December 13, 2024
TOKYO – Asahi Shuzo Co., known for its sake Dassai, announced on Wednesday that it will attempt to brew sake in the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo on the International Space Station (ISS). If successful, the company will sell just one 100-milliliter bottle for ¥100 million and donate the entire amount to domestic space development projects.
According to Asahi Shuzo, which is based in Iwakuni, Yamaguchi Prefecture, the company applied for and was approved in July to use Kibo. The plan is that the raw materials for sake, such as rice, koji rice mold and yeast, will be fermented on Kibo to make 520 grams of moromi unrefined sake, which will be brought back to Earth in a frozen state to be made into sake. The brewing equipment to be brought to the station is currently under development.
The company plans to name the finished product “Dassai MOON – Uchu Jozo (brewed in space).”