If humans eventually colonise the moon, the early settlers might toast their success with a bottle of sake, realising the dream of Japanese brewer Asahi Shuzo.
Yamaguchi-based Asahi Shuzo, known for its Dassai sake brand, took a leap forward in February, unveiling at an event in Tokyo a bottle of high-end sake that it will attempt to brew in space.
The price for the 100ml (3.3oz) bottle of Dassai Moon is 110 million yen (US$738,000) – the going rate for an alcoholic drink produced in space given that it will be the first of its kind.
Inspired by the US-led Artemis moon exploration programme and other efforts to establish a sustainable human presence on the moon, Asahi Shuzo is serious about wanting the eventual inhabitants to be able to enjoy a low-gravity tipple.
“It’s not a case of trying it out once for the sake of publicity but rather starting with the moon and moving on to other possibilities,” Asahi Shuzo president and CEO Kazuhiro Sakurai says.
First, Asahi Shuzo will attempt to brew sake on the International Space Station where equipment will recreate the gravity of the moon’s surface. The specialised brewing equipment and ingredients could be launched into orbit as early as September.