What is the worlds rarest beer?

heinz57 said:

Your first home brew.

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ctbrewer227 said:

Heres a question that im sure is going to stir up alot of feedback what is the rarest beer in the world?

Rarest in the USA?

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Brewsmith said:

The one bottle of one of my brews I have left stashed back in the fridge.

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ctbrewer227 said:

Ive heard many stories and read alot about Westy 12. Is it all possible to get offline and if so where?

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heinz57 said:

Your first home brew.

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carnevoodoo said:

If you're talking about beer people clamor for, I would go Westy 12. You can only buy it at the monastery, or through less legal channels. It is rated as one of the top beers in the world, but near impossible to get.

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$500,000 for 1 Bottle of Beer?

OK, this Seattlest loves beer. But, we can't ever imagine having enough money to blow $500,000 on a bottle of beer.

A full, sealed bottle of Allsopp's Arctic Ale, from 1852, just sold on Ebay for $503,300 yesterday. Yes, you read that correctly.

This sale was definitely for a historical artifact though, and not just for the beer itself.
Allsopp's Brewery was notable for brewing some of the first India Pale Ales in England for export to the colonies. This Arctic Ale was formulated to last through an arctic expedition to search for a lost explorer, Sir John Franklin. This is the oldest known sealed bottle of beer in the world. 2 bottles of this were sent to the US about 100 years ago, and this is one of those 2 bottles.

Who would spend this much on a bottle of beer? After 157 bids, "v00d004sc0re" is the proud owner of one old ass bottle of beer. His previous purchases on Ebay seem to consist of nothing but vinyl records, none over $30. Color us skeptical. But, any bidder had to be credit checked/verified for bids over $15k and the deal will take place through an escrow service. So, who knows. Maybe it is a real bid.

The real kicker, is the current seller bought this beer less than 2 months ago on Ebay for.....$304. But, he had to pay shipping. The guy who bought for $500k got free shipping, making it well worth it.
The $300 auction was simple: Here is an old bottle of beer for sale. Please buy it.
The seller for the $500k auction put some research into it and turned it into a one-of-a-kind historical artifact. That lucky bastard. The guy who sold this for $300 must be kicking himself something fierce...

If you bought this beer, would you drink it? We would. Then, we'd fill it back up with Guinness or something and re-cap it. No one would ever know...

You can find more historical details about the beer after the break.

From the aucion description:

Until the 1850s Allsopp’s Brewery was most notable for brewing some of the first India Pale Ales for export to the colonies. However, Samuel Allsopp was approached about a different recipe; Sir Edward Belcher was about to led an arctic expedition (1852) to search for the lost explorer Sir John Franklin. The Expedition needed a brew that withstand arctic and sub arctic temperatures, and provide a degree of sustenance and nutritious value. “Captain Belcher reported that Allsopp's Arctic Ale proved to be "a valuable antiscorbutic", helping fight off scurvy, the bane of all sea voyages in those days.” He added that the beer was "a great blessing to us, particularly for our sick" and that it refused to freeze until the temperature dropped well below zero.” [beerpages.com]
What you are looking at is an actual museum quality sealed and intact bottle of Samuel Allsopp’s Arctic Ale brewed for the 1852 Expedition to the Arctic lead by Sir Edward Belcher. This bottle of beer is likely the rarest, oldest, and most documented bottle of beer in existence! Not to mention the unbelievably unique history surrounding it. Accompanying the bottle is an actual limited handwritten history about the bottle itself.

It reads as follows:


“This ale was specially brewed and bottled in England, in 1852, for Kane’s Expedition in search of Sir John Franklin. A portion of the lot was cached in the Arctic; and was afterwards taken back to England, where it was bought by Allsopp, from whom Mr. Jus. Fennell obtained a part.

This bottle was given to me by Mr. Fennell May 13, 1919. Should I depart from this (by that time probably) dry world before consuming the contents, let my son and brethren perform my duties and enjoy my rights in that respect, on the eve of my funeral (if they find it in time) – unless such act be then illegal, in which case those of the aforesaid trustees who sufficiently learned in law shall advise ac-????? To the rule of ey fares.

Two bottles of this ale were guests of honor at the banquet given to Shackleton and Peary, in Boston, some years ago. (1907/1908) The skeletons of said guests were preserved as mementos of Sir John Franklin! (Useful suggestion regarding the “cast off shell” of the spirit.)

Signed: Percy G Bolster
Research seems to point toward Percy Bolster being an attorney in the Boston area in the early 20th C. I am not sure who Kane is? that he is referring in the Expedition. Perhaps a financier or someone his friend Fennell told him of.

The handwritten note was laminated some time back. The bottle itself is in excellent condition, still full and wax sealed over cork. The fill line is possibly the original fill line for the bottle. The wax seal appears lightly chipped in one area. Please read the e-bay disclaimers concerning this auction* You are bidding on what most would consider the rarest bottle of beer in the world! This bottle’s history is amazing!

Think…two bottles were sent over for the celebration Peary and Shackleton’s North Pole expedition, in Boston, over 100 years ago, and those bottles were considered a RARE TREASURE at that time!!! Do your research this piece is nothing short of museum quality, also find it interesting that the world record price paid for a full corked bottle of wine was a Chateau Margaux 1789 that was part of Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection, LONDON Christies 1989 $265,000.

Although this bottle is not quit of that caliber, it is rather close, with age, condition, provenance, and history. Imagine it was rare enough 100 years ago to be something very special, something that would be opened for a successful 1st expedition to the North Pole.

So here is your chance, own the rarest bottle of beer in the world, make the Guinness Book of World Records, or do as you please. This is most certainly a once in a lifetime opportunity. A down payment is expected at auction end. The transaction can be closed in a number of conventional ways, if you have the money to purchase this item, you are well familiar with all of them. Standard auction terms and conditions govern this auction. Please do not waste my time with ridiculous comments or questions, serious buyers and inquiries only.

This listing complies with ebay rules on the sale of alcohol. As per ebay rules:

- The value of the item is in the collectible container, not its contents.
- The container has not been opened and any incidental contents are not intended for consumption.
- The item is not available at any retail outlet, and the container has a value that substantially exceeds the

current retail price of the alcohol in the container.

- As the seller, I will take all appropriate steps to ensure that the buyer is of lawful age in the buyer and seller's

jurisdiction. (21 in the United States, 18 most everywhere else)

- Buyers and sellers both ensure that the sale complies with all applicable laws and shipping regulations.

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czeknere said:

Speaking of Westy 12...there's no way THIS is legit...

*edit* apparently that auction is over, but still, that auction can't be correct.

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Brett3rThanU said:

One of my friends got me a bottle of Westvleteren 12 for my birthday, he had to order it from overseas. I must say it is a good beer, but not my favorite. Certainly not worth the price tag in my opinion, but it was a very good present my friend got me.

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Jolly McStanson said:

I'm wondering what that beer would taste like? By now its probably not drinkable.

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Jolly McStanson said:

I'm wondering what that beer would taste like? By now its probably not drinkable.

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