Space beer for sale

Remember the space beer? This was beer brewed from barley grown from some that had spent five months on the International Space Station.

Well, now it’s available at retail.

From Kirainet.com:

Sapporo has put on sale 250 six-packs of beer produced in space. The six-packs, holding 330-ml bottles, are available at a price of ¥10,000 each (around 75 euros, 110 dollars). What makes the beer special is that the original barley seeds were stored for five months in the International Space Station. It is the first time “Space beer” is produced. Sapporo Breweries Ltd. promises that the money earned from the sale of the beer will be destined to promote scientific education in Japan.

I’d love to have some of that to finish out my Beer-a-Day project. Any kind soul with deep pockets care to help make that a reality?

Is chocolate beer really a mystery?

One of my daily reads is Boing Boing, the “Directory of Wonderful Things”.

The other day, guest blogger Bruce Stewart from (among others) GeekDad (another regular read) offered an ad for a new chocolate beer from Sapporo, then seemed incredulous at the combination.

There’s beer in my chocolate! There’s chocolate in my beer! Somehow this combo doesn’t feel nearly as right as Reese’s famous mixing of peanut butter and chocolate. I drink many different types of beer, but I don’t think this chocolate beer is going to work for me. Anybody tried this?

To me, someone who drinks “many different types of beer” might have come across beer made with chocolate, or at least realize that there is a whole world of beer out there with non-Reinheitsgebot-allowed ingredients. I hope Bruce’s horizons have been broadened. Young’s Double Chocolate Stout is mentioned multiple times in the comments (I rather like it myself) but there are quite a few others mentioned.

What’s your favorite beer made with chocolate (as opposed to chocolate malt)?

Japanese “space beer”

The Seattle Times: Japanese brewery to make beer from space barley

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
The Associated Press

TOKYO — Japanese beer-lovers can anticipate an out-of-this-world brew: suds made with barley descended from grains that traveled in outer space.

The “space beer,” to be test-brewed by Sapporo Breweries Ltd., will come in a pilot edition of 100 bottles to be ready in November, said company spokeswoman Momoko Matsumura.

The beer will be made with barley — to be harvested this weekend — descended from seeds that spent five months in 2006 aboard the International Space Station.

“We’re really looking forward to tasting it when it’s ready,” Matsumura said.

The barley project started when Sapporo teamed up with Okayama University biologists working with the Russian space team. The team took 0.9 ounce of barley into space for storage inside the space station from April to September 2006.

The project is part of biological studies of the adaptability of plants to environmental changes and the impact from stresses such as space travel.

Sapporo planted 0.14 ounce of the barley grains that returned from space at its research farm northeast of Tokyo in March 2007.

The seedlings were harvested last November. The company expects to harvest 100 pounds of the third-generation grains on Saturday for use in the space beer.

Sapporo isn’t planning to sell the special brew, at least for now, and hasn’t decided how it will distribute the planned 100 bottles, Matsumura said.

So far, scientists have not found any difference between space barley and the Earth-confined version, she said.

That’s interesting and all, but I can’t help thinking that this could be part of the plot of a bad 1950s science fiction movie.

I’d like to see them devise a way to brew beer in space. Perhaps a modified Mr. Beer?

I’ll use this as an opportunity to segue into a link to one of my favorite sites: Astronomy Picture of the Day

Beer News Sampler

Pittsburgh Brewing reintroduces I.C. Golden Lager
The maker of Iron City beer prepares to enter one of the only segments of the beer market that has shown any signs of growth: craft brews.

New malting system saves water
Dutch brewer Bavaria says it can use up to 30% less water with a new steeping system.

Greene King to lower ABV of Old Speckled Hen to boost sales
“Feedback from our drinkers is that they love the full flavour of Old Speckled Hen, but a significant number find it too strong,” says Managing director Justin Adams.

Crying in our beer
Edmonton Sun editorial on the failures of the privatized alcohol distribution system in Alberta, Canada.

U.S. Sailors seek beer, not girls
Sailors on leave in Perth, Australia have only one thing on their mind and, according to them, it’s not women.

Sleeman agrees to $300 million buyout form Sapporo
Molson Coors, Labatt’s, and Grolsch all said to have been interested. See also: Sapporo acquires Sleeman Breweries

Japanese beer faces woes despite revival
As the Japanese economy continues to recover, domestic beer shipments are rising for the first time in a decade. But changing tastes, healthier lifestyles and Japan’s shrinking population are all posing huge obstacles for an industry that has already undergone painful restructuring.

SABMiller purchases McKenzie River Corp. for $215 million cash
McKenzie is best known for their caffeinated malt beverage, Sparks, and Steel Reserve, a high gravity lager.

Major brewers expected to raise prices
After expensive price war, the big American brewers look to raise prices in spite of losing market share to wine, liquor, imports, and craft beers.

New York first state to create a “beer trail”
Inspired by wineries to promote the approximately 60 breweries and brewpubs in the state.

Sales of craft beer make biggest jump in a decade
U.S. sales up 11% in first six months of 2006 over same period last year.

Sapporo acquires Sleeman Breweries

Consolidation in the beer industry continues. Over the weekend it was announced that Sapporo Breweries of Japan will acquire Sleeman, Canada’s third-largest brewery, for $300 million.

It’s sad that yet another smaller brewer is being subsumed by yet another brewing giant, continuing a trend that isn’t showing any sign of abating. Is our future destined to be one of half-a-dozen enormous global megabrewers? Golly, I hope not. Of course, this is not a trend unique to beer.

One good thing about this purchase is that at least the Sleeman breweries should remain open and keep a goodly number of people employed. Had Molson Coors or Labatt been chosen it’s nearly certain that they would have consolidated their holdings.