After a six-month journey spanning 300 million miles, NASA’s Perseverance rover is roving around Mars. From CNN: “Perseverance is full of firsts. The search for signs of ancient life on Mars. The first helicopter fly on another planet. The first recordings of sound on the red planet.” NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is be the agency’s ninth mission to land on the Red Planet. Along with characterizing the planet’s geology and climate, and paving the way for human exploration beyond the Moon, the rover is focused on astrobiology, or the study of life throughout the universe. Perseverance is tasked with searching for telltale signs that microbial life may have lived on Mars billions of years ago. It will collect rock core samples in metal tubes, and future missions would return these samples to Earth for deeper study. Back here on Earth, Peaks & Pints presents a to-go flight of space-themed beer — a flight we call Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Space Beer On the Fly.
Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: Space Beer On the Fly
Urban Family Moonstone
7.5% ABV
Moonstone mesmerizes gem aficionados of different cultures with its otherworldly façade. It’s a natural crystal mineral that is thought to harvest the energy of the moon, which embodies yin’s passive and relaxing energy. Ancient cultures coveted moonstone and created origins for the stone as spectacular as the stone itself. Many believed the stone was created from moonbeams. Others strongly associated the stone’s powers with the moon. The stone was especially prized during a full moon. It is highly valued by monks, shamans, spiritualists, and Urban Family Brewing fans. The Seattle brewery’s Moonstone sees more than one pound of fruit per gallon for notes of Alphonso mango, orange zest, and pineapple on a golden sour base beer.
Fremont Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout
8% ABV, 50 IBU
The Dark Star is the flagship for the 77th Task Force, which is dedicated to cleaning up the corruption in the Empire. At the advent of the Xen’Chi War, the Dark Star also became one of the lead ships in the Rogue Fleet. The Dark Star is also the base ship for Midnight Squadron, an elite squadron of TIE pilots who are always the first to head into battle and the last to leave. Fremont Brewing’s Dark Star is an imperial oatmeal stout with hints of coffee and chocolate in the silky-smooth beer. It’s uncommon that such a robust beer finds its way into a 12-ounce can, but Fremont Brewing is always first to head into battle and the last to leave.
Ecliptic Cold IPA
8% ABV
In 2013, famed brewer John Harris founded Ecliptic Brewing purchasing the brewhouse from friend and Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione. Harris’ love for brewing and astronomy shines as he pushes the limits of creativity rotating Ecliptic’s offerings every six weeks in accordance with the old world calendar, producing seasonal favorites. As part of his Cosmic Collaboration series, Harris teamed up with Wayfinder Beer’s Brewmaster Kevin Davey to create Ecliptic’s take on Davey’s cold IPA style. The style is eerily similar to that of an India Pale Lager, but a bit more amped up. Ecliptic Cold IPA is brewed with Pilsner malt and lager yeast and features Pacific Sunrise and Talus hops for a very clean, dry and extremely hop forward beer.
Baerlic Into The Void
6.7% ABV
Rocket engines burning fuel so fast
Up into the night sky they blast
Through the universe the engines whine
Could it be the end of man and time?
“Into The Void” song is the last track on Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality. It is about the Earth becoming so terrible that a group of astronauts fly off into space to try to find a new planet to live on. Baerlic Brewing’s version is a West Coast IPA with gooseberry, passionfruit, lychee, mango, berry, and dank tropical fruits from the Nelson Sauvin, Citra and Mosaic hops.
Ruse Dark Between the Stars
8% ABV, 60 IBU
Dark matter is a mysterious non-luminous substance making up the vast majority of matter in the universe. Though experts have observed the gravitational effects of dark matter for decades, scientists remain baffled as to its true nature. Ruse Brewing’s Dark Between the Stars doesn’t baffle anyone as the black IPA is brewed with a perfect amount midnight wheat, flaked oats, and Munich malt. After that the Portland brewery loads it up with Citra, Mosaic and Amarillo for fresh tropical hops and some piney notes.
LINK: Peaks & Pints cooler inventory
