Where To Buy Stone Helium Beer?

Stone Brewing's Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium was announced on April 1, 2014, as the world's first helium beer. The announcement was, however, an April Fool's prank, and helium beer is not real. The prank was so believable that it caught the attention of urban legend website Snopes, which concluded that helium beer is just a bunch of hot air.

Stone Brewing's April Fool's Joke

Stone Brewing has a history of pranking its fans on April Fool's Day. On April 1, 2014, the company announced the release of its new beer, Stone Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium, claiming it to be the first canned beer infused with helium. The prank was so believable that it even caught the attention of the urban legend website Snopes.

The beer was described as a "cream ale and double dry-hopped" with "extra tropical, bitter goodness". It was said to be available in 16-ounce cans at select retailers, restaurants, and bars across the nation. The prank even included a detailed description of the beer's appearance, aroma, taste, and palate, as well as suggested food pairings.

Stone Brewing's QA manager, Rick Blankemeier, played a crucial role in the prank by giving a straight-man interview about the scientific aspects of the beer. The video ended with him taking a sip of the beer and his voice changing to a high-pitched tone, mimicking the effect of inhaling helium.

This April Fool's joke sparked widespread interest and inquiries from people all over the world, with many eager to get their hands on this unique beer. However, Stone Brewing eventually had to clarify that helium beer was not real and scientifically impossible due to the insolubility of helium in water or beer.

Despite the prank, Stone Brewing's April Fool's jokes have become a tradition, with the company taking delight in creatively pranking its fans each year.

Helium Beer's Viral Sensation

Helium Beers Viral Sensation

Stone Brewing Co. pulled off an impressive prank in April 2014 with the announcement of their Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium. The joke centred on the idea of a canned beer with helium instead of a nitrogen widget. The video, released on April 1st, showed Stone's QA manager, Rick Blankemeier, giving a straight-faced interview about the science behind the beer before taking a sip and speaking in a high-pitched voice. The video went viral, with people all over the world demanding to know where they could get their hands on the beer.

The Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium was billed as a "beer-obsessed scientist's dream" and a unique, aggressively flavoured brew that would "blow your mind". It was said to be a cream ale, double dry-hopped with a tropical, bitter taste and a smooth mouthfeel. The addition of helium was said to give a mild tingle on the finish. The beer was announced as being available in 16-ounce cans at select retailers, restaurants, and bars across the US.

The public's fascination with the idea of helium beer was such that Stone Brewing Co. received inquiries about it well into the following year. The video was replicated by dozens of viral Facebook publishers worldwide, and the original has racked up nearly 30 million views. The prank was so believable that it even caught the eye of the urban legend website Snopes, who concluded that, although it was an April Fool's joke, it was based on a similar prank by Boston Beer Co.

So, why was everyone so convinced? Well, Stone Brewing Co. had pulled off April Fool's pranks before, but this one was particularly elaborate. The video was straight-faced, and the press release included tasting notes and suggested food pairings. However, the main reason that people were so convinced was probably that helium beer is not a scientific impossibility. As Rick Blankemeier explained, there are three main reasons why it wouldn't work:

• Helium is not soluble in water (or beer), so you can't carbonate beer with it.
• Adding liquid helium would be impossible as it turns from liquid to gas at -220°F, instantly freezing your beer.
• Even if you could add helium to beer, it would cause gushing because helium is not soluble in beer.

Why Helium Beer Isn't Possible

Helium beer is not scientifically possible. This is due to the following reasons:

Firstly, helium is not soluble in water, and therefore not soluble in beer. Carbonation of beer with helium is not possible, unlike with carbon dioxide or nitrogen.

Secondly, adding liquid helium to beer is impossible as liquid helium has a very low temperature of -220°F at which it turns into a gas. This would result in the beer being frozen.

Thirdly, even if helium could be added to beer, it would cause gushing due to its insolubility in beer.

Despite these facts, the idea of helium beer has captured the imagination of many people, with numerous copycat videos and articles emerging since the initial April Fool's Day prank by Stone Brewing Co. in 2014. The prank video, along with a similar one by Boston Beer Co., sparked worldwide interest and demand for helium beer, with people inquiring about its availability and even asking if it could make them talk funny.

While it is clear that helium beer is not feasible, the concept has certainly left its mark on the craft beer world, with people still curious and intrigued by the idea.

Stone Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale

The beer was the brainchild of Stone Quality Assurance Supervisor Rick Blankemeier, who wondered what would happen if helium was added to a beer. The idea was presented to Stone Brewmaster Mitch Steele, who, after a brief science lesson from Rick, decided to give it a try. Steele described the ale as "tasty and very strange, but in a good way".

The Cr(He)am Ale was a cream ale that had been double dry-hopped to add tropical, bitter goodness. It was available in 16-ounce cans at retailers, restaurants, and bars in select markets nationwide. The helium was introduced to the beer via a widget that activated when the can was opened, streaming helium into the beer. This resulted in an ultra-smooth mouthfeel and a mild tingle in the finish.

The Stochasticity Project is a series of brewing variables, where exotic notions, ingredients, and ideas coalesce at an interesting and often unexpected endpoint.

Where to Buy Stone Brewing Beers

Stone Brewing's Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium was announced as the company's first canned beer and the world's first helium beer on April 1, 2014. However, this was an April Fool's prank, and helium beer is not real. Therefore, you cannot buy Stone helium beer anywhere.

Stone Brewing has a history of pranking its fans on April 1, usually by announcing something akin to selling out or poking fun at parts of the industry the company considers less than stellar. Here are some of Stone Brewing's April Fool's pranks over the years:

• 2002: Stone Extreme LemonyLime, poking fun at "malternative" beverages that attracted an undiscerning consumer.
• 2003: Stone Monolith, mocking expensive beer with elaborate packaging that had nothing to do with the beer.
• 2004: Stone Justification Ale, making fun of low-carb beers.
• 2006: Bastard Oxide Energy Ale, spoofing malternative alcoholic beverages with caffeine and other stimulants.
• 2009: BrewDog/Cambridge/Stone Juxtaposition Black Pilsner, a double cross prank with an actual collaboration beer.
• 2010: BrewDog/Stone Luciferin Golden Imperial Stout, poking fun at the idea of a golden stout.
• 2014: Stone Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with Helium, the helium beer prank.
• 2016: Stone's Retro Website, replacing the company's website with code and graphics from 1997.

While you cannot buy Stone helium beer, you can purchase other Stone Brewing beers at retailers, restaurants, and bars in select markets nationwide, as well as online. Stone Brewing's website provides information on where to find their beers, including a beer finder tool and a list of distribution partners.

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