What could possibly cause a bottle of beer to sell at auction for $1,850? You might be guessing that it’s laced with heroin or made with water from the Fountain of Youth. Nope. John Stallwood of Nail Brewery in Perth, Australia, avoided the illegal and the supernatural in brewing up his limited edition Antarctic Nail Ale, which he’s been auctioning off to benefit the Sea Shepherd Society—a more aggressive version of Greenpeace that in recent years has been making life difficult for Japanese whalers in the Southern Ocean. The beer is made from melted polar ice that Stallwood’s brother-in-law, a crewman with Sea Shepherd, took from an iceberg, melted in Tanzania, and delivered to Perth.
Stallwood’s concoction sold for a mere $800 at an auction in early November, but more than doubled that price at a different event a few weeks later. Melted polar ice is proving to be a lucrative gimmick, but global warming may well flood the market (sorry… couldn’t resist). [Image from theAge.com.au]