Posted on 08/22/2015 12:05:35 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Tokyo-based Suntory Global Innovation Center, which has a division called Suntory Whiskey, launched a set of alcoholic beverages toward the International Space Station on Wednesday (Aug. 19) aboard Japan's fifth H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV-5). The booze includes five different types of distilled spirits, Suntory representatives said.
The robotic HTV-5 is scheduled to reach the orbiting lab on Monday (Aug. 24). But astronauts will not crack open a bottle to celebrate the freighter's arrival; the liquor is flying for purely scientific purposes. Suntory plans to conduct future experiments to see how the "mellowness" of sprits is affected by microgravity and a lack of convection (the flow of heat through a liquid or gas). (In addition, the International Space Station is officially a "dry" facility, so drinking alcohol is not allowed.) [The Evolution of Space Food in Photos]
"With the exception of some items like beer, alcoholic beverages are widely known to develop a mellow flavor when aged for a long time. Although researchers have taken a variety of scientific approaches to elucidating the underlying mechanism, we still do not have a full picture of how this occurs," Suntory representatives wrote in a statement.
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Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin did that over 50 years ago. LOL
The happiest shipmate I ever saw was one who opened up a package and in it was a six pack of Milwaukee BUD. LOL
Probably.
Curiosity killed the led the Jap to spend large sums of money (on whiskey experiments).
Meanwhile, there are things which were well proven, centuries ago.
Linje Aquavit is named after the tradition of sending oak barrels of aquavit with ships from Norway to Australia and back again, thereby passing the equator ("linje") twice before being bottled. The constant movement, high humidity and fluctuating temperature cause the spirit to extract more flavour and contributes to accelerated maturation.
I’m glad to hear someone is still doing real science.
Interesting!
Years ago (like 15 or so, I've been here since '97 but changed handles) there was a FR thread that provided links to results from electron microscope images of various wines, along with such things as caffeine molecules.
It was interesting how the shapes would correspond to sensations of flavor, or else effect.
Young wines would have fractal-like floral shaping. Older reds would lose the fractal-like edginess, becoming more rounded, and softer in appearance.
White wines would perform similarly, but after some fading, retain less 'shape' as it were, flattening more entirely.
Caffeine molecules were spiky to the max. Long spikes, pointing outwards, densely packed all around.
[singing[ in heaven there is no beer...
Wnen we are gone from here, all out friends will be drinking all the beer.
I was on the quarterdeck of the USS Cleveland 30 years ago, in Hong Kong, with a bottle of whiskey in my bag. The duty NCO had me open the bag, clearly saw the contraband, and waved me through.
Our supply guys made “bilge wine” in the hold of the Frederick. I guess it wasn’t too good, but good enough.
The Russians already did this back in the’60’s. I saw it on an episode of “Gilligan’s Island.”
The small miniatures sold in liquor stores in some states was also easy to hide. I suppose ifin a man got desperate enough for a drink he could jump over the side and get some Brandy when they pulled him out. LOL.
Ardbeg Galileo celebrates ISS whisky maturation experiment - 2012
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