In the icy silence, the sun hovering low on the horizon and the wind howling like ancient ghosts, there was a treasure buried beneath layers of history and ice. Expedition Whisky.
It was not a relic from war or an empire. It was never meant to be discovered. In 2010, a team of workers near an old wooden shed found it. A crate full of whisky. It wasn’t just any whisky. These were bottles from the early 1900s, distilled in Scotland and sealed in glass. They were then shipped to the most inhospitable place on Earth.
This is Ernest Shackleton whisky.
The whisky was abandoned under the floorboards at his Cape Royds expedition base. It had survived freezing temperatures, shifting glaciers, and the human forgetfulness of more than a hundred years. After Shackleton’s often tragic and heroic journeys, the whisky he drank was once again in the spotlight. The question was as loud as the Antarctic breeze:
Can it be recreated? Can we recreate the footsteps of a man who dared to dream of something beyond the limits of the earth?
A Toast To The Ice: The Discovery
It all began with a simple restoration project. The New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust was working to preserve Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition Hut, built in 1908. The workers discovered three crates, buried under wooden planks and covered in permafrost. They had been long forgotten, untouched, since the days of explorers who faced death with canvas tents and wool coats.
The crates were carefully removed from the ice and bore the label: Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt whisky.
The find was no longer just archaeology. It was alchemical.
This was more than frozen liquor. This was more than frozen liquor. It was a link with one of the most incredible stories of endurance, a liquid time capsule of an era where maps still marked blank spaces as “Unknown.”
Who was Ernest Shackleton, and what did he do?
You have to know who brought the whisky bottles to capture global attention.
Sir Ernest Shackleton is one of the most legendary figures of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Shackleton was Irish-born and British-raised. He had a polar obsession. His dreams were larger than the world.
The 1907-1909 Nimrod Expedition, for which the whisky was originally brought, sought to be the first to reach the South Pole. They fell short, but it was still the closest humans had ever come to the South Pole.
Shackleton’s unbreakable spirit and almost spiritual loyalty towards his crew would make him a legend in the years to come, especially during his 1914-1917 Endurance Expedition, when his ship was smashed by ice. He then led an almost impossible rescue across thousands of miles.
But before Endurance could cement its myth, there existed Nimrod — the first great push to the interior of Antarctica. Shackleton also brought whisky, among the maps and gear.
Not for indulgence. Not for comfort.
Survival is not an option.
Why Whisky on Ice?
Whisky today is associated with sophistication. It’s sipped on leather chairs and discussed in terms like oak, peat, and finish. Back then, whisky was something entirely different.
Whisky was medicine in the early 1900s. It was a source of morale. It was liquid courage.
Shackleton was a planner who understood the importance of keeping spirits high, both literally and metaphorically. Each bottle was sealed, and each crate was carefully packed to ensure it could withstand the freezing temperatures.
He chose Mackinlay’s because it was considered a robust Highland malt of its time, rich, robust and warming. These are the qualities that an explorer would need to be able to camp on the edge of the cliff and wait for a weather break.
Could the Modern Revival be recreated?
The next step, after the bottles had been recovered, was to conduct scientific tests. A single sample–painstakingly drawn with a syringe through the cork–was flown back to Scotland, under frozen conditions, for analysis.
The sample was handed to Richard Paterson, a master blender at Whyte & Mackay. Paterson, reverent and meticulous, handled the sample as if he were a time-traveller with a relic.
He said, “This is not just about taste.” This is history. Understanding the man, his time and place is the key to understanding this book.
Paterson’s team recreated the taste of Shackleton’s whisky using gas chromatography, as well as good old-fashioned sampling. Honey, dried fruits, smoke, vanilla and spice were all present. The whisky was bold, balanced and surprisingly smooth considering its age.
In 2011, the Shackleton Whisky came into existence.
The result was a tribute not only to a lost blend but also to the durability of craftsmanship and the idea that something as fleeting as taste can be revived even after a century.
Legacy Bottle: More than a Marketing Gimmick
Some might dismiss the recreation of the whisky as a clever advertising ploy in the age of luxury branding and heritage stories. But Expedition whisky wasn’t just about selling bottles.
The proceeds from Shackleton whisky was donated to the Antarctic Heritage Trust in support of the preservation and restoration of huts such as Shackleton’s Cape Royds. Labels on the bottle mirrored those of the original. The box mimicked a crate. Even the small imperfections of old glasses were replicated.
What’s inside? The inside?
Each sip was a link to the past. Drinkers could imagine themselves huddled together in a wooden hut battered by the wind and surrounded by a vast ocean of ice. They could raise a glass to celebrate survival, not celebration.
Retelling The First, Forgotten Expedition
Expedition whisky may have also sparked a renewed interest, perhaps unintentionally, in Shackleton’s first Antarctic voyage. The Endurance tale, with its dramatic lifeboat escape, has been immortalised by books, films and documentaries. However, the Nimrod journey often remained in the shadows.
But it deserves more.
Shackleton and his team made the first ascent to Mount Erebus, an active volcano. The Beardmore Glacier, a crucial route to the South Pole, was discovered by Shackleton’s team. This discovery laid the foundation for all subsequent expeditions.
Also, they brought the first automobile to Antarctica. The car froze up and failed, but the ambition was still there.
Few of us could imagine the isolation and temperatures that were below -40 °C. A case of whisky was hidden beneath the floorboards, like a secret between centuries.
It was more than a footnote in history. This case ignited a new story. It was a reminder that exploration can be messy, passionate and human. And that small comforts are often what keep us warm, even when we’re in the coldest corners of the globe.
Why this story is important now
True adventure is rare in our world of GPS and instant communications. Antarctica is covered by satellites and has research stations. The days of heroic exploration seem to be long gone.
But Expedition Whisky also reminds us of the emotional side to exploration. It’s all about understanding those who came before and finding meaning from what they left behind, whether it’s handwritten journals or scientific data.
We can better understand Shackleton’s journey by retracing his steps, not just geographically but also through taste and through time.
Exploration is all about resilience.
There are many ways to be resilient.
It’s important to remember that sometimes survival is more than just rations, rucksacks and sleeping bags. Sometimes it’s about finding moments of warmth amid a world filled with cold.
Final Pour
A bottle of Shackleton whisky is not only a collector’s item but also an invitation. To remember. To imagine. To connect.
Close your eyes and pour a dram. You might hear the cracking of a wooden snow sled or the crunch of the boots on the snow. As you raise your glass, you might feel the loneliness and fire of the ice.
Not conquest. Not empire.
But the human spirit.