Brewery sends scientists a long, cool pint

A small brewery has created a special beer to withstand the freezing temperatures at the South Pole for a group of scientists homesick for their favourite tipple.

Named Pole-Axed, the recipe has been specially designed to maintain its flavour despite the long journey and the extreme conditions of the Antarctic.

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The Platform Tavern in Southampton, Hampshire, has created the beer in its micro-brewery for a group of engineers from the neighbouring National Oceanography Centre (NOC) who are regular drinkers at the pub.

Landlord Stewart Cross explained that the beer had to be strong – at seven per cent – to prevent it from freezing. He said: “The group from the NOC are regulars in here and they said they would like to take some of our beer with them and we said that we would love to.

“It had to be strong to stop it freezing, like spirits do not freeze, and it’s nice and hoppy and dark, just how they like it.

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“They said they would call it Southbound but I thought because it was strong and it was going to the South Pole, Pole-Axed was a good name.”

He said that 20 pints of the beer had been bottled and was being transported by air freight at a cost of £10 per bottle to the research base at subglacial Lake Ellsworth.

Mr Cross added: “They are determined to have their beer with them.”