Is the Era of Brewing Sake on the Moon Coming? Japanese Sake Brand Succeeds in 'Space Sake' Experiment

Fermentation Experiment Conducted on the ISS with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

Alcohol Production Confirmed Under Simulated Lunar Gravity

260ml of Sake Mash Obtained by Fermenting Rice, Malt, and Yeast

Proceeds to Be Donated to Japan’s Space Development Efforts

A Japanese sake brand has attracted attention by selling sake made from ingredients fermented aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for 110 million yen (approximately 100 million won).

On May 4, local media outlets such as Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun and CNET Japan reported that Asahi Shuzo, a sake producer, succeeded in conducting an experiment to ferment sake ingredients on the ISS in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and even proceeded with the sale of the resulting product.

Dassai is a famous sake brand based in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in western Honshu, Japan. This project is part of an experiment to explore whether humans can continue Earth's food and alcoholic beverage culture in space during long-term stays on the Moon or in outer space. courtesy Dassai

Previously, the two companies promoted the “Dassai MOON” project to verify whether it is possible to produce sake in space and even on the surface of the Moon. Dassai is a renowned sake brand based in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture in western Honshu, Japan. This project is part of an experiment to explore whether Earth's food culture and alcoholic beverage culture can continue in space when humanity eventually stays long-term on the Moon or in outer space.

This experiment was conducted in “Kibo,” the Japanese experiment module on the ISS. Dassai sent a dedicated brewing device developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, along with sake ingredients such as rice, rice malt, water, and yeast, aboard the H3 rocket launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan, in October last year. The device that arrived at the ISS underwent a fermentation process for about two weeks under the supervision of astronauts. The experiment was conducted under conditions simulating gravity similar to that of the lunar surface, and the device was designed to automatically mix the contents once a day. As a result of the fermentation, approximately 260ml of sake mash was obtained, with an alcohol content confirmed to be around 12%. The company explained that these results demonstrate the possibility of brewing sake in space in a manner similar to that on Earth.

Dassai sent sake ingredients including rice, rice malt, water, and yeast, as well as a dedicated brewing device developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, to the ISS last October aboard the H3 rocket from Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Photo courtesy of Dassai

The sake mash produced on the ISS was stored frozen and brought back to Earth. On March 13, it arrived at the Dassai headquarters brewery in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan, where Dassai pressed the mash and completed about 116ml of sake on March 24. Of this, 100ml was bottled in a titanium container and sold under the name “Dassai MOON.” The sale price was 110 million yen, and the buyer was reported to be Japanese. Dassai plans to donate the proceeds to Japan’s space development efforts. Furthermore, Dassai intends to conduct a detailed analysis of the sake lees and related components obtained from this experiment together with researchers from Tohoku University. Through this, they aim to verify how the space environment affects yeast and what differences exist compared to foods fermented on Earth.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.