The only thing better than either beer or a rocket is a beer-powered rocket.
And six rocket enthusiasts (and presumably beer enthusiasts) have created just that.
According to Mashable, this group from Portland, Ore., will be launching the first two-stage, beer-powered rocket in September. “Team Numb” projects that this booze-powered projectile will reach close to 20,000 feet at over 650 miles per hour.
They call these launches “kegetry” or “keg lofting,” and Team Numb very understandably came up with the idea while drinking.
They were at a local bar talking rockets and began chatting with the bartender, Dave Barbour told Mashable.
They told the bartender their rocket interest was “a hobby that had turned addiction.”
The bartender asked if they had ever built a motor for one of their rockets that was powerful enough to carry a keg.
And the beer rocket was born.
Team Numb has been launching beer for over 15 years, according to their Kickstarter. Their first rocket soared to over 6,000 feet and carried a full, 15-gallon keg in 2008. They refined their craft and launched another keg in 2012. This one went over 7,700 feet.
This year’s beer rocket will use a pale ale from local Portland brand Burnside Brewery.
Watch their 2012 launch: