Truly to open 1st zero-gravity hard seltzer bar aboard astronaut training aircraft

a brightly-lit bar in an airplane cabin
Lightly Fantastic: Truly Hard Seltzer defies gravity and expectations with the first "Zero Gravity Bar" (artist rendering). (Image credit: Truly Hard Seltzer)

A popular hard seltzer brand is giving new meaning to the term "pop-up bar" with a zero-g twist that could have its fans popping up and down and in every which way this summer.

Truly, the hard seltzer line from the same brewery as Samuel Adams, is launching this year's "seltzer season" with what it has billed as "the first-ever zero-g drinking experience:" the Truly Zero Gravity Bar. The brand is stocking a chartered parabolic flight — the same type used to train astronauts to be prepared to work in microgravity — with a variety of its hard seltzer flavors. Five winning fans and their guests will then have the opportunity to see how "Lightly Fantastic" drinking Truly can be when floating weightless.

"In celebration of our newest Lightly Fantastic brand platform, it only made sense to go above and beyond with the world's first-ever Truly Zero Gravity Bar," said Matt Withington, director of marketing at Truly Hard Seltzer, in a statement. "There's no better way to remind fans that drinking Truly should be light, fun and joyful than literally defying the laws of gravity with a Truly in hand."

Related: How do you create lunar gravity in a plane? A veteran zero-G pilot explains

Truly drinkers can now visit TrulyZeroGravityBar.com and share why drinking Truly makes them feel “Lightly Fantastic.” Submissions will be judged on imagination, originality and most importantly, their love for Truly and desire to experience the Truly Zero Gravity Bar. (Image credit: Truly Hard Seltzer)

To be certain, it is physics that make this experience possible. The jet that Truly has hired, Zero-G Corp.'s "G-Force One," is a specially modified Boeing 727 that is piloted through a series of sweeping, roller coaster-like parabolas high in the sky. As the plane reaches the top of a crest and plunges back toward Earth, the passengers inside the jet are in free fall. Without wind resistance, though, those inside in the aircraft experience the sensation of floating in zero-gravity.

To gain access to the "most exclusive mile-high hard seltzer bar in history," Truly drinkers can now visit TrulyZeroGravityBar.com and share why drinking Truly makes them feel "Lightly Fantastic." Submissions will be judged on imagination, originality and, most importantly, their love for Truly and desire to experience the Truly Zero Gravity Bar.

Five winning fans and their guests will be chosen to win a reservation on the chartered Truly Zero Gravity Bar flight scheduled for Aug. 28 from Long Beach, California. Those selected will also receive two nights of lodging, $500 spending cash and a post-flight reception at Truly's "home of innovation," Truly L.A. 

Entry in the contest is open through July 24, 2023, to all U.S. residents who are 21 or older.

"At Truly, we believe in embracing the lighter side of life, whether that's crafting the most refreshing flavors or creating unforgettable, unique drinking experiences for our fans," said Withington.

Entrants who are not selected to fly with the Truly Zero Gravity Bar can still experience the "Lightly Fantastic" lighter side of life with Truly this summer and beyond, with a range of new styles including the brand's first spirits-based seltzer, Truly Vodka Soda, the limited-edition Red, White & Tru Truly Hard Seltzer mix pack and new Truly Flavored Vodka flavors, Blood Orange and White Peach.

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Robert Z. Pearlman
collectSPACE.com Editor, Space.com Contributor

Robert Pearlman is a space historian, journalist and the founder and editor of collectSPACE.com, an online publication and community devoted to space history with a particular focus on how and where space exploration intersects with pop culture. Pearlman is also a contributing writer for Space.com and co-author of "Space Stations: The Art, Science, and Reality of Working in Space” published by Smithsonian Books in 2018. He previously developed online content for the National Space Society and Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin, helped establish the space tourism company Space Adventures and currently serves on the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society, the advisory committee for The Mars Generation and leadership board of For All Moonkind. In 2009, he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville, Alabama. In 2021, he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History.

  • AlbusRockets
    Truly a sad day.
    Reply
  • Unclear Engineer
    Considering that this plane is also known as the "Vomit Comet" by the astronauts who actually use it to train for zero gravity, I am thinking this publicity stunt might backfire with some truly disgusting results.
    Reply
  • Helio
    Unclear Engineer said:
    Considering that this plane is also known as the "Vomit Comet" by the astronauts who actually use it to train for zero gravity, I am thinking this publicity stunt might backfire with some truly disgusting results.
    Yep, a bubbly mess is likely. “Zero Gravity” isn’t what they think it is, literally.
    Reply
  • Unclear Engineer
    Yes, most people just watch the ISS crews on TV and think of weightlessness as swimming in air instead of water - and then are surprised that it feels more like falling continuously - because that is what it is, really.

    When swimming in water, your inner ear still tells you which way is up. And, the contents of your stomach have a "down".

    But, what gets really interesting is when it is time to use the toilet. At least the parabolic flight paths are not long enough to require that experience.
    Reply
  • Helio
    Yes. This is another example of how sizzle is favored over substance; “zero gravity” vs. “free fall”.
    Reply