Pressurized beverage concentrates and appliances and methods for producing beverages therefrom

Abstract

The present invention describes methods and devices in which concentrated beverage products, each packaged in a pressurized container, can be combined with liquids and/or other ingredients to produce one or more servings of a beverage. These products provide users with a convenient way to prepare both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including carbonated beverages) in various serving sizes and quantities by combining the pressurized beverage concentrate with (possibly carbonated) liquids and other ingredients.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A device for delivering a concentrated beverage, comprising:
 a concentrated beverage;   a container for containing the concentrated beverage; and   a pressurized gas.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the container is selected from the group consisting of a pod, a pack, a capsule, a bottle, a cylinder, and a cartridge. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the container is composed of a material selected from the group consisting of steel, aluminum, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), glass, and ceramics. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 3 , wherein the container can withstand a gas pressure of at least 30 bar above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4 , wherein the container can withstand a gas pressure of at least 40 bar above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the container is reusable. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein multiple servings of a beverage can be produced from the concentrated beverage. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the concentrated beverage is a beer, a cider, a wine, a spirit, a soft drink, a juice, a coffee, or a tea. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 8 , wherein the concentrated beverage is a high-gravity beer having a specific gravity of at least 1.070. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the concentrated beverage has a sugar content of about 40 degrees Brix to about 70 degrees Brix. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the concentrated beverage has an alcohol content of about 50 ABV to about 70 ABV. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas is dissolved in the concentrated beverage. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 12 , wherein the pressurized gas is selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, and nitrogen dioxide. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the pressurized gas is carbon dioxide, and the concentrated beverage is hypercarbonated. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized gas, at 23° C., has a gas pressure from about 5 bar above atmospheric pressure to about 15 bar above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 15 , wherein the pressurized gas has a gas pressure of approximately 9.4 bar at 23° C. 
     
     
         17 . A method of producing a beverage from a pressurized beverage concentrate, comprising the steps of:
 unsealing a container in which the pressurized beverage concentrate is stored; and   diluting the pressurized beverage concentrate with a liquid to produce a beverage.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the liquid is water. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the water is carbonated water. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the carbonated water is hypercarbonated water. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the step of diluting the pressurized beverage concentrate comprises diluting the pressurized beverage concentrate with water to produce a beverage having a sugar content of about 1 degrees Brix to about 30 degrees Brix and an alcohol content of about 2 ABV to about 16 ABV. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of deionizing the pressurized beverage concentrate to remove anions and cations before diluting the pressurized beverage concentrate with water. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of adding an ingredient to the produced beverage. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the ingredient is a solid or liquid concentrated ingredient selected from the group consisting of hop concentrates, fruit concentrates, sweeteners, bittering additives, concentrated spices, foaming promoters, concentrated malt-based liquids, concentrated fermented liquids, concentrated beer, colorants, alcohols, flavoring additives, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein diluting the pressurized beverage concentrate with water to produce a beverage results in multiple servings of the beverage being produced from the pressurized beverage concentrate. 
     
     
         26 . An appliance for preparing a beverage, comprising:
 a first receptacle for intake of a container containing a concentrated, pressurized beverage;   a first liquid intake for intake of a liquid;   a first mixing element for mixing the concentrated, pressurized beverage with the liquid to produce a beverage; and   a beverage outlet to dispense a produced beverage.   
     
     
         27 . The appliance of  claim 26 , wherein the first mixing element is a static mixer. 
     
     
         28 . The appliance of  claim 27 , wherein the static mixer is an in-line mixer. 
     
     
         29 . The appliance of  claim 28 , wherein the in-line mixer is a venturi. 
     
     
         30 . The appliance of  claim 27 , wherein the static mixer is a mixing chamber. 
     
     
         31 . The appliance of  claim 30 , wherein the mixing chamber is a disposable mixing chamber composed of a plastic material. 
     
     
         32 . The appliance of  claim 30 , further comprising:
 a second liquid intake for intake of a carbonated liquid; and   a second mixing element for mixing a beverage output from the mixing chamber with the carbonated liquid.   
     
     
         33 . The appliance of  claim 32 , wherein the carbonated liquid is carbonated water. 
     
     
         34 . The appliance of  claim 33 , wherein the carbonated water is hypercarbonated water. 
     
     
         35 . The appliance of  claim 32 , wherein the second mixing element comprises one of a carbonation chamber and a static mixer. 
     
     
         36 . The appliance of  claim 33 , wherein the second mixing element is a disposable mixing chamber composed of a plastic material. 
     
     
         37 . The appliance of  claim 26 , further comprising a second receptacle for intake of an ingredient. 
     
     
         38 . The appliance of  claim 37 , wherein the ingredient is a flavor ingredient selected from the group consisting of a spice flavor, a fruit flavor, an herb flavor, a hop flavor, a malt flavor, a nut flavor, a smoke flavor, a coffee flavor, a chocolate flavor, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The appliance of  claim 37 , wherein the ingredient is a solid or liquid concentrated ingredient selected from the group consisting of hop concentrates, fruit concentrates, sweeteners, bittering additives, concentrated spices, foaming promoters, concentrated malt-based liquids, concentrated fermented liquids, concentrated beer, alcohols, flavor additives, colorants and mixtures thereof.