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 their 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

Omas Planet Pens Are Out Of This World! Marte Limited, Gaia & Apollo 11

These three amazingly detailed limited edition luxury writing instruments from Italian pen maker, Omas, are from their Discovery series. Although the series has 5 different products, it's these three pens that represent space exploration that I find really interesting.

The Marte Limited edition (Mars excursions):


The artistic representation in rose gold of the surface of Mars has the faithful map of the red planet. We rediscover Olympus Mons (the highest point), Hellas Planitia (the lowest point), the Herschel, Huygens, Schiapparelli, Cassini, Gale and Lowell craters, the Walles Marineris, the incredible system of canyons, which in reality, is more than 4000 km long and up to 10000 m deep.


Above: The dry ice (frozen carbon dioxide) of the polar caps is a succession of small, brilliant diamonds equal to 2k.

Four rubies indicate the landing points in chronological order : Mars 3 (URSS) which landed on December, 2nd 1971 in the Terra Sirenum, of the Viking 1, the American probe which landed on July, 20th 1976 in the Chryse Planitia and of the Viking 2, another American probe which landed on September, 3rd of the same year in the Utopia Planitia.



Lastly the representation of Mars Pathfinder (USA) which landed on July, 4th 1997 in the Chryse Planitia, an area with immense channels, a consequence of great catastrophes which were excavated in a few weeks by gigantic volumes of water. Martian time is engraved onto the final ring of the nib holder on which we also find the expected dates for the next trips: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 inside the simulation of the “Schiapparelli Tracciato”.



The clip, shiny on the front and engraved on its sides, is a detail of Tycho Brahe’s Mural Quadrant, the astronomer to whom we owe the foundations of the modern day laws of planetary motion as he was able to detect, thanks to this system and with great precision, the position of a heavenly body.



Finally the nib, also in rose gold, upon which appears a half-bust of the Greek god, an emblematic signature of the fascinating adventure.
Price: $43,000.00 USD

The Gaïa: "Trip to the centre of the Earth":



The depths of the Earth, like the sky, have since the most remote ancient times, inspired in Man wonder, curiosity and deep interest which has led fantastic visions of the underground world. This refined fountain pen represents the interpretation of a symbolic and fantastic trip to the centre of the Earth.




The Limited Edition “Gaïa”, Omas has exclusively used precious materials, like the yellow and white gold 18K and the Omas "Gaïa Grey” vegetable resin; the Crystal Rock, the Onyx, the Hematite, the Emerald and the Diamond, brillant cut, contribute to enrich and to embellish the body and the cap of the fountain pen.



On the bicolour nib, in gold 18K, a precious and refined engraving completes the fountain pen. The Limited Edition "Gaïa" is available in 30 piston fountain pens.
Price: $37,000.00 USD

The Apollo 11:

An artistic interpretation in white 18K gold commemorating the landing on the Moon: this event represented a crucial moment in the History of Humanity and has been commemorated on occasion of the 30th Anniversary.




The pen is made of dark blue vegetable resin, mixed with silver dust, evocative of the starry sky. The body and the cap represent two different themes: Men on the Moon, on the cap, robots collecting Moon samples, on the barrel.


The rhodium plated 18K nib is engraved with the mission coats of arms: the Eagle named “Columbia and Eagle”. A genuine work of art made in 69 numbered pieces by French goldsmiths. Piston filling system.
Price: $35,000.00USD



How can you purchase one? Go here to see a list of worldwide dealers and distributors.
contact info:

Omas S.r.l. - Via del Fonditore 10 - 40138 Bologna Italy Tel ++39 051 6027911 Fax ++39 051 6027980 Email info@omas.com P.Iva 00305800377