Ballantine’s creates whisky glass for outer space

While Richard Branson is busy perfecting Virgin Galactic, Ballantine’s is also visualising the future of space travel with the creation of a glass for whisky drinking in outer space.

Ballantine’s has created a Space Glass for sipping whisky in outer space

Unveiled on Wednesday 2 September, the tumbler is the first prototype of the Ballantine’s Space Glass and features a rose gold-plated stainless steel bottom containing a spiral straw through which the whisky is able to climb – despite zero gravity.

The base is also magnetic for practicality purposes, thus allowing space travellers to stick the glass to the side of the space ship.

The physics of capillary action – the interaction between contacting surfaces of a liquid and solid that causes the liquid to rise or fall in a narrow tube – enables the Scotch to “climb” it’s way up the spiral straw to a mouthpiece from which the person can drink.

Tiny “scent slots” in the top of the glass allow the drinker to smell the whisky, while ensuring no liquid is able to escape through these holes.

Blended Scotch whisky brand Ballantine’s recruited the talents of James Parr to collaborate on the project, founder of the Open Space Agency ­– a company of “astropreneurs” based in the British Interplanetary Society, dedicated to enabling citizenship space exploration.

“At Ballantine’s we are inspired by great products,” commented Peter Moore, global brand director. “We want to take our brand to all parts of the globe, geographically, internationally and culturally.”

“Space travel no longer belongs to trained cosmonauts, it’s palpably within our reach,” the brand stated on the Ballantine’s Space Glass website. “In your lifetime, space tourism will become attainable, more popular and increasingly affordable.

“Captivated by the rise of astropreneurship, we’re making sure whenever we go there we’ll take whisky with us.”

The prototype was “scientifically validated” through testing at the ZARM Drop Tower in Bremen, Germany – a 480-foot tall laboratory facility.

Whisky was poured into the bottom of the glass and then placed in a capsule before being dropped down the vacuum-sealed shaft, which created a zero gravity environment for around four seconds before its cushioned landing.

Go-pro cameras were attached to the glass as it fell in order for the team to assess the whisky’s movement, which started climbing up the capillary to the mouthpiece.

To accompany the launch, master blender Sandy Hyslop has created a special batch of Ballantine’s Space Whisky, – a more intense flavoured whisky that aims to stick to the Ballantine’s style while enhancing the signature flavour.

It was made by adding first fill Sherry matured malt to a specific Ballantine’s blended expression in order to counteract the impact that zero gravity has on taste and flavour.