It is a sad truth that nothing can ruin a good champagne pop like zero gravity.
But, as space tourism gets closer and closer to becoming a reality, what are the elite astro-travelers to use to toast their intergalactic travels?
Space champagne. Obviously.
French champagne house G.H. Mumm has spent three years (and an unspecified amount of money) to develop the world’s first champagne specifically designed to be consumed in space.
A bottle of Mumm Grand Cordon Stellar brings new meaning to the famous Dom Perignon quote: “Come quickly, I am tasting the stars!” The heart of the operation is “a revolutionary new bottle and glass concept,” according to the company. The new bottles dispense champagne as foam, which revelers must catch in their glasses.
In order to test out the space champagne, a group of lucky astronauts took the bubbly into zero gravity. Like a game of cup-and-ball, astronauts caught the liquid in flutes as it sailed around the airplane cabin.
Those who tried out the beverage said champagne feels and tastes different in space. “It's really magical because the Champagne lands not just on your tongue but on the palate, the cheeks – the gastronomic sensations are magnified,” astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy told the Daily Mail.
But, alas, not everybody can handle their space champagne. According to CNN, “of the 30-odd journalists on board the Mumm test flight, a handful were instead reaching for the sick bag.”
Mumm has not yet released any information on buying a bottle of the space champagne. It is unlikely to come cheap. But, then again, space travel comes with a hefty price tag on its own. A ticket on board an upcoming Virgin Galactic zero gravity flight will set you back $250,000.
