Tasting Glass
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-end alcoholic drinks often have subtle flavors and aromas overpowered by ethanol content, and maintaining optimal temperature is desirable for flavor and aroma appreciation, particularly in spirits like whiskey and gin, but existing glasses made from crystal or borosilicate glass fail to effectively manage ethanol interaction and temperature retention.
Innovation Solution
A glass made from soda-lime glass with a depression in the base, which redirects the liquid to interact with the glass surface more extensively, reducing ethanol vaporization and enhancing flavor and aroma experience, while the thick base absorbs heat to maintain temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional crystal glass or borosilicate glass is used for tasting glasses, then high clarity and ease of manufacture are achieved, but ethanol vaporization overpowers the subtle flavors and aromas of the liquid
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional crystal glass or borosilicate glass to soda-lime glass, which has different surface properties that reduce ethanol adsorption and subsequent vaporization, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing harmful ethanol vaporization and maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the porous surface structure of soda-lime glass to adsorb ethanol molecules, reducing the amount of ethanol available for vaporization. The porous nature of soda-lime glass provides increased surface area for ethanol interaction without compromising manufacturing ease
2Productivity
If the liquid is poured quickly into the glass, then the tasting experience is efficient, but ethanol is vaporized through splashing and detrimentally affects the nose of the drink
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful effect of liquid splashing during pouring into a beneficial effect by designing the depression base to redirect splashed liquid along the sidewalls. This increases surface interaction area for ethanol adsorption while maintaining efficient pouring speed, thus converting the harm of splashing into benefit for flavor enhancement
3Object-affected harmful factors
If the liquid interacts extensively with the glass surface, then ethanol adsorption increases and flavors are enhanced, but the liquid flow path and interaction area are limited in conventional flat-bottomed glasses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent adds a vertical dimension to the liquid flow path by creating a depression in the base. This causes liquid to travel upward along the sidewalls in addition to horizontal flow, significantly increasing the surface area for ethanol adsorption without adding complex external structures to the glass
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The soda-lime glass with a depression in the base effectively reduces ethanol vaporization, enhancing the taste and aroma of alcoholic drinks by increasing surface interaction and maintaining optimal temperature, as demonstrated by improved tasting experiences compared to conventional glasses.
Implementation Method 1
the ethanol component of a spirit interacts with the surface structure of the soda-lime glass and is partially adsorbed or absorbed onto/into the surface
Implementation Method 2
the ethanol component of a spirit interacts with the surface structure of the soda-lime glass and is partially adsorbed or absorbed onto/into the surface
Implementation Method 3
The depression in the base of the glass efficiently converts the downwards motion of the liquid as it is poured into the glass into sideways motion up the sidewalls of the glass
Implementation Method 4
The conical shape of the depression agitates the liquid as it is poured into the glass by creating a tornado or whirlpool-type vortex
Implementation Method 5
the thick base absorbs heat to maintain temperature
Data Source
AI summary
A tasting glass (1) for consuming high-end alcoholic drinks. The glass is formed from soda-lime glass, has sidewalls (8) which define a volume for accommodating a liquid and a base (2) which is provided with a depression (7). When liquid is poured into the glass the liquid is urged by the depression over a large surface area of the base and sidewalls where any alcoholic content interacts with the soda-lime glass to improve the flavour and/or nose of the drink.