Australians Have Developed a Beer That You Can Drink in Space

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.


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