--- description: Japanese whiskey maker Suntory will send samples of its product to space to see how it affects the taste. title: This Japanese Company Is Sending Whiskey to Space image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt38f9b8a6095c66a9/69885d62e20a878414a8c8ad/gettyimages-464966052.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Retail](/tag/retail/) ## Retail Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # This Japanese Company Is Sending Whiskey to Space by [Ben Snyder / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Ben Snyder / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 31, 2015 5:33 PM CUT  In this handout from National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts and Commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore work outside the International Space Station (ISS) on their third spacewalk March 1, 2015 in space. In this handout from National Aeronautics and Space Administration or NASA, Expedition 42 Flight Engineer Terry Virts and Commander Barry "Butch" Wilmore work outside the International Space Station (ISS) on their third spacewalk March 1, 2015 in space.NASA/Getty Images by [Ben Snyder / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Ben Snyder / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jul 31, 2015 5:33 PM CUT Japanese whiskey maker Suntory is sending samples to space in an experiment to see how the trip might affect the drink’s taste. Suntory, one of Japan’s largest makers of alcoholic beverages, said Friday that the samples would be stored in a Japanese facility at the International Space Station, the AFP [reports](http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-japanese-firm-to-mature-whisky-in-space-2015-7?utm%5Fsource=feedly&utm%5Fmedium=webfeeds "undefined"). The company’s researchers believe that storing whiskey in zero-gravity for longer than a year could cause it to age differently than it would on Earth, perhaps leading to a mellower flavor. The AFP reports that the space whiskey will not be made available for sale, but rather tested in a laboratory by researchers. “For the moment, we’re not thinking about applying the study results to commercial products,” a Suntory spokeswoman told the AFP. 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