Ballantine’s has created the very first whisky glass designed to work in the zero gravity conditions of space, called, quite simply, the “space glass.” The American alcohol brand commissioned the ‘astropreneur’ community Open Space Agency to design the glass that could be used by future generations to enjoy a good Scotch beyond the realms of Earth.
To stop the liquid from floating off into space, a loading mechanism uses a nozzle inserted into the base of the glass to ‘pour’ the whisky. A strong magnetic connection holds together the base of the glass, releasing a quick draw down that allows the slow release of whisky into the glass through a one-way valve. A cold-touch mouth clip sits on the top of the glass, while hidden ‘scent slots’ enable the drinker to smell the blend.
“With the Space Glass Project we are trying to solve genuine complex engineering challenges for life in space,” said lead Space Glass engineer James Parr of OSA. “We sincerely hope this journey will one day have a genuine impact on the space program.”
A glass prototype was tested in microgravity at the ZARM Drop Tower in Bremen, Germany, to ensure that it would work in microgravity.
“Our brief was to develop a whisky glass that worked under the conditions of microgravity, the scientific term for zero gravity. It was important that what we focused on creating a ritual around how you drink from the Ballantine’s Space Glass creating a familiarity of what we are used to here on earth – the end result is one with several elements to that ritual, from the liquid entering the glass through to sipping from it.”
While this is the first glass designed for swigging Scotch in space, samples of the drink itself have already been sent into orbit.
Ballantine’s haven’t revealed yet whether the glass will ever serve its real purpose and be sent to space. Alcohol is prohibited aboard the International Space Station, but the glass could still be tested with non-alcoholic liquids. It also didn’t mention whether there were plans to sell the glass here on Earth.
But if they do, sign us up for a pack, just for the cool factor.
