2026-05-04 11:44:31

Japanese scientists have successfully brewed sake in space.

The boffins have been able to carry out the first step in their plan to establish facilities to make Japan’s national drink on the lunar surface – with a small bottle of space-made tipple selling for over £500,000 last week.

The rice, yeast and fermentation equipment was sent to the International Space Station on a Japanese rocket last year and installed in part of the station that recreates the gravity on the moon.

In February, 260g of fermented mash – known as moromi – was returned to Earth and pressed into sake at Dassai brewery in the city of Iwakuni.

A 110ml titanium bottle of the drink was sold at the Isetan department story in Tokyo to an undisclosed buyer for £517,000, with proceeds going towards Japan’s space programme.

The company said: “The team successfully verified the alcohol fermentation process for sake – a first in human history – in an environment stimulating lunar gravity.

“The Dassai Moon Project is… aimed at establishing sake breweries on the moon and brewing Dassai there… enhancing quality of life in a future lunar environment.”

They said of the drink: “It has a well-balanced and robust flavour.”

The mash has an alcohol content of 12 per cent, the same as would be expected on Earth, but the longer fermentation process indicates that reduced gravity did have an effect on the brewing process.

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