Century-Old Liquor Unearthed from WWI Shipwreck: Divers Unlock Baltic Sea’s Hidden Treasure

So, picture this: nearly a century-old shipment of fanciest cognac and herbal liqueur meant for Russian aristocrats—or maybe even Czar Nicholas II himself—just chilling at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, waiting for a very patient dive crew to bring it back to life. The Swedish team, Ocean X, pulled off what feels like the ultimate underwater party favor by salvaging 900 bottles from a sunken ship named Kyros, which met its watery fate thanks to a German U-boat in 1917. Now here’s the twist—these bottles might still be drinkable! Can you imagine sipping on a century-old spirit preserved by the cold, dark Baltic waters? Talk about vintage with a story. And just when you think this is all about booze… divers found parts of a pistol hinting that this ship was smuggling more than just party supplies. History, mystery, and exquisite liquor—all in one icy undersea cocktail. Ready to dive into the full saga? LEARN MORE

The 50 salvaged cases of cognac brandy and 15 cases of herbal liqueur were originally intended for the aristocracy of Russia.

Ocean XThe cargo was retrieved from the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Finland.

The Swedish dive team Ocean X just recovered 900 bottles of century-old cognac and liqueur from the bottom of the Baltic Sea. The ship carrying this luxurious cargo was sunk by a German U-boat in 1917, leaving its contents lost in the ocean for more than 100 years.

According to Live Science, this shipment was originally intended for Russia’s aristocracy — perhaps even for Czar Nicholas II. It was only a year later that the Romanovs were executed by the Bolsheviks.

The 15 salvaged cases of the herbal liqueur Benedictine and 50 cases of cognac brandy may still be drinkable today. The cold, shadowy waters of the Baltic provide surprisingly good conditions for preserving spirits. Further testing and analysis will soon be underway to confirm this theory.

Though water pressure naturally pushed some of the corks in, and some sediment found its way inside, many bottles perfectly retained the tin seals during the last century. Experts are confident that the alcohol is not only still worth imbibing, but that the find will be highly valued at an auction.

“This was the last shipment for Russia, and for the czar,” said Ocean X founder Peter Lindberg, who led the expedition.

It may come as a surprise that the sunken ship, Kyros, was Swedish. Though Sweden was a neutral country during World War I, Germany and Russia were enemies. The German navy had orders to sink any ship carrying war supplies into Russian harbors — so they had no qualms about sinking this one.

“It’s a fantastic moment to find these bottles… finally,” said Ocean X spokesperson Dennis Asberg. “It took 20 years to bring up this historic treasure. Many of the bottles are in good condition… but we will now do an analysis on all the bottles.”

According to Fox News, the wreckage had been damaged by fishing nets throughout the 20th century. It wasn’t discovered until 1999. And now, at long last, the bottles of “De Haartman & Co” cognac and Benedictine liqueur have finally been retrieved from the ocean floor, which is 253 feet deep.

“The importance of this event cannot be overemphasized — it’s not only a find of rare cognac and liqueur, but also a part of history of the former imperial Russia,” the team said.

But the Kyros seemed to be smuggling more than party supplies into Russia. One Ocean X video showed divers retrieving parts of a German Luger pistol and a bullet from the wreckage. The find suggested the Kyros may have, indeed, been carrying war supplies.

“If it’s more than one, then it’s smuggling because it’s not on the cargo manifest,” an Ocean X member said.

Ocean XThe Kyros was sunken for allegedly carrying war supplies, though only one pistol has been found in the wreckage.

The cargo manifest also indicated that the ship was carrying steel and machine parts, possibly to aid the Russian war effort. Though the voyage from France through Sweden was originally set for December 1916, treacherous ice sheets in the sea of Bothnia led to a one-year delay.

It was on May 19, 1917 that a German U-boat stopped the Kyros at sea, while traversing the Sea of Aland. Upon inspecting the vessel, the U-boat commander made the fateful choice of sinking it with explosives.

Fortunately, the crew was first placed on another ship and allowed a safe passage back to Sweden.

In order to retrieve the wayward spirits, Ocean X decided that remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) were the best course of action. These underwater drones were extremely helpful despite the poor visibility.

Since both the wreck and its cargo are under the international maritime rules of salvage, anyone is legally allowed to retrieve and keep whatever they want. For Lindberg and his diving company, it’s precisely these kinds of scenarios that have proven lucrative in the past.

Back in 1997, the team salvaged nearly 2,000 bottles of Champagne from a shipwreck in the Baltic, from a sunken vessel originally headed for Russia. With each bottle valued at between $5,000 and $10,000 at auctions, it’s certainly a financially buoyant endeavor.

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