Archaeologists Unearth 150-Year-Old Bottle of Alcohol in Utah, Experts Describe Its Fruity Flavor
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — In a remarkable find that bridges the past and present, an archaeological team excavating land managed by the U.S. Forest Service near the Alta ski resort uncovered a bottle of alcohol estimated to be around 150 years old. The bottle, dating back to approximately 1870-1890, was found intact and still sealed with its original cork, a rarity that has excited experts and historians alike.
Ian Wright, Utah’s state public archaeologist, described the discovery as a “real treasure,” noting that such finds are exceptionally uncommon in the region. “We rarely find a bottle with a cork at all,” Wright explained. “Or if we do find one, the corks shriveled up and shrunk inside of it, or just fragments of it. So that’s pretty rare.” While similar bottles have occasionally been recovered in states like Missouri—often from sunken ships or riverbeds where the Mississippi River has shifted—this marks the first known intact bottle of alcohol from that era found in Utah.
To analyze the contents without damaging the fragile cork, Wright’s team collaborated with High West Distillery, Utah’s oldest legal distillery, and Old Town Cellars, which provided a Coravin device typically used by wine experts to extract liquid without opening the bottle. Isaac Winter, High West’s director of distilling, was the first to sample the liquid. “I had a little bit of trepidation going into it, but you have to try it,” Winter told FOX 13 Utah. “It didn’t smell like gasoline, didn’t smell like tobacco spit.”
Winter described the flavor as “fruity, there’s a little bit of leather, there’s quite a bit of age on it,” while Tara Lindley, director of sensory and product development at High West, noted the complexity of the taste. “First, there was some kind of a, kind of an oxidized fruit note,” Lindley said. The experts concluded that the liquid likely represents a low-alcohol beer rather than a distilled spirit.
Intriguingly, the bottom of the bottle contained a turbid, milky residue. Winter expressed hope that this sediment might contain viable yeast cultures. “We’re going to take that back and hopefully plate it out and find some usable yeast on it,” he said, with plans to attempt a recreation of the historic beverage.
This discovery not only offers a rare glimpse into the drinking habits of late 19th-century Utah but also highlights the value of careful archaeological preservation on public lands. The excavation was conducted under the oversight of the U.S. Forest Service, which manages the land where the bottle was found. Such finds contribute to a broader understanding of the cultural and social history of the American West during a period of rapid development and settlement.
As efforts continue to analyze and potentially reproduce the beverage, the bottle stands as a tangible connection to Utah’s pioneer past, inviting both experts and the public to savor a literal taste of history.
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