Beer That's Out Of This World. Sapporo's Space Barley.

Now, I don't know how it tastes, but Sapporo has released a brew whose barleycorn was cultivated during a five month space mission. That's right, a beer brewed in zero gravity.

Sapporo intends to sell limited quantities of the space brew with proceeds going to a charitable science program for Japanese children. CNET says there will be a lottery in which 250 winners will be able to purchase the brew, the price of which will be $115.00 a six-pack.

Why they did this as well as how is explained in detail further on in this post.


Product specs:
name: SAPPORO Space Barley
Material: Malt, hops
Content features: 100% use of the the seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space for five months
Alcoholic content: 5.5%
Volume/Number per package: 330ml in a one-way bottle
Design: A chic design with Navy blue graduation representing the space set with stars, featuring the product name like a shooting star. Barley is an English word.
Manufacturing plant: Nasu Breweries, Sapporo Breweries

The information below is from The Sapporo Bioresources Research & Development Department:

SAPPORO Space Barley


In collaboration with Dr. Sugimoto, Associate Professor, (Speciality" Cytomolecular Biochemistry) of the Research Institute for Bioresources, Okayama University (Kurashiki City, "Okayama University) and the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Sapporo Breweries, Ltd. (Head office: Tokyo; President: Masaru Fukunaga) test brewed the first-in-the world beer brewed from the seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space, "SAPPORO Space Barley."



Most of the only 100 litters of brewed beer will be used for experiments, but Sapporo would like to offer part of the beer for tasting events to be held at six breweries in Japan (Hokkaido, Sendai, Nasu, Chiba, Shizuoka and Shinkyushu,) and is inviting 60 persons (30 pairs) of customers.

The beer was brewed as part of the joint research with Okayama University conducted to exploit possibilities of barleycorn for beer in space, "Studies of Impact of Extreme Environmental Stresses on Barley" and uses 100% of the "seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space."

Regarding the malt used for the beer, seeds of "Haruna Nijo," beer barley developed by Sapporo Breweries that stayed in space for five months in the Russian Research Modules of the International Space Station were brought back to earth, cultivated at our experimental field of Bioresearch and Development Department at our Gunma Plant and successfully harvested in this past May.



The company plans to offer opportunities for the invited guests to taste "Space Barley," and be awarded the chance to taste the brew and tour the breweries.

Next year, in addition to this series of events, they also plan to hold a "space class" and an event to "roast and taste barley tea" for local children at these breweries by taking advantage of the "seedlings of barleycorn that traveled the space" still under cultivation.

Sapporo Breweries hopes to contribute to awareness-raising about the space as well as the advancement of space science and children's education and continue to pursue possibilities of food and drink in space.



History of "space barley"

April 2006
Haruna Nijo malting barley developed by Sapporo Breweries through collaborative research with Okayama University and the Russian Academy of Sciences was kept aboard the Zvezda Service Module, a component of the International Space Station (ISS), for five months (first-generation "space barley").

April 2007
Seeded the first-generation "space barley".

November 2007
Harvested the second-generation "space barley"; seeded the second-generation "space barley".

May 2008
Harvested the third-generation "space barley".

October 2008
Trial brewing of the world's first beer made from the third-generation "space barley".

November 2008
Seeded the third-generation "space barley".

January 2009
Tasting events held at breweries nationwide for beer made from the third-generation "space barley".

May 2009
Harvested the fourth-generation "space barley".

August 2009
Hop seeds from Furano, Hokkaido launched into space.

September 2009
Tasting events held at five breweries nationwide for barley tea made from "space barley".

November 2009
Seeded the fourth-generation "space barley".

December 2009
Applications accepted to buy SAPPORO Space Barley-the beer brewed from the fourth-generation "space barley".

Sapporo Breweries Limited (PINK:SOOBF) was established in 1949 and is the foremost brewing company in Japan with a 120-year brewing history.

All information and images courtesy of Sapporo Breweries Ltd., Public Relations Section

At 395$ A Bottle, You Won't Be Beer-Bonging This Brew

Above: Bottles of Vintage Nr. 1 sell for $395 USD and have 4 different labels designed by Frans Kannik.

Danish brewery, Jacobsen Brewhouse (owned by Carlsberg), has produced the most expensive beer in the world. The crown jewel has been named Vintage Nr. 1, and comes corked and wax-sealed in a slender, misty green bottle, just like a bottle of vintage champagne.



The unique brew, named Vintage Nr. 1, possesses a complex mix of flavors; with hints of prunes and port, the beer also has a distinct smoky caramel and vanilla aroma.


Above: The beautiful packaging

Only 600 bottles have been brewed and in a very short time the expensive brew has become a hot topic among international beer connoisseurs and journalists alike.

Vintage No.1 has, as the only contemporary beer, been matured in J.C. Jacobsen's original crypt-like cellar from 1847, for six months in new Swedish and new French oak barrels. "The project started as a wild idea and a wish to create a new type of beer that had never been seen before. During the aging process in new barrels, lots of chemical processes take place. Not all reactions are known but they taste wonderful", says Jens Eiken, Head Brewer at Jacobsen.

The beer will be sold mainly through three up-scale restaurants in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Above: each label is a hand stilled litho depicting Danish Fables

Each bottle of Jacobsen Vintage No. 1 is labeled with an original hand stilled lithographic print made by the Danish artist Frans Kannik. The prints depict fables of Sif. Sif was married to the Nordic god Thor, who was often used by Carls Jacobsen as a symbol of strength.

Above: Artist Frans Kannik

Beer Facts (from the brewery):

•The Jacobsen Vintage No. 1 is a barley wine with an ABV on 10.5%

•The grists contain Maris Otter pale ale malt, Maris Otter Imperial malt and caramel malt. Invert sugar is added during the four hours wort boiling as well as bittering hops, in the shape of Challenger and Target, and aroma hops in the shape of Bramling Cross and Fuggles.

•The beer is fermented at 25°C with English ale yeast.

•The beer is matured in new Swedish (the oak is from Hjo in the middle of Sweden and the barrel is bought through Thorslundkagge) and new French barrels (Cote dór barrels) for six month.

•The beer has flavours of vanilla, smoke, caramel and port from maturing on Swedish or French Cote dór oak casks. The bitterness is soft and intriguing.

•During the production and aging of a barley wine, Maillard reactions are continuously caused which adds caramel, nut and yeast aromas to the beer.

•In Jacobsen Vintage, you can taste different personalities in the beer in the form of Maillard, Schiff, Amador and Strecker.
(source: carlsberg group)

Wanna buy a bottle? go here.