely different character during the 1870s, when it thrived as a bustling mining settlement.
According to Mr Wright, intact alcohol bottles from this period are rarely recovered in Utah, making the discovery particularly significant.
Curious about the bottle's mysterious contents, Mr Wright decided to seek professional assistance.
"We thought, 'Hey, let's take it to the experts and see if we can find out what exactly is in it,'" he explained.
The archaeologist transported the artefact to High West, an establishment that holds the distinction of being Utah's first legal distillery, founded in 1870.
Isaac Winter, who serves as head of distilling at the facility, assessed the vessel as being in "reasonably good shape, I would say, after sitting for 150 years."
Researchers filtered the mystery alcohol - then tasted it
|FOX NEWS
To extract the liquid whilst causing minimal disruption, the team employed a Coravin device, a tool that permits sampling without fully dislodging the cork.
Prior to opening the bottle, the team scrutinised its appearance and picked up a slightly vinegary odour from the cork.
"We weren't sure if it was clear spirit, if it was aged spirit, if it was beer, if it was wine, if it was champagne," Mr Winter told Fox News.
Experts carefully analysed the aroma, with Tara Lindley, director of sensory and product development at High West, identifying an "oxidised fruit note" in her initial impression.
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"It's fruity. There's a little bit of leather. There's quite a bit of age on it," Mr Winter observed.
After evaluating the smell, visual characteristics and overall condition, the team determined the liquid was most probably beer rather than wine or a distilled spirit.
During the filtering process, Mr Winter observed that sediment at the base had rendered the liquid cloudy.
"The very bottom of the bottle was sort of turbid it was sort of milky," he said.
The excavation, led by archaeologist Ian Wright, took place during the summer months at a location high in the Wasatch Mountains in Alta, Utah (pictured)
|GETTY
The team intends to conduct additional analysis to determine whether any yeast within the bottle remains viable, which could offer valuable insights into brewing methods of the era and potentially enable them to recreate the historic beverage.
Mr Winter himself sampled a small quantity of the extracted liquid, describing the taste as surprisingly tasty.
"I had a little bit of trepidation going into it, but you have to try it... It didn't smell like gasoline, didn't smell like tobacco spit."
While the 150-year-old sealed bottle is an extraordinary discovery, it is far from the oldest ever found.
The record belongs to a 2,000-year-old bottle of white wine uncovered in a Roman tomb in Carmona, preserved inside a glass vessel submerged in olive oil.
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