Breweries utilizing the newest ingredients and innovative techniques are dominating the craft-brewing scene. Brewers are always striving to create something new, something that has never been done before. But, sometimes taking a step back and looking at the history of brewing is much more exciting. I recently got to taste a beer that has an extraordinary history. Its history tells a story of a dangerous expedition, an abandoned ship, the queen of England, the president of the United States and a very old bottle of beer.
The beer that I tasted was Fegley’s Brew Works’ Arctic Alchemy. Arctic Alchemy is a 12% ABV cross between an English Barleywine and an Old Ale. It is a modern re-creation of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale, which was first brewed in England in 1852. Before I can explain more about this modern re-creation we must delve into the history that surrounds the original beer.
Sir Edward Belcher’s Expedition
In 1852, English explorer Sir Edward Belcher embarked on an expedition to map out the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic. For his expedition, he commanded a fleet of five British vessels stocked with several hundred bottles of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale. This beer was commissioned by her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria to aid the explorers on their journey. It was common practice then to utilize beer on long voyages to help provide nourishment to the crew, as well as stave off scurvy. At the time, scurvy was very crippling to crews that weren’t properly prepared. Sir Edward Belcher wrote about Allsopp’s Arctic Ale in his captain’s journal as “a great blessing to us, particularly for our sick.” He added, “It refused to freeze until the temperature dropped well below zero.” Even though the ale was well received by the crew, the expedition eventually ended in failure. Sir Edward Belcher had to abandon four out of his five vessels and return to England.
Three years after the tragic end of his voyage, an American whaling vessel discovered one of the abandoned ships, the HMS Resolute, drifting in the Baffin Bay. When inspected, the Americans discovered a few bottles of fully sealed Arctic Ale. The whaling vessel towed the damaged ship back to America, where the U.S. government purchased it. After being restored to its former glory, the HMS Resolute was returned to the Royal Navy of England. After 23 more years of service, the HMS Resolute was decommissioned as a navy vessel and scrapped. In November 1880, the Queen of England presented a gift to the U.S. president, Rutherford B. Hayes, for the return of the HMS Resolute. The Queen had commissioned a hand-carved desk made out of the wooden planks of the ship itself. That desk still sits in the Oval office and is regularly used by President Barack Obama.
In August 2007, a bottle of Allsopp’s Arctic Ale, still full and sealed, came up for auction. By the end of the auction it sold for $500,000. Reportedly the sale did not go through, but it did catch the attention of avid homebrewer, adventurer and beer historian Chris Brown.
Fegley’s 2010 Arctic Expedition
This amazing journey of a historic beer inspired Chris Brown and Fegley’s Brew Works’ Brewmaster Beau Baden to collaborate on a recipe for a modern version of the historic ale. The research alone to try to find the full history of this beer took two and a half years.
With the massive history behind this beer, simply brewing it in their typical brewhouse for a typical release was not enough. In July 2010, Chris Bowen, Dick Gethin and John Chay set out from Bethlehem on motorcycles for their own arctic expedition. This expedition ended on the banks of the Hudson/James Bay, where the team brewed 100 gallons of Arctic Alchemy, which was brought back to the Bethlehem brewery for bottling. The entire trek was filmed and will be made into a full-length documentary.
This modern re-creation is not only inspired by history, but is actually making history itself. Since it was first brewed in 2010, Fegley’s Arctic Alchemy has won a gold medal at the 2014 Great American Beer Fest, a platinum medal at the 2011 World Beer Championships and a bronze at the 2011 Great American Beer Fest. Not bad for re-creating an 163-year-old recipe!
Tasting the Historic Brew
I was able to get my hands on a bottle of the 2012 batch of Fegley’s Arctic Alchemy. I am a big fan of classic English Barleywines and Old Ales, so I was excited to try this brew. When poured, this three-year-old batch appears a cloudy brown with almost no carbonation. The glass wafts the most amazing aromas. The smell is mostly dominated by the scent of Sherry, which is accompanied by toffee, caramel, honey and tart cherry. I was blown away by my first sip, as this is a really delicious brew! The taste starts with big dark-fruit flavors, more specifically caramel, plum and fig. The beer also has a papery flavor due to the slight oxidation, though this is typical with the style. After getting the bite left from the hops, the beer ends with earthy and spicy flavors.
This is a well-rounded beer that still has a mild hop kick to balance out the heavy malt flavors. This beer is sweet, but not overly sweet. You get some great flavors from the high alcohol content, but this beer drinks extremely smooth. I definitely suggest letting the bottle warm up a bit before opening so you can taste all of the complex flavors in Arctic Alchemy. Because the beer is 12% ABV and comes in a 750ml bottle, it is also a great beer to share with friends.
On a rare occasion, I will still stumble across bottles of Fegley’s Arctic Alchemy available at local bottle shops. So, if you keep your eyes open you may be able to find a bottle for yourself. The price can be a bit steep, but it is absolutely worth every cent!
You can find out more about the beer on Fegley’s website. To find out more about the Arctic Alchemy Expedition or the history of the brew, check out the Arctic Alchemy website. Follow Fegley’s Brew Works on Facebook or Twitter.
- Photo: Arne Morin
