Flavor System for Beverage Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
The high cost and space requirements for storing and shipping beverages, particularly alcoholic beverages, due to their weight and the lengthy and expensive processes involved in fermenting and producing crafted beverages like beers, wines, and liquors, make it desirable to have a method for creating beverages that mimic these without the need for brewing, fermentation, or distillation.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the addition of specific flavor compounds to water in defined ranges to create beverages with the flavor of beer, wine, or whiskey, using flavor groups such as malty, fruity, smoky, and phenolic compounds, allowing for the creation of various styles without the need for brewing, fermentation, or distillation, and a kit including these compounds for making carbonated flavored beverages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If beverages are shipped and stored in conventional forms, then the beverage quality is maintained, but the cost and space requirements increase significantly due to weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential flavor compounds from beverages and separates them from the bulk water content. By removing approximately 90-95% of the water weight while retaining the flavor-active compounds, the system dramatically reduces storage weight and shipping costs while maintaining beverage quality when reconstituted.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the concentration parameter by creating highly concentrated flavor mixtures that can be diluted with water to achieve desired beverage strength. This allows the same flavor profile to be stored in a compact form and expanded to full beverage volume only when needed, optimizing both storage efficiency and quality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a large variety of fermented drinks are stocked, then beverage diversity is improved, but the cost and space requirements become prohibitive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal flavor system that can produce multiple beverage types (beer, wine, whiskey, cider, mead) using a common set of flavor compounds. By maintaining a single inventory of versatile flavor ingredients rather than separate inventories for each beverage type, the system achieves diverse beverage production with minimal storage weight and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the flavor profile of different beverages into distinct compound groups (malty, fruity, smoky, phenolic, etc.) that can be independently selected and combined. This modular approach allows unlimited beverage variety to be created by mixing different segments rather than storing each complete beverage separately.
3Reliability
If traditional brewing and fermentation processes are used, then authentic beverage flavors are achieved, but the time and cost requirements become lengthy and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs the complex flavor development actions in advance by pre-formulating concentrated flavor mixtures that capture the essence of traditional brewing and fermentation. These pre-prepared flavor systems eliminate the need for time-consuming on-site fermentation while maintaining authentic flavors when reconstituted and served.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates chemical copies of traditional beverage flavors using synthesized and extracted flavor compounds that replicate the sensory characteristics of authentically brewed beverages. This allows the flavor profile to be reproduced without actually performing the lengthy fermentation process, significantly reducing production time while maintaining quality.
4Reliability
If conventional beverage production methods are used, then full flavor profiles are achieved, but the complexity of production processes increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and isolates the specific flavor-active compounds from complex beverage matrices, separating them from the unnecessary bulk components. This extraction process simplifies the production system by focusing only on the essential elements needed for flavor reproduction, reducing overall process complexity while maintaining complete flavor profiles.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite flavor systems that combine multiple pre-isolated flavor compounds in specific ratios to recreate complete beverage flavor profiles. This approach simplifies production by using ready-to-mix composite formulations rather than requiring complex multi-step synthesis processes for each individual flavor component.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of making a flavored beverage includes combining water and a plurality of flavor compounds in an amount sufficient to impart the flavor of a wine, a whiskey or a beer. A kit for making a flavored beverage can include a plurality of flavor compounds, a quantity of yeast, a quantity of sugar and a container.