Distillers style the contents of a 150-year-old alcohol bottle present in Utah mining city

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Archaeologists unearthed a 150-year-old alcohol bottle in an uncommon location this summer time: Utah.

The bottle, which was only in the near past opened, was uncovered at an archaeological site in Alta, Utah, in response to FOX 13. Excavators, led by archaeologist Ian Wright, discovered the bottle in the course of the dig.

Excessive in Utah's Wasatch Mountains, Alta is understood right this moment for its ski resorts — however within the 1870s, it was a booming mining city.

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Intact alcohol bottles from that period are not often present in Utah, Wright told FOX 13. He stated the invention raised questions on what the bottle may comprise.

"We thought, 'Hey, let's take it to the specialists and see if we are able to discover out what precisely is in it,'" Wright stated.

Archaeologists working in Alta, Utah, uncovered a 150-year-old alcohol bottle relationship again to the city's mining-era previous. Subsequent step: Discover out what was inside. (FOX 13)

So, Wright introduced the bottle to Excessive West, which was based as Utah's first authorized distillery in 1870, to lastly open it.

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Isaac Winter, the top of distilling at Excessive West, informed FOX 13 the bottle was in "moderately fine condition, I'd say, after sitting for 150 years."

Earlier than opening it, the workforce examined the bottle's look and famous that the cork emitted a barely vinegary scent.

"It is fruity. There's slightly little bit of leather-based. There's fairly a little bit of age on it."

The workforce rigorously examined the liquid's look and coloration earlier than opening it up. Discovering that the cork had a slight vinegary scent, they started extracting the liquid to find out the kind of alcohol.

"We weren't positive if it was clear spirit, if it was aged spirit, if it was beer, if it was wine, if it was champagne," Winter stated.

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To reduce disturbance, the group used a Coravin machine, which permits liquid to be extracted with out totally eradicating the cork.

When the bottle was opened, the workforce took cautious be aware of its scent.

<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/343/192/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/686/384/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/672/378/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1344/756/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/931/523/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1862/1046/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/720/405/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1440/810/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-1.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> Excessive West distillers rigorously analyzed the bottle's contents after it was opened for the primary time in 150 years. (FOX 13)

Tara Lindley, director of sensory and product improvement at Excessive West, stated the primary scent she detected was an "oxidized fruit be aware."

"It is fruity. There's slightly little bit of leather-based. There's fairly a little bit of age on it," Winter noticed.

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Based mostly on the scent, look and situation of the liquid, the workforce concluded it was extra doubtless a beer than a wine or distilled spirit.

When the contents had been filtered, Winter famous that sediment on the backside of the bottle made the liquid cloudy.

Specialists examined the liquid's coloration, readability and aroma to determine whether or not it was beer, wine or spirits. (FOX 13)

"The very backside of the bottle was type of turbid — it was type of milky," he stated.

He stated the workforce deliberate additional evaluation, together with analyzing whether or not any yeast remained viable, which may present perception into brewing practices from the interval — and should make it doable to recreate the beer.

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Winter additionally stated he tasted a small quantity of the liquid after it was extracted and described the flavour as not disagreeable.

"I had a little bit of trepidation going into it, however it's important to attempt it," Winter added. "It did not scent like gasoline, did not scent like tobacco spit."

<source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/343/192/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/686/384/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="192" width="343"><source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/672/378/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1344/756/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/931/523/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1862/1046/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"><source media="(min-width: 1280px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/720/405/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2026/01/1440/810/ut-150-yr-old-beer-bottle-archaeology-history-discovery-food-drink-alcohol-3.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="405" width="720"> "The very backside of the bottle was type of turbid — it was type of milky," an archeologist stated. (FOX 13)

Fox Information Digital reached out to Excessive West for added remark.

The enterprise is harking back to a Midwestern distiller's ongoing efforts to revive a long-lost grain found on a Michigan shipwreck.

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Chad Munger, founder and CEO of Mammoth Distilling, beforehand informed Fox Information Digital that turning the grain into whiskey may "reinvigorate a phase of the Michigan agricultural financial system that is gone dormant and actually must be revived."