Asahi Shuzo, renowned for the sake brand Dassai, has set forth an extraordinary plan. They are all set to send the essential ingredients - Yamada Nishiki rice, koji mold, yeast, and water - into space to make Japanese rice wine. In the second half of 2025, during a trial, the company will ferment the wine on the International Space Station (ISS) and then bring back a single bottle to Earth.

Price and Donation

Back on our planet, a 100ml bottle named "Dassai MOON – Space Brew" will be sold at an astonishing price of ¥100 million, which is roughly $650,000. Currently, the company's most expensive sake costs a relatively economical $600. It's important to note that "the full amount from this sale" will be donated to support future Japanese space developments.

Long-Term Vision

This six-figure bottle is just the start of Asahi Shuzo's intergalactic aspirations. According to a press release, their long-term goal is to eventually brew Dassai sake on the Moon using lunar water and rice. As humanity looks towards potential lunar colonization in the 2040s, the significance of sake in enriching life during such extended stays becomes evident.

Souya Uetsuki, the brewer leading the project at Asahi Shuzo, shared with CNN that in a future where humans can freely travel between the moon and Earth, some will visit as tourists. This project aims to create sake that can be savored on the moon, enabling visitors to have wonderful moments there.

Before sending sake ingredients into space next year, Asahi Shuzo will first test the fermentation process under lunar conditions, which is roughly one-sixth of Earth's gravity. They will also be fine-tuning their brewing equipment to ensure the best results.

Why Sake?

The company believes that rice, without the water that fills standard grapes, will provide a lighter and more practical option when making the challenging journey from Earth to the Moon. However, Uetsuki acknowledged that such a daring experiment is not a certainty. He told CNN that there is no guarantee of 100% success for the fermentation tests as the different gravity on the Moon could have unexpected effects on the process.

But if successful, it could open up the possibility of making a host of Japanese foods that require fermentation, such as miso and natto, in space as well.