A Brew That's Out of this World
The zero gravity toilet is no longer the greater invention inspired by space travel. An Australian brewing company has developed a beer intended to be quaffed in microgravity. The special beer is a flavorful stout, intended to combat the fact that astronauts lose some of their ability to taste while in orbit. The carbonation is also less than a typical beer, since the carbon dioxide in carbonated beverages tends to stagnate in microgravity anyway. The brew's creators vow that the beer will come in a special package to ensure that it will not spray all over space station equipment and short something out.
This should really open up the space travel industry, me thinks.
Here's another impressive use of R&D money:Mapping the Beer Genome
Scientists have recently published the latest and most complete beer "proteome" — the map of yeast, barley, and corn proteins that contribute to a beer's unique flavor and aroma — in hopes that they may be able to better engineer the brewing of the world's favorite alcoholic beverage. The added knowledge may guide fermentation techniques to improve the taste and aroma of a brew, along with stability and texture of the foamy head. The new map features 62 distinct proteins, the largest ever produced so far. But, will consumers drink a beer that's been brewed in the laboratory?
Duhhh, of course! It's still beer! They'd drink it even if it was cough syrup flavored! But, I doubt they'd pay a premium for it. Make it cheap, add lots of advertising, associate it with sexual prowess/popularity and it'll sell. 
