Mystic Galactic Bourbon, the first bourbon to be aged in outer space, has announced the selection of an orbiter vendor. The bourbon release is limited to 1,500 bottles, with the first 1,000 entering pre-sale last week for $75,000 per bottle. The bourbon will age at least 4 years, with the first 3+ years on Earth and the final year in orbit around Earth. Each 750ml bottle will be packed in an aluminum flight case, including a 50ml sample and a piece of one of the barrels from orbit.
“While there are several companies in the sector who were willing to provide us with launch services, we are excited to announce that we are beginning the contracting process with TEC, whose Nyx orbiter has the ideal payload capability for our mission.” Said Mystic Founder Jonathan Blitz. “We were impressed with TEC’s ability to accommodate 10 full 53-gallon barrels, and they were also willing to provide us with exclusive use of their orbiter for the full year we require for the orbital aging process.”
The oak barrels themselves will be modified for space travel. The carbon-steel hoops, prone to rusting, will be replaced with titanium, and the interior of the barrels will be fitted with stainless-steel baffles to prevent sloshing. “We were pretty surprised when we realized that normal angel’s share losses could leave enough room in the barrels to create a dangerous level of sloshing and instability upon re-entry.
If a spacecraft starts moving around unpredictably, you could experience a total mission failure.” Blitz added. Mystic has partnered with West Virginia Great Barrel Company, the original manufacturer of the barrels, to do the upgrades required for the mission. “It’s just incredible to see barrel making, one of the oldest technologies in the world, creating a state-of-the-art barrel fit for spaceflight. Combining classic techniques like pot distillation and oak barrel aging with our most cutting-edge endeavors in space exploration and habitation is just one amazing aspect of this project.” Blitz added.
A television project is also in the works, profiling the team and the process as Mystic conducts all tasks required before launch. Blitz declined to provide further details on the show, “we’re talking with several production companies now, but we want to make sure that the show focuses on the bourbon and the spaceflight and not turn this into a circus-type reality show.”
