In July 1969, astronaut Neil Armstrong went to the moon with a Buzz. And pretty soon, so can you.
Vostok, an Australian startup dedicated to "space beer," has spent the last decade developing a cold one that can be cracked and enjoyed in zero gravity. Thank god for science. And Australians.
The challenge facing the startup, a joint venture between 4 Pines Beer and Saber Astronautics, was two-fold: Human physiology (space messes with our taste buds and burps) and gravity, or lack thereof (no gravity, no pour).
Getting the effects on our body under control was simply a matter of testing (a lot of testing) at the Zero Gravity Corporation's ZERO-G facility in Virginia—nice work if you can get it. As it turns out, the best beer for the job is a smooth Irish-style Stout, with aroma notes of "coffee, chocolate and caramel malts." Good news for Guinness lovers.
As for the bottle, they modified the technology used in fuel tanks into a miniature version for beer. It involves a wicking insert that—you don't care, you just want to drink it, don't you? Science stuff. They made a bottle out of science stuff.
But don't strap on your spacesuit just yet—it turns out, producing astro beer isn't cheap. Before we can get sloshed in space, Vostok is hoping to raise $1 million via Indiegogo to bring the project to life.
For anyone already paying Virgin Galactic's $250,000 ticket fee for a ride into the cosmos, a little investment in Vostok is a small price to pay. Until then, we'll just have to keep seeing stars the old-fashioned way. Bottoms up!
