A bottle of cognac which was produced in 1762 and given to a worker in lieu of payment after insects destroyed crops across Europe is going up for auction at Sotheby's<br />One of the world’s oldest bottles of cognac is expected to fetch up to £160,000 under the hammer.<br /><br />The tipple, dating back to 1762, was given to a distillery worker in lieu of payment.<br /><br />Auctioneers Sotheby’s, who are selling the item, said the 258-year-old brandy is still good to drink.<br /><br />The Gautier Cognac, with its original label, has sat in a family’s cellar for 140 years.<br /><br />The family’s ancestors adopted a son in the 19th century.<br />He went to work in the Cognac region of France for 10 years till 1880, before an insect infestation destroyed vineyards across Europe.<br /><br />Jonny Fowle, Sotheby’s spirits specialist, said: “He returned home and in lieu of payment he had a cart full of bottles of cognac”, which was “quite normal” for the period.<br /><br />Mr Fowle added: “They kept it for 140 years in their family before deciding to sell. The condition of the bottle is really good. There’s not been that much evaporation.<br />“We can assume the alcohol level in it is pretty high and that would have acted as a preservative for hundreds of years.<br />"The liquid in the bottle would have maintained its character.”<br /><br />Sotheby’s are taking online bids on the bottle from today till May 28.<br />
