The present invention describes methods and devices in which concentrated beverage products, each packaged in a pressurized container, can be combined with liquids and/or other ingredients to produce one or more servings of a beverage. These products provide users with a convenient way to prepare both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages (including carbonated beverages) in various serving sizes and quantities by combining the pressurized beverage concentrate with (possibly carbonated) liquids and other ingredients.

The invention relates to a disposable cartridge filled with a single serve portion of a liquid ingredient to be combined with a base liquid for the preparation of a liquid product, e.g. a beverage concentrate to be combined with water, e.g. carbonated water, for the preparation of a beverage suitable for human consumption. The cartridge comprises a vertically extending channel that extends to a dispensing aperture in the bottom of the cartridge and one or more dispensing passages extending between a reservoir and the outside of the cartridge. The dispensing passages are provided with outlet openings located adjacent the aperture such that the base liquid and the liquid ingredient are dispensed in parallel flows, the liquid ingredient subsequently coating the exterior of the stream of base liquid, such that actual mixing of the liquid ingredient and base liquid only takes place after both have been dispensed.

A beverage apparatus and system is disclosed. The beverage apparatus is configurable to add flavors, minerals, vitamins, or other such additives to a source fluid, such as purified water, in response to a user's selection of settings, to provide a customized beverage. Advantageously, the beverage apparatus uses the purified water to cleanse the components that come into contact with the N additive as part of the preparation of each beverage and includes this cleansing wash as part of the beverage itself, thus providing a self-cleaning apparatus that does not require a separate drain.

Dispensing sequences for beverage mixture dispensing systems are disclosed. A disclosed method for operating a beverage mixture dispensing system includes flowing a first solvent from a first reservoir to a mixing area of the beverage mixture dispensing system, dispensing concentrated ingredients into the mixing area to combine the first solvent from the first reservoir with the concentrated ingredients to form an intermediate mixture, flowing the intermediate mixture to a mixing chamber of the beverage mixture dispensing system, flowing a sweetening liquid from a second reservoir to the mixing chamber, without flowing the sweetening liquid through the mixing area, to combine the sweetening liquid from the second reservoir with the intermediate mixture to form a beverage, and dispensing the beverage from the mixing chamber. A disclosed device is configured to execute this method. A disclosed computer-readable medium includes instructions for a device to execute this method.

Systems and methods for reducing the overall current draw of a fluid mixture dispensing device are disclosed. A disclosed system includes a mixing area, a set of ingredient reservoirs, and a set of electromechanical valves. The set of electromechanical valves are in a one-to-one correspondence with the set of ingredient reservoirs, and fluidly connect the set of ingredient reservoirs and the mixing area during a respective set of dispense times. The system further includes a controller programmed to actuate at least two valves from the set of electromechanical valves to dispense, to the mixing area, at least two ingredients from the ingredient reservoirs associated with the at least two valves. The controller is programmed to actuate the at least two valves in sequence with partially overlapping dispense times and without overlapping opening times.

Systems and methods, including a system for metering, mixing, and dispensing liquids, such as alcoholic and non-alcoholic liquids and solutions, are provided. In one instance, the system includes a controller operatively coupled to a first pump and a second pump. The first pump and the second pump are coupled to a first liquid source and a second liquid source, respectively. The controller controls flow rates at each of the first pump and the second pump. The system includes a valve coupled to a source supply of a third liquid, including pressurized carbonated water. The system includes a fluid connector coupled to the first pump, the second pump, the valve, and a dispenser. The connector receives the first liquid, the second liquid, and the third liquid, such that a fourth liquid, including a combination of the first liquid, the second liquid, and the third liquid, is dispensable from the dispenser.

A drink making device including a hood, a base configured to support at least four bottles, a tower connecting the base and the hood; and a dispenser for dispensing a beverage. The hood includes at least four attachment connectors. Liquid from the bottles is selectively pumped through the connectors through the dispenser to dispense a beverage.

The invention relates to a disposable cartridge filled with a single serve portion of a liquid ingredient to be combined with a base liquid for the preparation of a liquid product, e.g. a beverage concentrate to be combined with water, e.g. carbonated water, for the preparation of a beverage suitable for human consumption. The cartridge comprises a vertically extending channel that extends to a dispensing aperture in the bottom of the cartridge and one or more dispensing passages extending between a reservoir and the outside of the cartridge. The dispensing passages are provided with outlet openings located adjacent the aperture such that the base liquid and the liquid ingredient are dispensed in parallel flows, the liquid ingredient subsequently coating the exterior of the stream of base liquid, such that actual mixing of the liquid ingredient and base liquid only takes place after both have been dispensed.

A beverage dispensing device includes a housing, a receptacle, means for opening a beverage dispenser, a thermoelectric cooler, an aeration component, and a discharge nozzle. The housing has a flow path. The receptacle is for receiving a beverage container that houses a beverage and for discharging wine into the flow path. The means for opening the beverage container is for releasing beverage from the beverage container. The thermoelectric cooler is positioned in the housing for one of chilling or warming the beverage along the flow path. The aeration component is for aerating wine in the flow path. The discharge nozzle is coupled to the flow path for dispensing the beverage from the housing.

The present invention relates to a device for preparing and dispensing reconstituted beer, said device comprising: a first vessel containing a liquid concentrate for preparing a beer; a second vessel containing an alcoholic liquid; a source of water; a source of pressurized carbon dioxide; a reconstitution unit; a dispensing unit for dispensing the alcoholic beer; wherein the device is operable (i) to form a reconstituted beer comprising water from the source of water, carbon dioxide from the source of pressurized carbon dioxide, liquid concentrate from the first vessel and alcoholic liquid from the second vessel, in the reconstitution unit and (ii) to dispense the reconstituted beer from the dispensing unit; wherein the liquid concentrate in the first vessel an ethanol content of 0-1% ABV; and wherein the alcoholic liquid in the second vessel contains 12-100 wt. % ethanol and 0-88 wt. % water, ethanol and water together constituting 80-100 wt. % of the alcoholic liquid.

An alternative aspect of the invention relates to a device wherein the source of water and the source of pressurised carbon dioxide are replaced by a source of carbonated water and the device is operable to form a reconstituted beer comprising water from the source of carbonated water, liquid concentrate from the first vessel and alcoholic liquid from the second vessel in the reconstitution unit.

The aforementioned devices can be used to prepare a reconstituted beer of superior quality. The use of an essentially alcohol-free concentrate offers the advantage that the stability of the concentrate is substantially improved.