Helium Beer: Where To Buy In South Africa?

Helium beer is a hoax that first surfaced as an April Fool's Day prank by Stone Brewing and Sam Adams in 2014. The prank involved a video announcement about a new product, Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with helium, and featured the founders engaging in deep science talk about the ale. This, along with a video by Die BierProbierer titled Helium Beer Test, sparked worldwide interest in helium beer, with people inquiring about retailers and shipping to countries like Australia and Scotland. However, it's important to note that helium beer is scientifically impractical and doesn't exist. Helium is not soluble in water, so it cannot be used to carbonate beer like carbon dioxide or nitrogen. Additionally, liquid helium turns to gas at -220°F, which would freeze the beer. While there are unique beers with unusual ingredients or aging processes, helium beer is not one of them.

Helium beer is a hoax

Secondly, liquid helium is extremely cold and adding it to beer would result in frozen beer. Liquid helium becomes a gas at -220°F (-140°C), so it would be impossible to add it to a beer without freezing it.

Thirdly, even if helium could somehow be added to beer, it would cause gushing as it is not soluble and would not stay in solution.

The viral videos that sparked the demand for helium beer were an April Fool's Day joke. They showed people drinking purported helium beer and their voices becoming high-pitched. These effects were either achieved through post-production software that manipulated the audio or by the drinkers inhaling helium gas between sips.

While helium beer may not be real, there are plenty of unique and novelty beers available, including beers with unusual ingredients like spices, fruits, and chili peppers, as well as beers aged in different types of barrels for unique flavors. These can be found at local craft breweries, specialty liquor stores, or beer festivals.

It's scientifically impossible to infuse beer with helium

It is scientifically impossible to infuse beer with helium.

Helium is not soluble in water or beer. Carbonation in beer is created by dissolving carbon dioxide or nitrogen in water, which then releases slowly. Helium is about 700 times less soluble in water than carbon dioxide, and only about 0.0016 g of helium would dissolve in a litre of beer. This means that helium cannot create the slow fizz needed for beer. Instead, the undissolved helium would form one or two large bubbles, which would explode out of the beer can or bottle as soon as it was opened, taking most of the beer with it.

Even if helium could be forced into the beer, it would be useless. As soon as the seal was broken, all the helium, under pressure, would escape very quickly, creating a mess.

Liquid helium also turns into a gas at -220°F, so attempting to add it to beer would result in frozen beer.

Furthermore, drinking helium beer would not alter your voice. When you speak, air travels from your lungs to your vocal folds, which vibrate to create different sounds. If helium is inhaled, it fills your vocal tract and the harmonic frequencies increase significantly, amplifying the high-pitched components of your voice. However, if helium beer was consumed, it would go down the oesophagus with the liquid, not into the lungs where it would need to be drawn up to alter the sounds in the vocal tract.

Therefore, it is scientifically impossible to infuse beer with helium.

The helium beer trend was started by Stone Brewing Co

The Stochasticity Project Cr(He)am Ale with helium was presented as a revolutionary beer infused with helium, offering an ultra-smooth mouthfeel and a mild tingle in the finish. The announcement included a video of Stone's Rick Blankemeier and Mitch Steele engaging in deep science talk about the ale, making it seem more legitimate. The video and news release were published on April 1, 2014, which should have been a clue to the joke, but many people were fooled.

The second factor that fuelled the fire of the helium beer trend was a video by Die BierProbierer titled "Helium Beer Test." This video showed two individuals allegedly drinking helium beer and experiencing a noticeable change in their voices. The video went viral on Facebook and was replicated by publishers worldwide. However, the original video was also published on April 1, indicating that it was also a prank.

Despite the scientific impracticality of helium beer, the trend persisted due to the entertaining and convincing nature of these pranks. The concept of helium-infused beer captured the imagination of people worldwide, and the myth of helium beer continues to persist even today. While you won't be able to purchase true helium-infused beer, there are plenty of unique and unusual beers on the market that offer exciting and unexpected flavour profiles.

Sam Adams also released a prank video about helium beer

The concept of helium beer gained traction due to viral videos, but it is important to note that it is not a real product. Helium does not dissolve in liquids like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, which are used for traditional carbonation. While the videos of people with high-pitched voices after consuming helium beer are entertaining, they are staged and not an accurate representation of the effects of drinking such a beverage.

The Boston Beer Co.'s prank video contributed to the widespread interest in helium beer, with people worldwide inquiring about its availability. The video showcased Koch promoting the beer and then demonstrating its supposed effect on his voice. This practical joke played on the idea that helium beer could alter one's voice, similar to inhaling helium gas from a balloon.

The "HeliYUM" beer video is a creative example of an April Fool's Day prank within the beer industry, playing with the idea of a beer that gives you a squeaky voice. While it is not a real product, the video sparked curiosity and entertained many, leaving people talking about Samuel Adams beer.

Although you won't find true helium-infused beer for sale, the prank video by Sam Adams added fuel to the fire of curiosity surrounding helium beer. The video's release on April 1st, along with other similar pranks, contributed to the joke's success, leaving many disappointed that they couldn't get their hands on this fictional beverage.

You can find novelty beers at local craft breweries

Helium beer doesn't actually exist outside of prank videos, but you can find plenty of novelty beers at local craft breweries in South Africa. The country's craft beer scene has exploded in recent years, with small-scale artisanal breweries popping up across the country to meet the demand for full-flavoured, locally-produced beer.

South Africa now has over 200 microbreweries, providing beer lovers with a diverse array of craft beer styles and flavours. Some of the leading craft breweries in the country include Devil's Peak Brewing Company, Cape Brewing Company, Darling Brew, Mitchell's Brewery, and Clarens Brewery.

You can find these breweries and their taprooms in towns and cities such as Cape Town, Knysna, Clarens, and Johannesburg. Many of these breweries offer behind-the-scenes tours, providing insight into their processes, equipment, and operations, often concluding with a tasting session.

In addition to visiting individual breweries, you can also explore South Africa's beer culture by attending beer festivals, such as Cape Town's We Love Beer Celebration, or going on dedicated beer safaris or tours that take you to multiple breweries and local beer hangouts.

So, while helium beer may not be a real product, South Africa's craft breweries offer a wide range of unique and innovative beers that are definitely worth exploring.

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