Space beer brewed for Earthlings
2008-12-02 14:12
Tokyo - Space beer, the result of a
five-month mission to boldly grow, where almost no one has
grown barley before, has landed in Japan.
The beverage, brewed from barley cultivated in the
International Space Station in 2006, has splashed down courtesy
of the Russian Academy of Science, a Japanese university and
beer giant Sapporo.
But the 100 liters of the 5.5 percent alcoholic brew are
not for sale, although tastings are being offered to some
earthlings as Sapporo tries to push its brand into a new orbit.
"There's really no beer like it because it uses 100%
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," Junichi Ichikawa, managing directory
for strategy at Sapporo breweries, told a news conference on
Tuesday.
Cosmonaut Boris Morukov, who spent 11 days in space
himself, says barley joins wheat, lettuce and peas as space
station produce, noting potatoes may take root in future
studies, although not to make an equally famous Russian
beverage.
"I think we would try to grow potatoes as food, not for
vodka production," Morukov said.
Beer sales have been falling in Japan and has generally
been off space menus because of its alcohol and gas content.
With explorers now eyeing longer trips to Mars, that menu
may change, with Japan's Okayama University Professor Manabu
Sugimoto advising astronauts not to rule out space rice wine in
future.