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This summer, archaeologists unearthed a 150-year-old bottle of alcohol in an unusual place: Utah.
The bottle, which was recently opened, was discovered at an archaeological site in Alta, Utah, according to FOX 13. Excavators, led by archaeologist Ian Wright, found the bottle during the excavation.
High in Utah's Wasatch Mountains, Alta is known today for its ski resorts, but in the 1870s it was a booming mining town.
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Intact bottles of alcohol from that era are rarely found in Utah, Wright told FOX 13. He said the discovery raised questions about what the bottle might contain.
“We thought, 'Hey, let's take it to the experts and see if we can figure out what exactly is in it,'” Wright said.
Archaeologists working in Alta, Utah, discovered a 150-year-old alcohol bottle dating back to the town's mining days. Next step: find out what was inside. (FOX 13)
So Wright took the bottle to High West, which was founded as Utah's first legal distillery in 1870, to finally open it.
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Isaac Winter, director of distillation at High West, told FOX 13 that the bottle was in “reasonably good shape, I would say, after 150 years of rest.”
Before opening it, the team examined the appearance of the bottle and noticed that the cork gave off a slightly vinegary smell.
“It's fruity. There's a little bit of leather to it. It's quite aged.”
The team carefully examined the appearance and color of the liquid before opening it. Discovering that the cork had a faint vinegar smell, they began extracting the liquid to determine the type of alcohol.
“We weren't sure if it was clear liquor, if it was aged liquor, if it was beer, if it was wine, if it was champagne,” Winter said.
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To minimize discomfort, the group used a Coravin device, which allows liquid to be extracted without completely removing the cork.
When the bottle was opened, the team took note of its smell.
High West distillers carefully analyzed the contents of the bottle after it was opened for the first time in 150 years. (FOX 13)
Tara Lindley, High West's director of sensory and product development, said the first smell she detected was a “rusty fruit note.”
“It's fruity. It's got a little leather to it. It's quite aged,” Winter observed.
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Based on the smell, appearance and state of the liquid, the team concluded that it was more likely to be a beer than a wine or distilled spirit.
When the contents were strained, Winter noticed that sediment at the bottom of the bottle clouded the liquid.
Experts examined the color, clarity and aroma of the liquid to identify whether it was beer, wine or spirits. (FOX 13)
“The bottom of the bottle was kind of cloudy, kind of milky,” he said.
He said the team planned additional analyses, including examining whether any yeast was still viable, which could provide insight into brewing practices of the time and could make it possible to recreate the beer.
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Winter also said he tasted a small amount of the liquid after extracting it and described the taste as not unpleasant.
“I was a little afraid to do it, but you have to try it,” Winter added. “It didn't smell like gasoline or tobacco saliva.”
“The bottom of the bottle was a little cloudy, a little milky,” said one archaeologist. (FOX 13)
Fox News Digital has reached out to High West for additional comment.
The company recalls a Midwestern distiller's ongoing efforts to revive a long-lost grain discovered in a shipwreck in Michigan.
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Chad Munger, founder and CEO of Mammoth Distilling, previously told Fox News Digital that turning grain into whiskey could “revitalize a segment of Michigan's agricultural economy that has been dormant and really needs to be revived.”
