A beverage dispensing assembly for preparing and dispensing a beverage has a source of pressurized base liquid containing dissolved CO.sub.2, N.sub.2 or N.sub.2O and a gas pressure of at least 0.5 bar overpressure at 2° C. A beverage unit with a liquid flow path has a liquid inlet at one end in fluid communication with the base liquid in the base liquid source and a beverage outlet at an opposite end. An ingredient container receiving means has an ingredient container installed so the contents are in fluid communication with the liquid flow path for mixing the contents with a base liquid in the liquid flow path. A gas pressure regulation unit has a pressure chamber in the liquid flow path downstream of the communication between the liquid flow path and the ingredient container contents. A gas ingredient inlet is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber.

A beverage dispensing assembly for preparing and dispensing a beverage the assembly comprising: —source of pressurized base liquid having CO.sub.2, N.sub.2 or N.sub.2O dissolved therein and having a gas pressure of at least 0.5 bar overpressure at 2° C.; —a beverage unit with a liquid flow path having a liquid inlet at one end in fluid communication with the base liquid in the source of base liquid by means of a valve and a beverage outlet at an opposite end; an ingredient container receiving means having an ingredient container installed therein such that when correctly installed, the content of the ingredient container is in fluid communication with the liquid flow path for mixing the content of the ingredient container with a base liquid in the liquid flow path; —a gas pressure regulation unit having a pressure chamber provided in the liquid flow path downstream of the fluid communication between the liquid flow path and the content of the ingredient container; a gas ingredient inlet in fluid communication with the pressure chamber through a valve.

An appliance for the production and dispensing of malt based fermented beverage has a malt based fermented beverage concentrated inlet, liquid lines, a water inlet, a pressurized gas inlet, a carbonation unit having a water inlet and a pressurized gas inlet, a mixing unit in which the carbonated water and malt based fermented beverage concentrate are mixed. The appliance further has a gas pressure regulating means for varying the gas at the inlet of the carbonation unit.

A beverage machine system that includes: an insulated potable liquid storage tank having an interior volume; a liquid carbonator spaced within the interior volume of the insulated potable liquid storage tank and submerged therein; a high pressure potable liquid pump configured to pump potable liquid from the interior volume of the insulated potable liquid storage tank through a potable liquid conduit to a spray nozzle within an interior volume of the liquid carbonator; and a cooling coil positioned in a spaced apart relationship but wound around the carbonator such that the cooling coil does not physically touch an exterior surface of the carbonator submersed within the chilled potable liquid and the space between the cooling coil and the carbonator is at least substantially free of any other structure other than periodic frozen potable liquid adjacent the cooling coil.

A system prepares and dispenses non gas-infused and gas-infused beverages including a gas source, a pressurizable container connected to the gas source to receive a first flow of gas, a gas infusion tank connected to the gas source to receive a second flow of gas, a first dispensing tap that receives a portion of preprocessed beverage stored in the pressurizable container that flows under pressure from a portion of the first flow of gas to dispense a non gas-infused beverage from the first dispensing tap, and a second dispensing tap that receives gas-infused beverage from the gas infusion vessel to dispense the gas-infused beverage by the second dispensing tap, the gas-infused tank receiving a portion of the preprocessed beverage from the pressurizable container to infuse the preprocessed beverage in the gas infusion vessel with at least a portion of the second flow of gas.

A beverage machine system that includes: an insulated potable liquid storage tank having an interior volume; a liquid carbonator spaced within the interior volume of the insulated potable liquid storage tank and submerged therein; a high pressure potable liquid pump configured to pump potable liquid from the interior volume of the insulated potable liquid storage tank through a potable liquid conduit to a spray nozzle within an interior volume of the liquid carbonator; and a cooling coil positioned in a spaced apart relationship but wound around the carbonator such that the cooling coil does not physically touch an exterior surface of the carbonator submersed within the chilled potable liquid and the space between the cooling coil and the carbonator is at least substantially free of any other structure other than periodic frozen potable liquid adjacent the cooling coil.

A system prepares and dispenses non gas-infused and gas-infused beverages including a gas source, a pressurizable container connected to the gas source to receive a first flow of gas, a gas infusion tank connected to the gas source to receive a second flow of gas, a first dispensing tap that receives a portion of preprocessed beverage stored in the pressurizable container that flows under pressure from a portion of the first flow of gas to dispense a non gas-infused beverage from the first dispensing tap, and a second dispensing tap that receives gas-infused beverage from the gas infusion vessel to dispense the gas-infused beverage by the second dispensing tap, the gas-infused tank receiving a portion of the preprocessed beverage from the pressurizable container to infuse the preprocessed beverage in the gas infusion vessel with at least a portion of the second flow of gas.

A beverage dispensing assembly for preparing and dispensing a beverage has a source of pressurized base liquid containing dissolved CO.sub.2, N.sub.2 or N.sub.2O and a gas pressure of at least 0.5 bar overpressure at 2 C. A beverage unit with a liquid flow path has a liquid inlet at one end in fluid communication with the base liquid in the base liquid source and a beverage outlet at an opposite end. An ingredient container receiving slot has an ingredient container installed so the contents are in fluid communication with the liquid flow path for mixing the contents with a base liquid in the liquid flow path. A gas pressure regulation unit has a pressure chamber in the liquid flow path downstream of the communication between the liquid flow path and the ingredient container contents. A gas ingredient inlet is in fluid communication with the pressure chamber.