There’s been a lot of talk recently about getting humans to Mars, with SpaceX boss Elon Musk, for one, certain that the feat can be achieved in the not-at-all-distant future.
When sending humans to the red planet does finally become a reality, it’s not hard to imagine that the first thing they’ll be hankering for after such a long ride will be an ice cold beer.
Clearly not one to miss a marketing opportunity, Budweiser has jumped on the Mars bandwagon to announce that it wants to be the first beer brand to serve up a drink there.
And while it would be simple for Budweiser to throw a few bottles of its pale lager beverage into a spaceship’s refrigerator all ready for the Mars touchdown several months later, the brand says it would actually like to set up beer-making facilities on the distant, dusty rock so visitors can enjoy an endless supply of the alcoholic beverage. Though that might mean not much work gets done.
Budweiser announced its grand ambition “to officially be the first beer on Mars” at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.
During a panel discussion at the event, all the guests maintained serious facial expressions throughout, suggesting Budweiser is sincere about its novel idea. Tongue apparently nowhere near cheek, retired astronaut Clayton Anderson said getting beer into space is about “creating home away from home.”
Budweiser vice president Ricardo Marques also had a contribution to make. Clutching a bottle of Bud that he may or may not have just guzzled down, the VP boldly told the audience, “This is a dream that builds up our unbreakable belief in the power of the pursuit of the American dream.”
But there are — as Budweiser helpfully points out — great challenges ahead. These include a distinct lack of water on Mars to make the beer, difficulties in growing hops, and, most alarmingly for beer aficionados, the planet’s troublesome atmospheric pressure that would cause the beer to turn into “a foamy slop.” Though some Bud-haters might well call that an improvement.
