The unopened beer, which was found in a garage in Gobowen, Shropshire, was brewed in Burton-upon-Trent and is expected to raise up to £600, reports the BBC.

Aaron Dean, partner at the auctioneers, told the BBC: “The beer was brewed for an expedition to the north pole which, unfortunately, didn’t get there. It was made to a certain recipe, so it lasted, and it was slightly medicinal.

“It went all the way to Portsmouth and it was loaded on to the ship as cargo, to go out with the HMS Alert and HMS Discovery. Unfortunately, the expedition didn’t quite make it to the north pole, so it came all the way back again.”

He added that a similar bottle of the beer opened previously was “sweet tasting with a hint of tobacco”.