On an episode of Antiques Roadshow in 2016, glass specialist Andy McConnell was inspecting a bottle dated to the 1840s. It was corked, and contained liquid, presumably some kind of wine.
Inserting a syringe in the bottle’s cork, McConnell tasted some of the “very brown” liquid and remarked: “I think it’s port – port or red wine... or it’s full of rusty old nails and that’s rust.”
Well, he was right about the rust. An analysis of the liquid has been completed since then. In a newer episode of the show, it was revealed that the bottle was a witches bottle, and contained a very small amount of alcohol, but also urine, brass pins, and one human hair. You can see the revealing clip at the Independent. -via Boing Boing
(Image credit: Antiques Roadshow)