It was only a few weeks ago that WU was reporting on the (literal) launch of Suntory’s space experiment, however the last week has seen two more dalliances with the beyond courtesy of Ardbeg and Ballantine’s.
Firstly, Ardbeg’s Dr Bill Lumsden has now released his White Paper finding on the 2011 experiment to find the effects of zero gravity maturation. The concept was relatively simple. Send vials of Ardbeg’s new make spirit into space with oak extracts, to be kept on board the International Space Station (where thankfully, no one is allowed to drink alcohol) and then compare the returned drams with a control sample on Islay. You can read the finished White Paper by clicking the picture below and the results are pretty fascinating. Long story short, the resultant whisky did react differently to the control and Ardbeg’s world-renowned peat flavours become even more prevalent with new and different flavours being extracted into the space-aged dram.
Anyone wishing to take part in the supporting marketing should try and stake a claim to the upcoming Ardbeg Supernova release, which promises to be out of this world.
The second dabbling into the great black comes from the good folk at Ballantine’s, where their considerate designers have created an innovative and stylish whisky glass, which allows the discerning drinker to imbibe their libations in micro-gravity. The crafty cup is actually created via 3D printers and allows anyone in space the ability to drink their dram without spilling a drop – or otherwise having it drift off around your spacecraft. The cynic might suggest that this is an adult version of a kid’s sippy cup, and, as noted above, no-one aboard the ISS is actually permitted to drink alcohol so its fair to say that the Scottish blenders are playing the long game for this venture whilst certainly taking advantage of something very en vogue. That said, it looks pretty cool and has some genuine science sat behind it and so it would certainly sit comfortably in our baggage on our next space voyage.
whisky unplugged 