INSTANT RECONSTITUTABLE ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to methods of making an instantly reconεtitutable alcoholic beverage. There has long been a need to have a method for dehydrating beer and other alcoholic beverages without detrimentally affecting their taste or storage properties. Dehydrated beverages would have a number of advantages, including decreased shipping and storage costs, decreased packaging cost, and possibly enhanced stability. There is also a need for a method of reconstituting the dehydrated alcoholic beverage which yields the desired amount of both alcohol and carbonation. Other beverage industries have found methods for successfully dehydrating beverages such as coffee using freeze drying or spray drying. Soft drink manufacturers use concentrates which are diluted and packaged at the distribution site. These concentrates are reconstituted prior to serving by the addition of carbonated water and other sources of C0₂. Other methods of carbonation are known. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,965,273, issued in 1976 to Stahl, describes the carbonation of a non-alcoholic beverage with dried calcium carbonate dispersed within a matrix of water-soluble carbohydrates. U.S. Patent No. 3,939,289 to Hornyak and Stahl similarly provides a dry carbonation source for cola-like beverages prepared by cogrinding calcium carbonate and an anhydrous water-soluble non-toxic acid which is mixed with water, a sweetener and a flavoring. U.S. Patent No. 3,888,998 to Sampson and yte describes a method for retaining sufficient carbonation in a non¬ alcoholic beverage using a dry beverage mix and porous

crystalline zeolite that absorbs 5% or more by weight of carbon dioxide.

Unfortunately, none of these methods can be used with an alcohol containing beverage without significantly altering the taste and amount of alcohol in the reconstituted beverage.

During the past 25 years numerous efforts have been made to create a usable dry alcoholic beverage mixture. For example, U.S. Patent No. 3,576,644, issued in 1971 to Anderson et al, describes a dry alcoholic beverage-forming composition of a particulate alkyl carbonate of calcium and a water- dispersible acidic flavoring agent. Unfortunately, products containing dried alcohol are unstable and suffer from a deterioration in taste.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a concentrated alcoholic beverage product, particularly in dry form, which can be reconstituted without any deterioration of the flavor or the appearance of an undesirable aftertaste. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method and means for stably storing alcohol in dry form for use in a variety of processes and applications. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for carbonating a recon¬ stituted alcoholic beverage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a novel method for producing a dry reconstitutable alcoholic beverage wherein the alcoholic beverage is separated into a volatile fraction (the alcohol and other volatiles) and a non-volatile (water-soluble) fraction; the volatile fraction is reacted with a

hydrolyzed starch compound, such as a maltodextrin of specific molecular weight, to yield a volatile powder, and the non-volatile fraction is dried to yield a dry water-soluble powder. The dry powders can be pressed into tablets and/or packaged separately or in combination for later reconstitution.

The alcoholic beverage is reconstituted by mixing the volatile powder and the water-soluble powder with water and carbonating. The reconstituted beverage can be carbonated by addition of CO2 and water, by addition of soda water at about 0° to 15°C or by addition of citric acid, Na₂Cθ₃ and water. The final concentration of alcohol, the taste, and the extent of carbonation can be varied as desired by varying the relative ratio of volatile to non¬ volatile powders, the type and quantity of hydrolyzed starch compound and the method of carbonation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Any type of alcoholic beverage, or alcohol, may be dehydrated and reconstituted according to the present invention. Specific examples of alcoholic beverages are beer, wine, wine beverages and spirits. Ethanol can also be dehydrated according to the present process for use in a variety of applications. In one embodiment of the present process, drying and reconstituting beer, the beer is first degassed at room temperature to remove the carbon dioxide contained in the beverage. The product obtained from fermentation prior to carbonation may also be used directly.

The degassed beverage is separated into the volatile (alcohol-containing) and non-volatile (water-soluble) fractions. The separated fractions are then dried. The environment, as well as the

equipment utilized, should be clean and maintained free of contamination. Glass or stainless steel containers which are inert and do not leach any products harmful to the flavor or aroma of the beverage are preferred.

The preferred methods for drying the non¬ volatile fractions are spray drying and freeze drying. Freezing and drying equipment can be obtained commercially. For freeze-drying, the non-volatile liquid fraction is frozen at a temperature of less than -20"C, preferably below -85°C, in a thin layer (generally less than about 4 cm) . Once the non¬ volatile fraction is completely frozen, vacuum is applied to remove the liquid. In order to minimize oxidation, a reducing agent such as sodium ascorbate may be added in an amount of about 3-5 grams per liter of the beverage. Other reducing agents known to those skilled in the art can also be used. Alternatively, the non-volatile fraction is spray dried by spraying the liquid under freezing conditions, preferably in an inert gas atmosphere such as nitrogen to reduce oxidation.

Distillation equipment is required for the separation of the alcohol and other volatiles from the non-volatile fraction and subsequent recovery. This equipment is also commercially available.

For example, degassed beer is rapidly reduced in volume to between about one-fourth to one-half of the original volume, preferably to about one-third of its original volume, by evaporating the alcohol and other volatile components and some of the water. The pressure during this step should be reduced to and maintained at between about 300 and 400 mm Hg, preferably between about 300 and 340 mm Hg. This

process is performed at a temperature of between about 22° and 35°C, preferably between about 30° and 33°C. This step can be performed with the use of flash evaporators or other devices capable of maintaining a desired combination of reduced pressure and temperature. The water is then separated out of the evaporated alcohol-volatile-water mixture and the alcoholvolatile fraction collected by distillation. The alcohol-volatile fraction, separated by distillation, is immobilized onto an inert, tasteless, porous, biocompatible support having high surface area. The preferred group of compounds is hydrolyzed polysaccharides (starches) such as dextrin which are insoluble in alcohol and soluble in water. The advantages of this particular group of compounds are that they absorb the alcohol to yield an alcohol staturated dry powder which can be dissolved in the reconstituted water-soluble fraction, and that they are already well known and approved for use in the food industry. A preferred compound is a maltrin polymer primarily containing dextrine, which is a degradation product of starch. A still more preferred starch derivative is maltodextrine. Other products having the required characteristics may be utilized. The amount of alcohol that may be immobilized varies with the type of starch derivative used. In the case of maltodextrin (Maltrin M-100,500,600, Grain Product Co., Muscatine, Iowa). Maltrin M-600 is capable of immobilizing about 0.91 g of 95% ethanol- volatiles mixture/g of Maltrin M-600. 0.7g of 95% ethanol can be absorbed/g Maltrin M500 and 1.7g 95% ethanol can be absorbed/g Maltrin MIOO.

Since one of the key factors affecting the stability of the alcohol-volatiles fraction is environmental moisture, the immobilized alcohol-

volatiles mixture should be kept in a sealed, moisture-proof container. Plastic moisture-proof packages can be prepared using moisture barrier films (Cryovac Co. , Greenville, South Carolina) . Moisture- proofed glass containers may also be used. The alcohol-volatiles fraction has been stabily preserved in such containers for greater than two years.

The solid alcohol-volatiles product can be compressed into tablet form, with or without the addition of carriers, antioxides, or other compounds. However, excessive pressure can result in the loss of the alcohol.

Freeze-drying or spray-drying is preferably conducted soon after the non-volatile fraction is separated for better results. The length of time for drying of the nonvolatile fraction of the beverage may vary depending on whether freeze-drying or spray- drying is utilized. The length of time for the drying step also depends on the volume and nature of the beverage. However, drying may be accomplished within about 24 to 48 hours in most cases.

The dried water-soluble fraction should also be stored in a tight container to minimize exposure to moisture and light. The solid product is stable under these conditions in excess of three years. This dry mix may also be compressed in the form of a tablet for easier storage and packaging.

The dried non-volatile fraction is mixed with the immobilized alcohol-volatiles fraction. The proportion of the two fractions may vary broadly and in accordance with the flavor, aroma, alcohol and other characteristics which are desirable for a particular beverage. A preferred proportion is that which yields between 1 and 3% of alcohol by weight for beer and 10 to 12% of alcohol for wine.

The mixture can be further combined with dry carbonated salts and water, soda water, or C0₂ to produce a reconstituted carbonated alcoholic beverage. The soda water and the water should be cooled to between about 0° and 15°C before use, and preferably to between about 5° and 8^βC. The volume of water or soda water added to the dry reconstitutable components varies in accordance with the desired final concentration of alcohol, aroma, and taste. The present invention is further illustrated by the following non-limiting examples.

The Reconstitution Of Beer Using Dehydrated Products.

When producing dehydrated beer, several ingredients must be removed from the beverage before or during drying, then added back into the dried powder during reconstitution. First, the C0₂ must be removed. The alcohol, volatiles and water must be removed. The alcohol must then be put into an immobilized form, and the water-soluble compounds dried. After addition of water to the dried powders, the C0₂ must be added back into the beer. The following examples detail methods for these processes as well as describe two different recipes for making reconstituted beer.

Alcohol Immobilization

An immobilization support medium. Dextrin MlOO or M500 was used. The amount of alcohol which can be immobilized onto this medium before historesis is observed determines which form is most useful. The optimum mixture can be determined by adding various amounts of 95% ethanol to 10 g of the immobilization medium. Historesis occurs with MlOO when 18 g ethanol is added. 17 g ethanol is therefore considered •

optimal (i.e., 1.7 g 95% ethanol/g MlOO). For comparison, only 7 g 95% ethanol can be immobilized per 10 g M500. Consequently, a relatively large amount of M500 is required which can alter the characteristic taste of the reconstituted beverage. In contrast, MlOO has a much higher alcohol capacity and can be effectively used in an amount which does not affect the taste of the reconstituted beverage.

Methods of Carbonating the Reconstituted Beverage. (a) Addition of citric acid and Na₂Cθ₃ to the dry mixture.

Citric acid and Na C0₃, added in a 4:3 ratio, yield the best results for carbonation of the reconstituted beverage. Higher concentrations of the citrate -

Na₂C0₃ dry mixture alter the taste of the beverage. (b) Addition of powdered dry ice.

When dry ice and water are added directly to a reconstituted beverage, the dry ice floats on top and the gas escapes into the atmosphere.

A preferred way to use dry ice is with airtight plastic packaging. The powdered dry ice is first mixed with both the non¬ volatile fraction and the immobilized alcohol fraction. Liquid is added and the mixture is then sealed in impermeable plastic packages, for example, provided by Cryovac Corp. If too much dry ice is added to a beer mixture and packaged, the pouch can explode from the gas pressure.

(c) Addition of C0₂ by use of a pressurized container with a C0₂ cartridge.

The best results for this method are obtained using a device such as the Alcoa home beer dispenser. The gallon keg is filled with the dehydrated non-volatile fraction, the immobilized alcohol, and water, up to a gallon, and then a 13.5 g C0 cartridge is inserted into the dispenser apparatus. The C0₂ is absorbed into the beer. The best C0₂ penetration occurs approximately 24 hours after the cartridge is installed.

Reconstitution and Carbonation of Dehydrated Beer (a) Beer recipe with Na₂Cθ3 carbonation.

15 g dehydrated beer 17.1 g Ethanol immobilized-MlOO 1 g citric acid (anhydrous) 0.75 g Na C0₃ These ingredients are mixed together. Cold water 20 is added to 355 ml. After approximately 2 min, the beer is ready to drink. 17.1 g. of MlOO- ethanol yields an alcohol content of approximately

3.5% (v/v) . (b) Beer recipe with carbonation using an Alcoa Beer Dispenser

15 g dehydrated beer 17.1 g Ethanol immobilized-MlOO 0.2 g citric acid (anhydrous) 0.15 g Na₂C0₃

The ingredients are mixed together with cold water 30 up to 355 ml and poured into the mini-keg. The dispenser apparatus is attached and the C0₂ cartridge installed. The whole keg apparatus is kept

at 4°C in a refrigerator for several hours, allowing absorption of the C0₂ into the beer, (c) Beer from dehydrated beer tablets.

Dehydrated non-volatile beer fraction, as described above, was compressed using a pharmaceutical press used for the manufacturing of pills. Tablets of varying sizes were reconstituted by the addition of water. This beer is free of alcohol and can be used as is or alcohol and carbonation can be added, as described above.

Modifications and variations of the present invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art for the foregoing detailed description of the invention. These modifications and variations are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.