GB2369105A

GB2369105A - Dispensing a beverage

Info

Publication number: GB2369105A
Application number: GB0116621A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Iain Wallace Anderson; Wendy Gladys Box; Peter Thomas Foster; Rachel Joanna Galt; Stuart William Molzahn; David Edwin Quain; Stephen Paul Smith; Robert Alan Wright
Original assignee: Bass Machine Holdings Ltd; Brandbrew SA
Current assignee: Bass Machine Holdings Ltd; Brandbrew SA
Priority date: 2000-07-08
Filing date: 2001-07-09
Publication date: 2002-05-22
Also published as: GB0016703D0; GB0116621D0

Abstract

A method of dispensing a beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content, wherein said beverage 2 is introduced into a drinking glass 1 and the wall of the glass is subjected to mechanical vibration such as tapping by a hammer 3 (or by a human hand or finger) to promote formation of gas bubbles 2A from the dissolved gas content. The vibration may also be induced by applying a vibrating tuning fork to the glass wall, or by stroking the rim of the glass with a finger.

Description

DISPENSING A BEVERAGE

This invention concerns dispensing a beverage, for example a draft beverage.

The beverage is of the type (hereinafter called the type referred to) comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content.

According to the invention a method of dispensing a beverage of the type referred to comprises introducing the beverage into a vessel, and subjecting a wall of the vessel to mechanical vibration to promote formation of gas bubbles in the beverage from the dissolved gas content.

The occurrence of the gas bubbles can encourage or promote development of a head on the beverage. Furthermore the bubbles may provide nucleation sites, which may promote spontaneous development of ice in the beverage, particularly when prior cooled beverage is introduced into the vessel.

Vibration may be applied to the wall of the vessel by tapping or striking the wall, for example by a human hand or finger or by some implement operated manually or mechanically. Or a vibrating tuning fork may be applied to the wall causing the latter to resonate. Or resonance may be

14 induced by stroking a rim of the vessel which may make it"sing".

The vessel may be a drinking vessel, for example a glass.

The beverage may be a draught beverage which may be cooled prior to delivery into the vessel, for example using beverage cooling means in a beverage dispensing system which may convey beverage from a beverage supply to a dispense tap or a font at, for example, a drinks bar.

The beverage may be non-alcoholic or alcoholic. For example, an alcoholic beverage may be a beer, for example a lager, or an ale, stout or porter, or the alcoholic beverage may be cider.

Attention is drawn to two International patent applications, namely International Application No. PCT/GB99/03824 (published under No.

Wool/36582) filed on 18 November 1999 and International Application No. PCT/GB99/01551 (published under No. WO99/60092). Any individual feature or any combination of such features of any beverage disclosed in either of these International Applications, and any method or apparatus or part of any method or apparatus disclosed in either of these International applications may be utilised in the dispense of beverage which is the subject of this current application.

Aspects of the invention are illustrated by reference to the following drawings which are not intended to limit the scope of the invention disclosed. In the drawings: Figures 1 to 4 diagrammatically illustrate ways in which the method of the invention may be performed.

In each of Figures 1 to 4 there is illustrated a glass 1 which contains a beverage 2 of the type referred to. The beverage 2 may be non-alcoholic or alcoholic, for example a beer or a cider. The beer may be a lager.

In Figure 1 the glass 1 is subjected to mechanical vibration to promote formation of gas bubbles 2A in the beverage 2 by tapping a wall of the glass 1 with a hammer 3.

In Figure 2 the glass 1 is subjected to mechanical vibration to promote formation of gas bubbles in the beverage by tapping a wall of the glass with a human finger 4.

In Figure 3 the glass 1 is subjected to mechanical vibration to promote formation of gas bubbles in the beverage by applying a vibrating tuning fork 5 to a wall of the glass. The tuning fork 5 may be caused to vibrate by striking it against a solid surface as is generally known.

In Figure 4 the glass 1 is subjected to mechanical vibration to promote formation of gas bubbles in the beverage by rubbing or stroking the rim 7 of the glass 1 with a human finger 6.

It is to be understood that the figures are included by way of example only and that the invention covers any variants of the embodiment portrayed. For example instead of a hammer 3, another suitable implement, for example a rod or a block, which will induce mechanical vibration might be used.

The occurrence of the gas bubbles 2A can encourage or promote development of a head of bubbles or foam on the beverage 2. Furthermore the bubbles 2A may provide nucleation sites, which may promote spontaneous development of ice in the beverage 2, particularly when prior cooled beverage is introduced into the vessel 1.

If desired, the beverage 2 may be draught beverage.

Claims

1. A method of dispensing a beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content, said method comprising introducing said beverage into a vessel, and subjecting the wall of the vessel to mechanical vibration to promote formation of gas bubbles in the beverage from the dissolved gas content.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which vibration is applied to said wall by tapping or striking the wall.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, in which said wall is tapped or struck by a human hand or finger.

4. A method as claimed in Claim 2, in which said wall is tapped or struck by an implement operated manually or mechanically.

5. A method as clamed in Claim 4, in which the implement is a hammer.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the vibration is applied to the wall by a vibrating tuning fork.

7. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the vibration is created by inducing a resonance by stroking the rim of the vessel.

8. A method as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which the vessel is a drinking vessel.

9. A method as claimed in Claim 8, in which the drinking vessel is a glass.

10. A method as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which the occurrence of said gas bubbles encourages or promotes development of a head on the beverage.

11. A method as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which said bubbles in the beverage in the vessel provide nucleation suites promoting development of ice in said beverage.

12. A method as claimed in any one preceding claim, in which the beverage introduced into the vessel is cooled beverage.

13. A method as claimed in any one preceding claim in which the beverage is draught beverage introduced into the vessel using a beveraging dispensing system including beverage cooling means whereby the beverage is prior cooled and the prior cooled beverage dispensed into the vessel.

14. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 13, in which the beverage is draught beverage.

15. A method as claimed in any one preceding claim in which the beverage is an alcoholic beverage.

16. A method as claimed in Claim 15, in which the alcoholic beverage is beer.

17. A method as claimed in Claim 16, in which the beer is lager.

18. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 14, in which the beverage is non-alcoholic.

19. A method of dispensing a beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content, said method being substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figure 1, or to Figure 2, or to Figure 3, or to Figure 4 of the accompanying drawings.