Sauce Spotlight: Space Beer

Well we already have space ice cream and space orange juice or tang, so it was only a matter of time before we have were going to "SPACE BEER"! Ok so it not really beer made in space but it's the first step toward Cosmic Cocktails!

Leave it up to those crazy russian cosmonauts to spend time growing barely instead of more important scientific research aboard the International Space Station. Actually, according to Sapporo, the space-barley research was done for “the purpose of achieving self-sufficiency in food in the space environment.” They also grew other vegetables like wheat, lettuce, and peas. In a collaborative effort between the Russian Academy of Science, Okayama University in Japan and Sapporo Breweries, barley was grown for the first time in a Russian laboratory on board the International Space Station during the 5 month mission. Then the Sapporo Breweries, one of Japan's major breweries, went on to use the crop of barley grown in space to create 100 litres of a 5.5 per cent proof beer ­aptly named Space Barley.

According to Junichi Ichikawa, managing directory for strategy at Sapporo Breweries, "There's really no beer like it because it uses 100 per cent barley. Our top seller is the Black Label brand, using additional ingredients such as rice. This one doesn't, and is really a special beer." According to the brewmasters, The beer features a mellow fragrance with a distinctive taste of roasted barley. It doesn't really have any special taste differences since according to analysis of the DNA from the barley grown on the ISS showed no difference from plants grown right here on Earth.

“This beer will be sold for charity, to contribute to the promotion of science education for children and the development of space science research in Japan and Russia, through donation of all proceeds to Okayama University,” Sapporo stated in a press release Dec. 3. The very limited results, just 250 precious six-packs, will be sold through a lottery for 10,000 yen or $115 American which makes it about $19-a-bottle.

So how about the hops? Don’t worry, those were launched into space in August. Now if we can only catch those damn, "PIGS IN SPACE!!" then we can have ourselves a great Galaxy BBQ. Can't wait to taste that stuff!

What do you think about Space Beer?