Famous 162-Year-Old Beer Found on the Seabed

Divers conducting underwater research near England’s Dover coast found a bottle containing Guinness beer brewed 162 years ago.

In 2025, Belgian underwater photographer Stefan Panis spotted a strange bottle in an area where shipwrecks were located. After bringing it to the surface and rinsing it, they identified the Guinness label on it. The bottle turned out to date back to 1864.

Panis believes there may be many more such bottles on the seabed. He estimates that the crate containing the bottle held 24 bottles.

The discovery also intrigued beer experts. Samples taken from the bottle were sent to the laboratory at KU Leuven University in Belgium. Scientists plan to study the composition and taste of the beer from 1864.

If enough DNA information can be obtained from the samples, experts may try to recreate the taste of Guinness from 162 years ago.

Most intriguingly, researchers have not ruled out the possibility that the beer may still be safe to drink. This depends on whether seawater entered through the bottle’s cork.

Although Panis said he does not particularly like Guinness, he stated that he would be willing to taste it if experts deem the beer safe.

Meanwhile, Guinness archives and the divers are investigating additional information about the discovery.