I once had the misfortune of drinking a Heineken beer that was two months past its expiration date. However, it still tasted pretty good, so I wasn’t too concerned, even though it wasn’t as fresh as I would have preferred. So what would a 72-year-old beer taste like? I don’t think I would want to know (unless there was nothing else in the house, of course). Should you be more adventurous than me, a bottle of beer that was recovered from the Hindenburg airship disaster of 1937 will go on auction. So collectors and daring beer enthusiasts take note, the beer is Lowenbrau and the auction is this Saturday.
The British auction house Aldridge and Sons will oversee the sale of the historic beer, and estimates have the bottle going for $7,500. Even including tip, that’s still expensive for a bottle of brew, even in New York City. The scorched beer was found at the time of the disaster by a New Jersey fireman, Leroy Smith, who recovered six bottles of unopened Lowenbrau beer and a pitcher. He gave the bottles to fellow fire-fighters, keeping the pitcher and one bottle for himself, passing the items down to his niece in 1966.
Much of the actual contents of the bottle evaporated in the heat of the explosion, and the label is charred but enough remains to identify the brand. The handle of the pitcher also became detached, again due to its proximity to the heat.
The LZ 129 Hindenburg was destroyed over Lakehurst New Jersey as it attempted to dock. There have been several theories put forward as to what caused the incident but none have been confirmed. The disaster spelled the end for airship travel as public confidence diminished rapidly. However due to the foresight of Mr. Leroy Smith, a small part of that airship’s final journey remains today.
If you do like the idea of tasting 72-year-old-beer or you’re just interested in Hindenburg memorabilia the auction is this Saturday. Henry Aldridge and Sons of England are the auctioneers and there will be a large collection of Hindenburg memorabilia to bid on. For more information, click here.
Via: Rocket News
