for he's a jolly good fellow

"I can teach anyone how to sail, but I can never change a person's personality."
-Ernest Shackleton

Ernest Shackleton/ Endurance Beer

I was really happy to hear the story about two cases of Ernest Shackleton's whiskey being retrieved recently from the South Pole [details], and I've been scouting around Charlottesville for some Endurance Beer as my own boozy tribute to the explorer's spirit.





For those of you who don't know the Shackleton's story: get excited. It's insane.

Ernest Shackleton and his crew on the Endurance were making an attempt at crossing Antartica from sea to sea - crossing the South Pole in the process. The Endurance ended up being packed in by ice, and was slowly crushed. The most amazing thing about this story is that with grit, fortitude, and probably some of that whiskey, every single one of Shackleton's men survived.



The second most amazing thing about this story? The importance that Shackleton put on keeping a journal. Through the disaster Shackleton encouraged his crew to keep records of what was unfolding - meaning that there are remarkable accounts of the ordeal.

I'm sure his 7th grade English teacher (or whoever taught him the value of record-keeping) was super proud.

moremoremore on Shackleton - Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Journey