Samples from the bottle have been sent for analysis, with researchers hoping to learn more about what the stout would have tasted like.

How far would you travel for a pint of Guinness? If the answer is to the bottom of the sea, you might be in luck. When Belgian underwater photographer Stefan Panis discovered a bottle buried in a shipwreck off the coast of Dover in 2025, he had no idea what he had found. He just knew something about it had caught his eye. When Panis and his friend, Eddie Huzzey, surfaced, a quick rinse revealed the familiar Guinness branding. The bottle dates back to 1864. "We lifted the artefact, and then on the surface a quick rinse revealed 'Guinness'," he said. Panis, who has been diving for more than 40 years, contacted Guinness to share the discovery. So far, he has recovered just one bottle, but believes many more remain buried beneath the sand surrounding the wreck and he already has plans to recover more when conditions allow. After the discovery, Panis' colleague Pawel Truszynski contacted a microbiologist specialising in beer at KU Leuven University in Belgium. Samples from the bottle have been sent for analysis, with researchers hoping to learn more about what the stout would have tasted like.