Sometime in the next decade, you will be able—for a ridiculous amount of money—take tourist flights into space. Sounds great, right? Only one problem: No beer. Luckily, one company is trying to fix that.

You probably just thought you could toss a couple sixers in your space-cooler and everything would work out, huh? Well, good thing you're not bringing drinks to the space-potluck (bring a salad, or something, instead). You see, since there's no gravity in space (you knew that, right?) there's no buoyancy force on liquid—and without buoyancy force, there's no carbonation. And who wants a flat beer?! (Not to mention that the lack of buoyancy force prevents astronauts from burping, which is not pleasant.)

Besides the carbonation difficulties, there's also the problem of "deadening" taste buds, which the brewers—4-Pines Brewing Company—are attempting to rectify by "amplifying" the beer's flavors. And there's the packaging—it has to open right, or it will spill all over the space machines, which I believe is what's known as a "party foul."

In order to test their brew, 4-Pines and their partners Saber Astronautics Australia have asked space research company Astronauts4Hire to take some up in a weightlessness-simulating plane and get wasted. Or, not wasted, but just, like, pleasantly tipsy.

Oh, and the beer's available on Earth, too, if you like low-carbonation, high-flavor stouts. All proceeds go to further space-beer exploration.

[PopSci via Discover]