London:
A 200-year-old bottle carrying either vodka or gin has been recovered from a shipwreck at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, media reports said.
"The alcohol is drinkable. This means it would not cause poisoning. Apparently, however, it does not smell particularly good," Tomasz Bednarz, an underwater archaeologist at the National Maritime Museum in Poland, was quoted as saying.
The well-preserved and sealed bottle was found in F53.31 shipwreck in Gdansk Bay, close to the Polish coast.
The bottle dates back to the period of 1806-30.
Preliminary tests revealed the bottle contains a 14 percent alcohol distillate, which may be vodka or a type of gin called jenever - most likely diluted with water.
"The chemical composition of the alcohol corresponds to that of the original brand of 'Selters' water that is engraved on the bottle," archaeologists said.
The "Selters" water was the high-quality carbonated water from the Taunus Mountains area in Germany.
The bottle was manufactured in Ranschbach, Germany, a town located about 40 km away from the springs of "Selters" water, reports added.
"The alcohol is drinkable. This means it would not cause poisoning. Apparently, however, it does not smell particularly good," Tomasz Bednarz, an underwater archaeologist at the National Maritime Museum in Poland, was quoted as saying.
The well-preserved and sealed bottle was found in F53.31 shipwreck in Gdansk Bay, close to the Polish coast.
The bottle dates back to the period of 1806-30.
Preliminary tests revealed the bottle contains a 14 percent alcohol distillate, which may be vodka or a type of gin called jenever - most likely diluted with water.
"The chemical composition of the alcohol corresponds to that of the original brand of 'Selters' water that is engraved on the bottle," archaeologists said.
The "Selters" water was the high-quality carbonated water from the Taunus Mountains area in Germany.
The bottle was manufactured in Ranschbach, Germany, a town located about 40 km away from the springs of "Selters" water, reports added.
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