Ohio's Great Lakes Brewing Company has created a seasonal Belgian-style ale called Spacewalker American Belgo, to honor the twenty-five Astronauts who hail from the Buckeye state.
CollectSpace.com says some of Ohio's most notable Astronauts include John Glenn, the first U.S. astronaut to orbit the Earth; Neil Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon; Guy Bluford, the first African-American astronaut; and Kathryn Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space.
The label includes this tribute:
"Perhaps one of space's great mysteries is why so many of its explorers hail from Ohio. In honor of the 25 courageous astronauts who've called Ohio their terrestrial home, and the nine Ohio men and women who have logged hours walking in space, we present this adventurous brew."
Delaware's Dogfish Head brewery also made a space-themed beer last October, called Celest-jewel Ale. It contained one particularly non-traditional ingredient — authentic moon dust.
If you've known me for any length of time as an adult, you know that my passion for craft beer runs at the same level of my love for all things aviation. And while I'm not even close to being a Cicerone (a sommelier for beer) I do seek out new beers to sample at every opportunity. I even keep track of them all, and to this date I've had exactly 758 different beers. There's even an app for that. I use Untappd, but there are others out there as well. Living in Denver, Colorado and being someone who travels somewhat frequently has exposed me to so many opportunities to consume some delicious beer.
Even when I look at the list of beers I've had over the past few years, several have aviation themes to them, such as:
- Hangar 24 Double IPA - Hangar 24 Brewery
- Space Stout - Laurelwood Brewing Company
- USS Enterprise IPA - Dry Dock Brewing Company
- Endeavour Imperial IPA - Saint Arnold Brewing Company
- Top Gun Pilsner - Green Flash Brewing Company
Of course, there are plenty more I have yet to try, and I look forward to it! What's your favorite beer style? I love the hoppy IPAs, but I also love a rich bourbon barrel-aged stout. Have you had any aviation-themed beers? If so, please tell us about them in the comments below.