World's oldest bottle of Burnley's iconic favourite tipple up for sale with a £5,000 price tag

For the bottle pictured is reputed to be the world 's oldest bottle of Benedictine, a drink synonymous with Burnley.

The current owner is Burnley man Sam Winter a vintage memorabilia expert. He snapped up the bottle, which dates back to 1912, up when he saw it for sale and realised its signifiance and value.

And the asking price for this unique gem is nothing less than £5,000!

Sam (30) who works in IT sales, said: "I have done my research and this is the genuine article and this is a fair price for it.

"It is a really iconic piece of Burnley history that I would love to stay in the town, so I am hoping that either Burnley Miners' Club or Burnley Football Club may be interested in buying it to put it on display."

Burnley Miners' Club holds the title of the world’s biggest on-trade consumer of the liqueur and gets through more than 1,000 bottles a year.

The ‘golden nectar’ has been a favourite of Burnley locals since the club opened in 1918, after soldiers of the East Lancashire Regiment, who were stationed at the birthplace of Benedictine in Fécamp, Normandy, during the First World War, drank Benedictine and hot water to keep them warm in the trenches.

The regiment loved the tipple so much, they brought it home after the war and have been drinking 'Béné and Hot' in the Plumbe Street club ever since. And, for 100 years, the unofficial match-day drink at Burnley FC has been 'Bene and hot.'

The recipe for the liqueur was invented in 1510 by a Benedictine monk, Dom Bernardo Vincelli. It is a closely guarded trade secret and is reputedly known to only three people at any given time.

Sam added: "I am looking for serious offers only and anyone interested is welcome to have a look at the bottle and see it for themselves.

"It hasn't been opened but some of the drink inside has evaporated. It is quite unique in the fact it dates back to 1912 so this is before anyone in Burnley had even tasted Benedictine."

Any inquiries about the bottle can be sent to Sam via email at [email protected]