"Pemmican," so unappealing but much easier to transport than fresh meat, was among the expedition's staples. It had helped keep Shackleton's men alive in 1908 when 300 miles from the South Pole, painfully hungry and suffering from scurvy, they celebrated Christmas with "medical brandy," cigars, Creme de Menthe and tinned stew they had hoarded from their meager daily rations. Eventually, knowing they would starve if they continued, the pragmatic Shackleton turned back just 97 miles short of reaching the South Pole. However, he returned a hero, was knighted, and became an international celebrity.

During both expeditions, it was not Argentinian pheasants and hares that kept the men alive, but the kind of hearty and familiar pre-packaged foods provided by British, Irish and Scottish commercial sponsors. These were the kind of foods that the starving men spoke of as the took turns entertaining each other describing imaginary menus for future feasts.

The ship's warrants for the 1908 expedition listed 1,600 lbs of Yorkshire ham, 100 lbs of Colman's mustard, hundreds of packs of Huntley & Palmers biscuits and numerous tins of Lyle's Golden Syrup. As for strong drink, last year, a conservation team from New Zealand, excavating the ice from under a hut Shackleton built during the 1908 expedition, found a case of Mackinlay's Rare Scotch Whisky. It must have been painful to leave it behind, but they made it back alive.

 Richard Paterson, the internationally reknowned Master Blender of Whyte & Mackay - distillers of the The Dalmore and Isle of Jura Aged Single Malt Whiskies states: "I can confirm that Whyte & Mackay took ownership of Mackinlays in 1993 and I can also confirm that we have in our archives a signed letter from Sir Ernest Shackleton dated 19th June 1907 confirming delivery of a total of 43 cases of wines and spirits, of which 25 cases were the Mackinlays blended Scotch Whisky."

Obviously then, strong spirits were something polar explorers never left home without. Scott brought five or six cases of whisky supplied by Peter Dawson, Ltd. to the Antaractic. Roald Amundsen favored Lyshomer Schnapps, aquivit and gin.

The official supplier of Scotch Whisky for the Imperial Trans-Ataractic Expedition was Vat 69. If Redwood Creek had been around in 1914 it could very well have been named the official purveyor of popular priced California wines. As Theodore Roosevelt, one of the Explorers Club's most noted members of the period might have said, "Bully for Redwood Creek."

As for Shackleton, Sir Raymond Priestly said it best: “For scientific leadership, give me Scott; for swift and efficient travel, Amundsen; but when you are in a hopeless situation, when there seems to be no way out, get on your knees and pray for Shackleton."

Which is probably the finest endorsement anyone could give for a 100 year old Scotch whisky as well.

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