This Brewpub Exclusive is an Oktoberfest brewed with moondust and is so outta this world, we’re serving it in space suit koozies! Celest‐jewel-ale was designed to celebrate the fall equinox and the harvest moon. It is made with lunar meteorites that have been crushed into dust, then steeped like tea in a rich, malty Oktoberfest. These certified moon jewels are made up primarily of minerals and salts, helping the yeast‐induced fermentation process and lending this traditional German-style a subtle but complex earthiness. (Or is it mooniness?)

Our friends up the road at ILC Dover, a company that creates space suits for NASA, helped us get this unique and incredibly rare ingredient. We also used German malts and hops, and fermented this beer with our house Doggie yeast, giving Celest‐jewel-ale notes of doughy malt, toasted bread, subtle caramel and a light herbal bitterness.

Exclusively served at Dogfish Head’s Rehoboth Beach brewpub, Celest‐jewel‐ale marks the September night of the harvest moon – the full moon closest to the fall equinox – whose brightness has traditionally helped farmers work into the evening.

On top of the lunar meteorites, ILC is making sure this is the best‐protected beer on the planet with koozies made from the same material as their space suits. The outer layer is Orthofabric, which is specially woven to have white Goretex™ PTFE on the exterior and Nomex™ with a Kevlar™ ripstop on the interior. The Goretex is slippery to prevent friction between parts of the suit during movement and facilitate mobility. Its color also limits the absorption of solar energy. The Nomex is for fire protection, and the Kevlar prevents tearing. The aluminized Mylar™ insulation layers inside the koozie  maintain a comfortable thermal environment. In space, they reflect the sun’s energy out when in sunlight and the astronaut’s body heat in the suit when in shade. The foam inside the koozie is polyurethane, and in its day job provides a comfortable interface between the astronaut and the space suit in padding. The inner layer of Polyester™, which is the layer of the space suit that provides structural integrity and mobility joints when pressurized. All the materials in the koozie can withstand the rigors of space including temperatures ranging form  +250/-°©‐250F, micrometeoroid traveling at 10 miles per second, solar radiation and the vacuum of space. Just  as these materials surround astronauts and keep them at the optimal temperature, they will do the same for beverages. We’re getting a few of these space-age koozies, and they’re more valuable than your average foam jobbie, so you’ll have to hand over your license and drink your  Celest-jewel‐ale at the bar. We’ve gotta keep these beauties grounded!

Celest‐jewel-ale, at 5% ABV and 25 IBUs, will be tapped on Sunday, September 22, 2013. If you want t taste, make haste. When it’s gone, it’s outta this world forever!