27.05.2025

A Texas brewery known as Starbase Brewing is expanding onto the Space Coast, and Brevard residents can now get a taste of what the brewer hopes will someday be the first beer on Mars.

Nate Argroves, who founded the brewery, has high future hopes for the product, aiming to get it onboard SpaceX’s Starship en route to Mars someday. But for now, the brewery is focused on entering the first market outside of its homebase in Texas. And, of course, that market is Cape Canaveral.

In Florida, Starbase Brewing beverages are currently only available inBrevard, where the SpaceX rockets take off. Starship is not yet here but SpaceX is preparing to launch its giant rocket from the Cape by the end of the year.

“It started as a way to get more people excited about space,” Argroves said of the beer.

He told FLORIDA TODAY that the idea sprung from his lifelong excitement for space exploration, and came during the COVID pandemic as he watched the progress on SpaceX’s Starship in Boca Chica, Texas – which is now referred to as Starbase.

“There was a lot depressing stuff that was happening in the world,” said Argroves. “And to me, space has always been a really, kind of, bright spot. It’s something that keeps me optimistic and excited about the future and not bummed out.”

“People like craft beer. People like talking about cool stuff while they drink craft beer,” said Argroves.

The brewery isn't only focused on SpaceX. They've also sponsored launch and landing parties for Intuitive Machines and Firefly. Activities with Blue Origin are also a possibility.

“We’re trying to integrate as much as we can with the industry,” said Argroves.

But the goal goes beyond sales on Earth. The goal is to not only become the first beer on Mars, but establish the first brewery on the Red Planet. The brewery is currently working on a project with Texas A&M agriculture school student, Harrison Coker, to study growing crops on the moon and Mars.

“He had some theories about using a byproduct of brewing, which is called spent grain,” said Argroves. “That’s basically when you make beer, you have those grains, you soak them, and then you get basically like a sugar water that you add yeast to, and then that ferments and you get alcohol.”

He explained that after that process, the leftover spent grain still contains a lot of nutrients. While most breweries donate this grain to farms for livestock feed, Coker used this grain to fertilize lunar and Martian soil and attempt to grow crops.

“It’s actually going super, super well,” said Argroves, adding that with each trial, the soil is getting stronger and they are to the point where sprouting is being seen.

Argroves notes that his brewery doesn't only have its sights focused on space. They want to protect Earth, too. The brewery runs fully on wind and solar energy, and recycles the water throughout the brewing process. The brewery also invests in Carbon offset projects around the world.

“Even though terraforming Mars is the goal, we feel that it's equally important to invest in keeping Earth livable,” the website states.

The brewery also gives back 1% of profits to science education and outreach initiatives.

Where to find Starbase Brewing beer?

Starbase Brewing is currently working with Carroll Distributing, and have products in a handful of Publix stores and small markets. They are also carried in some restaurants such as Fishlips and Rising Tide Tap and Table in Cape Canaveral.

The company currently offers five brews:

• Starhopped (Hazy India pale ale)
• The Terraformer (Red ale)
• Of Kolsch I Still Love You (Honey Kolsch-style ale), which is a play on SpaceX's Of Course I Still Love You drone ship.
• Lucky Launch Day Lager (Mexican-style lager)
• Occupy Marz (German-style lager)

A list of locations where Starbase Brewing products are sold can be found here: https://starbasebrewery.com/pages/where-to-buy.

Quelle: Florida Today