Helium Beer: Michigan's Legal Drinking Innovation

Helium beer is a hoax that began as an April Fool's Day joke by Stone Brewing Co. in 2014. The company released a video announcing Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium, a beer that would make drinkers' voices sound funny. The prank sparked widespread interest and curiosity, with people all over the world, including in Michigan, asking where they could buy the beer. However, it is essential to know that helium beer is not real and, according to science, cannot exist.

Helium beer is a hoax

However, helium beer is not real and, in fact, not even scientifically possible. The main issue is that helium is not soluble in water, or beer. Carbonation is a crucial part of the brewing process, and beer is carbonated with gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are soluble in water. If helium was used, it would simply rise straight out of the beer.

Another issue is that liquid helium turns to gas at -220°F, so adding it to beer would result in frozen beer. Even if you could somehow add helium to beer, it would cause gushing because, again, helium is not soluble in beer.

Despite the science, the idea of helium beer has captured the public imagination, and the hoax has persisted. Other companies, such as the Boston Beer Company with their HeliYum beer, and Berkshire Brewing Company with their Helium IPA, have also released satirical ads for helium-infused beers. These have only added to the speculation and confusion, and the hoax has been so widespread that Snopes, a fact-checking website, has even labelled it as satire.

While it is not possible to buy helium-infused beer, some people have attempted to create it. Chemical & Engineering News published an article in 2015 detailing how they created a helium-infused milk stout by force "heliuminating" the beer. However, while the beer had a smooth mouthfeel and a stable head, it was flat, and did not affect the pitch of drinkers' voices.

It was an April Fool's joke by Stone Brewing Co

Helium beer is not real—it was an April Fool's joke by Stone Brewing Co. On April 1, 2014, Stone Brewing released a satirical ad for "Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium," claiming it was the first-ever canned beer infused with helium. The video, just under four minutes long, features Stone employees Rick Blankemeier and Mitch Steele discussing the science behind the beer in a convincing manner. However, the video was released on April Fool's Day, indicating it was a joke.

The video quickly went viral, with people eager to try this unique brew. This sparked a trend, with other breweries like Sam Adams and Berkshire Brewing also releasing satirical ads for their own helium beers, further adding to the speculation and confusion. The original video and subsequent copycats sparked worldwide demand for helium beer, with people emailing craft beer websites and breweries to inquire about purchasing it.

Despite the clear indication of it being a joke, with the video's release date being April 1, many people still fell for the prank. This is evident as even years later, craft beer websites continue to receive inquiries about where to buy helium beer. The prank was so believable that it caught the attention of urban legend website Snopes, who concluded that helium beer is just a hoax.

The reason helium beer captured the public's imagination is that it plays on the amusing idea of sounding like you've sucked the helium out of a balloon after drinking a beer. However, it's important to note that the science behind creating helium beer is impossible. Helium is not soluble in water or beer, so it can't be used for carbonation like carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Additionally, adding liquid helium would freeze the beer as it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F.

So, while the idea of helium beer may be entertaining, it remains nothing more than an April Fool's joke by Stone Brewing Co. and other breweries, and it will never be available for purchase in Michigan or anywhere else.

It's scientifically impossible to make

Helium beer is not for sale in Michigan, or anywhere else in the United States. This is because it is not a real product—it is a hoax.

The idea of helium beer first emerged as an April Fool's Day joke in 2014, perpetrated by Stone Brewing Co. and the Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams PR team. Both companies released satirical ads for helium-infused beers, with Stone Brewing Co. even producing a long-winded, scientific-sounding video explaining how they had managed to produce "helium beer". These ads and videos quickly went viral, with many people expressing interest in trying the product.

However, helium beer is not scientifically possible. There are several reasons why:

• Helium is not soluble in water, or beer. Therefore, it cannot be used to carbonate beer like carbon dioxide or nitrogen can.
• Adding liquid helium to beer is impossible, as it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F. This would result in frozen beer.
• Even if helium could be added to beer, it would cause gushing because helium is not soluble in beer.

Despite the scientific impossibility of creating helium beer, the prank has proven to be very believable, capturing the imagination of many people and even inspiring copycat pranks by other companies and individuals. The hoax has continued to circulate and gain traction over the years, with craft beer websites still receiving questions about where to buy helium beer.

It's not for sale in the US

Helium beer is not for sale in the US, or anywhere else for that matter. It is a hoax that originated as an April Fool's Day joke in 2014. Several breweries, including Stone Brewing Co. and the Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams, released satirical ads for helium-infused beers, which quickly went viral. These videos sparked widespread interest and demand for the product, with people all over the world asking where they could buy it. However, the science behind helium beer is impossible.

Helium is not soluble in water, so it cannot be used to carbonate beer like carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Even if liquid helium could be added to beer, it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F, which would result in frozen beer. Furthermore, even if helium could be added to beer, it would cause gushing due to its insolubility.

Despite the hoax, some people have experimented with creating helium-infused beer. Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) tried rigging a helium-laced beer test, and while it sorta worked, it didn't have the desired effect of changing the drinker's voice. The beer had a smooth mouthfeel and was similar to a Guinness, but it was flat and lacked the bubbly texture of normal carbonation.

While helium beer may seem like a fun idea, it is not something that can be purchased or even created, at least not with the desired effect of changing the drinker's voice. So, for now, it remains a hoax and nothing more.

It's not available on Amazon

Helium beer is not real. It is a hoax. So, it is not available on Amazon or anywhere else.

The idea of helium beer started as an April Fool's Day joke by Stone Brewing Co. in 2014. They released a video announcing "Cr(He)am Ale with Helium," a cream ale with helium in 16-ounce cans. The video, complete with scientific explanations, convinced many people, and soon, viral videos emerged of people purportedly drinking the beer and their voices changing.

Other breweries, such as Samuel Adams (Boston Beer Company) and Berkshire Brewing Company, joined in on the prank, releasing their own satirical ads for helium-infused beers. These videos added to the confusion and speculation, and the public's thirst for helium beer grew.

Despite being debunked multiple times, the myth of helium beer persists, and people continue to search for it, even years later. While it is physically impossible to infuse beer with helium, some scientists have experimented with forcing helium into beer, resulting in a flat brew with a smooth mouthfeel. However, it did not affect the pitch of drinkers' voices or belches.

So, while you may come across videos and articles claiming that helium beer exists, it is essential to remember that it is nothing more than a clever hoax.

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