Two stories have intersected across more than a century of time. The story of Ernest Shackleton’s failed attempt to reach the South Pole in 1907 and the story of how the whisky he took on his expedition was re-created more than 100 years later.

In the whisky world the recreation, carried out by “nose” Richard Paterson (pictured below) and a team of chemical analysts at Whyte & Mackay has gotten a lot of press as has the whisky that they created and  bottled as a replica of the original single malt of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky. One key obstacle in the re-creation was that the distillery where the original whisky was distilled, Glen Mhor, had been demolished

Details of the trip can be found on my Shackleton’s Blog Post.

In many ways the expedition was ill equipped. Their ponies froze to death and their sled dogs were of no use since no one knew how to drive a sled pulled by dogs.

However in the drinking department they were very well prepared. They carried along a great deal of alcoholic beverages including 25 crates of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Whisky. And, they did make it out alive, just barely.

Clips of NatGeo video: http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel/specials-1/exploration-adventure/ngc-whiskey-find-of-the-century/

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/national-geographic-channel/specials-1/exploration-adventure/ngc-shackletons-whiskey-recipe/

Link to Shackleton Centennary Expedition carried out in 2008 to mark the 100 year anniversary of Shackleton’s original journey: http://www.shackletoncentenary.org/about/

This well-made video is well worth the time to watch. If possible have a dram of the Mackinlay’s whisky to sip as you view this amazing story and toast to Shackleton and his intrepid crew..

Cheers!

Other media on this Expedition and Whisky:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/magazine/drinking-ernest-shackletons-whisky.html?pagewanted=all

http://blog.thewhiskyexchange.com/2011/04/shackletons-whisky-mackinlays-reborn/

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/food/2012/01/tasting-shackletons-whisky/

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/how-scottish-scientists-re-created-hundred-year-old-whisky