Some drinkers may claim that their tipple of choice takes them to another world and, as of November this year, a new Japanese beer will literally be something 'out of this world'.

Sapporo Breweries allied themselves with Okayama University and Russia's state space team to transport 0.9 ounces of barley to the International Space Station from April to September in 2006 as part of a series of tests into the behaviour and adaptability of plants in space.

This November, 100 bottles of the "space beer" will be brewed and ready, however Sapporo says that it has no plans to sell the beer and that the grains show no signs of being different from Earth-based barley.

Manabu Sugimoto, a biologist from Okayama University who worked on the project was looking at possibilities for the future: "In the future, we may reach a point where humans will spend an extended period of time in space and must grow food to sustain ourselves. In the long run, we hope our space research will be not just about producing food, but about enjoying food and relaxing [in space]."

It's perhaps comforting to know that if humanity ever does settle on another planet, at least we'll be able to brew our own beer.