Popping champagne is fun to do on Earth but what about the astronauts up in space? A French company has now created a solution that will allow the bottle to be used in the outer atmosphere of the planet.
French champagne brand G.H. Mumm has spent the last five years developing a bottle that could be used in space. The company came up with the Mumm Cordon Rouge Stellar, which is the first champagne designed specifically for space travel.
The celebratory beverage comes in a half-glass bottle and features a specially-designed stainless steel opening-closing device that curves over the classic cork. The bottle shape features a finger-controlled valve which releases a globule of champagne spheres. Astronauts or space tourists can then scoop the drink out of the air using special glasses that resemble tiny egg cups.
Champagne is completely different on Earth compared to in space conditions. The drink’s bubbles don’t rise to the surface and they don’t release the same aroma molecules that they normally would. That’s why G.H. Mumm also created a very special champagne designed for enjoyment in zero gravity. The company’s chief winemaker aged the drink in oak barrels, which resulted in a bolder and spicier taste.
With space travel making waves back in 2017, G.H. Mumm wanted a way to tackle the champagne issue. They collaborated with a number of other organizations, like CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales), the French government space agency, and privately-funded American space company Axiom Space, to make this dream a reality.
“This project is, of course, very stimulating because of its highly technological nature and its 100 percent French identity, from design to manufacturing,” designer Octave de Gaulle said.
He added: “But it is also very exciting because technology serves a greater purpose here: champagne condenses the memory of a terroir, a climate, an ancestral savoir-faire and tasting sensations for all those who will evolve far from Earth.”
Source: https://www.mumm.com/en-ww/