The present invention discloses a process for preparing a sparkling alcoholic beverage resulting from the maceration of hops and/or its derivatives in wine with the addition of wine concentrate, vegetable water and/or water, fruit or vegetable concentrate and/or sugar, in order to reduce the alcohol content of wine, and which is gasified by a second alcoholic fermentation and/or addition of carbon dioxide. Through this process a sparkling alcoholic beverage having between 5 and 15% alcohol, a sugar content between 0.1 and 200 g/L, with a total acidity between 4 and 8 g/L is obtained having hops aroma, flavor and bitterness combined with aromas inherent to wine.

A device and a method for stabilizing wine or other vegetable beverages by removal, in whole or in part, of agents responsible for instability, including proteins and metals, are provided. The device has a tubular container filled internally at least partly with particles of support material covered with a layer of a mesoporous nanostructured adsorbent material comprising titanium oxide, adapted to absorb proteins and metals.

A system and method of the purification of drinking water, ethanol and alcohol beverages is based on the action of hydrodynamic cavitation processing of microbiological and chemical contaminants, micro particles and colloidal particles. The fluid flow moves at a high rate through a multi-stage cavitation device and filtration module to generate hydrodynamic cavitation features in the fluid flow. The cavitation features generate changes in the velocity, pressure, temperature, chemical composition and physical properties of the liquid. The cavitation features also prevent the deposition of contaminants upon and remove contaminants from the surface of the filter module, reduce the load on the filter elements and increase the life of the filter module.

Certain embodiments of the invention provide a method of preparing a modified distilled alcoholic spirit, comprising contacting a corresponding starting distilled alcoholic spirit with a base under conditions that cause at least one free carbonyl compound in the starting distilled alcoholic spirit to be reduced, to provide the modified distilled alcoholic spirit that has at an alcohol by volume (ABV) of at least 15%. Certain embodiments also provide a modified distilled alcoholic spirit prepared by the methods described herein.

A composition useful for the treatment of beverages comprising xerogel particles having a pore volume of from about 0.2 to about 2.0 m.sup.2/g, a median particle size of from about 5 to about 40 microns, wherein the composition comprises less than about 30% by weight of fines.

A system and method of the purification of drinking water, ethanol and alcohol beverages is based on the action of hydrodynamic cavitation processing of microbiological and chemical contaminants, micro particles and colloidal particles. The fluid flow moves at a high rate through a multi-stage cavitation device and filtration module to generate hydrodynamic cavitation features in the fluid flow. The cavitation features generate changes in the velocity, pressure, temperature, chemical composition and physical properties of the liquid. The cavitation features also prevent the deposition of contaminants upon and remove contaminants from the surface of the filter module, reduce the load on the filter elements and increase the life of the filter module.

A composite filter aid may include acid-washed diatomaceous earth and a low extractable metal mineral. A method for making a composite material may include blending an acid-washed diatomaceous earth and a low extractable metal mineral, adding a binder to the blended diatomaceous earth and low extractable metal mineral, and forming the composite material from the acid-washed diatomaceous earth, the low extractable metal mineral, and the binder. A method for filtering a liquid may include providing a liquid for filtering and filtering the liquid through a composite filter aid that includes an acid-washed diatomaceous earth and a low extractable metal mineral.

The metal-supported zeolite for alcoholic beverages of the present invention is a zeolite that carries a metal component, wherein the metal component is silver, and the zeolite is at least one selected from a beta-type one and a Y-type one. The metal-supported zeolite is for removing unwanted components contained in alcoholic beverages.

The present invention relates to mesoporous silica particles functionalized with at least one group having an acidic functionality and/or at least one group having a hydrophobic functionality anchored to the silica by means of a silicon-oxygen bond. The acidic functionality is preferably an alkyl group bearing a group selected from SO.sub.3H, COOH, PO(OH).sub.2.

The hydrophobic functionality is preferably a saturated, linear alkyl group.

The invention also relates to the use of the mesoporous silica particles for the removal of proteins from and/or the reduction of the concentration of several metals in a beverage having a pH lower than 4, preferably wine, beer, cider, and a combination thereof.

The metal-supported zeolite for alcoholic beverages of the present invention is a zeolite that carries a metal component, wherein the metal component is silver, and the zeolite is at least one selected from a beta-type one and a Y-type one. The metal-supported zeolite is for removing unwanted components contained in alcoholic beverages.