The composition, in one set of embodiments, also includes a beverage precursor. The beverage precursor may, in certain cases, be formed as part of the gel, although in other cases, the beverage precursor may be physically contained within the gel, separate from the gel, etc. The beverage precursor may, when mixed with water or another liquid, including those discussed herein, results in a suitable beverage, e.g., for human consumption. Most common types of beverages suitable for human consumption are widely recognized and need no explanation; non-limiting examples of some of the more common types of beverages are described below. In addition, it should be understood that for many common types of beverages, the precise composition of ingredients has not been clearly identified, yet those beverages will be widely recognized. For example, the composition of beverages such as orange juice, coffee, etc. may change from batch to batch or brand to brand, but the composition will nonetheless be recognized by almost everyone as orange juice, coffee, etc.

The beverage precursor may be mixed with various volumes of water or other liquids such as those described herein to from the beverage. In addition, in some cases, more than one beverage precursor may be used, e.g., to form a cocktail or a mixture of two or more beverages. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a beverage precursor may be formed by partially or completely dehydrating or concentrating a beverage, e.g., a beverage concentrate. When the beverage precursor is mixed with water, thereby rehydrating it, the original beverage may be substantially restored.

The beverage precursor may form any suitable percentage of the composition. For example, the beverage precursor may form at least 5 wt %, at least 10 wt %, at least 15 wt %, at least 20 wt %, at least 25 wt %, at least 30 wt %, at least 35 wt %, at least 40 wt %, at least 45 wt %, at least 50 wt %, at least 55 wt %, at least 60 wt %, at least 65 wt %, at least 70 wt %, at least 75 wt %, at least 80 wt %, at least 85 wt %, at least 90 wt %, at least 95 wt %, etc. of the composition. The gel may also form no more than 95 wt %, no more than 90 wt %, no more than 85 wt %, no more than 80 wt %, no more than 75 wt %, no more than 70 wt %, no more than 65 wt %, no more than 60 wt %, no more than 55 wt %, no more than 50 wt %, no more than 45 wt %, no more than 40 wt %, no more than 35 wt %, no more than 30 wt %, no more than 25 wt %, no more than 20 wt %, no more than 15 wt %, no more than 10 wt %, or no more than 5 wt %, of the composition. In addition, in some embodiments, combinations of this ranges are also possible. As non-limiting examples, the beverage precursor may form between 30 wt % and 40 wt %, between 40 wt % and 45 wt %, between 50 wt % and 60 wt %, etc. of the composition.

As mentioned, the beverage precursor may form a suitable beverage when mixed with water or another liquid. For instance, the beverage precursor may, when mixed with water, form an alcoholic beverage. Non-limiting examples of alcoholic beverages include beer, wine, rum, cognac, mead, sake, huangjiu, cider, vodka, baijiu, shochu, soju, gin, rum, tequila, mezcal, whisky, or mixtures of these and/or other alcoholic beverages, for example, cocktails. Thus, in some cases, the beverage precursor comprises ethyl alcohol to produce the alcoholic beverage. In some cases, the beverage precursor may contain at least 5 wt %, at least 10 wt %, at least 15 wt %, at least 20 wt %, at least 25 wt %, at least 30 wt %, at least 35 wt %, at least 40 wt %, at least 45 wt %, at least 50 wt %, at least 55 wt %, at least 60 wt %, at least 65 wt %, at least 70 wt %, at least 75 wt %, at least 80 wt %, etc. ethyl alcohol. In addition, it will be understood that, since the beverage precursor may comprise a dehydrated extract that is to be mixed with water or another liquid to form the alcoholic beverage, the percentage of alcohol within the composition may be substantially higher than that ordinarily expected for the final alcoholic beverage.

In addition, beverages other than alcoholic beverages are also contemplated in other embodiments. For example, in one set of embodiments, the beverage precursor may form beverages such as milk, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juices, or soft drinks. Non-limiting examples of juices, such as fruit juices, include apple, beet, blackberry, cantaloupe, carrot, celery, cherry, cranberry, coconut, cucumber, grape, grapefruit, guava, honeydew, kiwi fruit, lemon, lime, mango, orange, papaya, passionfruit, parsley, pineapple, pomegranate, prune, raspberry, strawberry, sugarcane, tomato, turnip, watercress, watermelon, winter melon, or the like. In some cases, the beverage precursor may form a juice blend, such as POG (passionfruit-orange-guava), carrot-orange, pineapple-mango, orange-strawberry, or the like. In some cases, the beverage precursor may be present in the form of a dry powder, a concentrate (e.g., present as a liquid, a semi-solid, a slush, a solid, etc.), shavings, pulp, or the like. Non-limiting examples of powdered fruit juices include those described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,039

In some cases, a beverage extract may be used as a beverage precursor. For instance, a beverage may be pressed, ground, heated, roasted, distilled, exposed to an extracting liquid, etc., to form a suitable beverage extract. Non-limiting examples of extracts include extracts of tea, coffee, or certain alcoholic beverages, as well as other beverages such as those described herein.

In certain embodiments, the beverage precursor may comprise a partially or completely dehydrated extract of a drink, such as an alcoholic beverage. For example, a beverage, including any of those described herein, may be dehydrated to produce an extract, which may be used as a beverage precursor in compositions such as those described herein. In some embodiments, the beverage precursor includes a concentrate, such as a juice concentrate, e.g., formed by formed by removing water from the beverage. When the beverage precursor of the composition is mixed with water, the beverage may be reformed. Thus, in some cases, any of a wide variety of beverages may be dehydrated to form a beverage precursor for various compositions such as described herein. Non-limiting examples of such beverage precursors include dehydrated extracts of beer, wine, juice, or any other beverages such as those described herein.

In addition, in some cases, other ingredients may be present within the beverage precursor. One or more than one additional ingredients may be present. For example, the beverage precursor may comprise sugars and/or artificial sweeteners, flavorings, fragrance, aromas, food coloring, alcohol (ethyl alcohol), or the like. Non-limiting examples of sugars include, but are not limited to, sucrose, lactose, maltose, glucose, galactose, fructose, dextrose, etc. Non-limiting examples of artificial sweeteners include, but are not limited to, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, cyclamate, monk fruit extract, mogroside, stevia, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, erythritol, lactitol, etc.

Non-limiting examples of food colorings include, but are not limited to, FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2 FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, annatto, caramel, carmine, elderberry juice, lycopene, paprika, turmeric, etc. In some cases, the food colorings may be selected to give the composition and/or the beverage a particular color, e.g., red, yellow, etc. In addition, in certain cases, more than one type of food coloring may be present, e.g., such that they can be combined to produce a beverage having a certain color. Thus, as a non-limiting example, a composition may have a first layer or region comprising a first food coloring (e.g., red) and a second layer or region comprising a second food coloring (e.g., blue), such that the final beverage is a mixture of these colors (e.g., purple).

Non-limiting examples of flavoring agents, fragrances, or aromas include manzanate, diacetyl, acetylpropionyl, acetoin, isoamyl acetate, benzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde, ethyl propionate, methyl anthranilate, limonene, ethyl decadienoate, allyl hexanoate, ethyl maltol, 2,4-dithiapentane, ethylvanillin, methyl salicylate, glutamic acid, a glycine salt, a guanylic acid salt, an inosinic acid salt, 5′-ribonucleotide salts, acetic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid, fumaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phosphoric acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, etc. Oher examples of flavoring agents, fragrances, or aromas include extracts of rose, jasmine, mint, vanilla, grass, coffee, bacon, coconut, orange, seawater, cinnamon, lavender, hyacinth, primrose, plumeria, ylang-ylang, eucalyptus, lily of the valley, freesia, viburnum, tuberose, osmanthus, lilac, brugmansia, daphne, champaca, lily, honeysuckle, gardenia, wisteria, frangipani, chocolate, or the like.

Ingredients such as any of the ones described herein may be present as any suitable percentage of the beverage precursor. For example, ingredients including any one or more of these may be present within the beverage precursor at percentages of at least 5 wt %, at least 10 wt %, at least 15 wt %, at least 20 wt %, at least 25 wt %, at least 30 wt %, at least 35 wt %, at least 40 wt %, at least 45 wt %, at least 50 wt %, at least 55 wt %, at least 60 wt %, at least 65 wt %, at least 70 wt %, at least 75 wt %, at least 80 wt %, at least 85 wt %, at least 90 wt %, at least 95 wt %, etc.

In one set of embodiments, the composition may include one or more gas-forming agents or effervescent agents. For example, the composition may contain an agent that reacts with water to produce a gas, and/or the composition may contain two or more agents that react with each other to produce a gas. Thus, the composition, in certain cases, can be used to form an effervescent beverage or a “fizzy” drink. For example, in one embodiment, the gas may be carbon dioxide, e.g., to create soda pop, champagne, or other gas-containing or effervescent beverages. As a specific non-limiting example, the composition may contain a carbonate, such as baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO₃), NaCO₃, CaCO₃, magnesium carbonate, magnesium bicarbonate, etc., and an acid, such as acetic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid (or cream of tartar), gluconic acid, apple cider, lactic acid, glycolic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, adipic acid, stearic acid, sebacic acid, malic acid, fumaric acid, sodium citrate, potassium citrate, etc., that can react together to produce CO₂. As a specific non-limiting example, the sodium bicarbonate may be incorporated as a layer on top of gel or as a layer sandwiched between two gel compositions. In addition, in certain embodiments, some types of citrus fruits, such as lemons, oranges, or limes, contain relatively large amounts of citric acid; for example, juices, extracts, or the like may be used in certain embodiments. A variety of organic acids and/or mineral acids, etc. can be used in certain cases. These may be present in any suitable form within the composition, e.g., as a powder, in solution, etc. For example, in one embodiment, carbon dioxide may be introduced under high pressure into a gel composition.

Such compositions can include, in some embodiments for example, starches such as starch wafers containing one or more carbonates and/or acids, such as those described herein. These can be, e.g., laced or cast with carbonates and/or an acids. Additional non-limiting examples of starches include, but are not limited to, HAMULSION® Stabiliser Systems, FRIMULSION® Stabiliser Systems, MULTIVANTAGE® Syrup, MIRA-SPERSE® Starch, MIRA-GEL® Starch, MIRA-CAP® Starch, TENDERFIL® Starch, DRESS′N® Starch, MIRA-CLEER® Starch, ESTABGEM® Stabiliser Systems, TECGEM® Stabiliser Systems, STA-MIST™ Starch, etc. As another example, the composition may contain compositions that form other gases, such as hydrogen. A non-limiting example of such a beverage, producing using lime juice and sodium bicarbonate, is shown in FIG. 3.

In one set of embodiments, the composition also includes ice or another frozen liquid. For example, the frozen liquid in some cases may be a frozen beverage precursor, such as those described herein. In some embodiments, the ice or other frozen liquid may be useful, for example, in cooling the beverage that is produced using the composition, and/or to control the final concentration of the beverage precursor, etc. However, it should also be understood that the ice or other frozen liquid is optional and not necessarily required in all embodiments.

The ice or other frozen liquid, if present, may form any suitable percentage of the composition. For example, the ice or other frozen liquid may form at least 5 wt %, at least 10 wt %, at least 15 wt %, at least 20 wt %, at least 25 wt %, at least 30 wt %, at least 35 wt %, at least 40 wt %, at least 45 wt %, at least 50 wt %, at least 55 wt %, at least 60 wt %, at least 65 wt %, at least 70 wt %, at least 75 wt %, at least 80 wt %, at least 85 wt %, at least 90 wt %, at least 95 wt %, etc. of the composition. The gel may also form no more than 95 wt %, no more than 90 wt %, no more than 85 wt %, no more than 80 wt %, no more than 75 wt %, no more than 70 wt %, no more than 65 wt %, no more than 60 wt %, no more than 55 wt %, no more than 50 wt %, no more than 45 wt %, no more than 40 wt %, no more than 35 wt %, no more than 30 wt %, no more than 25 wt %, no more than 20 wt %, no more than 15 wt %, no more than 10 wt %, or no more than 5 wt %, of the composition. In addition, in some embodiments, combinations of this ranges are also possible. As non-limiting examples, the ice or other frozen liquid may form between 30 wt % and 40 wt %, between 40 wt % and 45 wt %, between 50 wt % and 60 wt %, etc. of the composition.

In some embodiments, the ice or other frozen liquid may partially or completely embed the gel and/or the beverage precursor. For instance, the gel and/or the beverage precursor may be embedded completely within ice, e.g., to prevent the gel and/or the beverage precursor from exiting the composition, e.g., before being added to water or another liquid. If the gel and the beverage precursor, they may be frozen within the ice or other frozen liquid in any suitable configuration. For example, the gel and the beverage precursor may be frozen together in the same region, or in different regions, within the ice or other frozen liquid.

As another example, the composition may be formed as a plurality of layers or regions, e.g., of ice and/or gel and/or beverage precursor. For instance, there may be a first layer or region comprising ice, a second layer or region comprising gel, and a third layer or region comprising a beverage precursor, or two or more of these may be combined, e.g., there may be a first layer or region comprising ice, and a second layer or region comprising gel and beverage precursor. As another example, a composition may have a first layer or region comprising gel and a second layer or region comprising a beverage precursor (e.g., the composition may be free of ice). In some cases, more than one layer or region of the same ingredient may be present, e.g., there may be two or more layers or regions of ice, two or more layers or regions of gel and/or beverage precursor, two or more layers or regions of sugars, artificial sweeteners, flavorings, fragrance, aromas, food coloring, etc. The gels, beverage precursors, or other ingredients etc. may each independently be the same or different in the different layers or regions.

In addition, according to one set of embodiments, the composition may have any suitable shape or size. For example, in some cases, the composition may be have a generally cubical (e.g., ice cubes) or generally spherical shape. Other shapes are also possible in other embodiments. For example, in some embodiments, piece of the composition may appear as various molded forms.

Similarly, the composition may have any suitable size. In some cases, for example, the composition may have a size suitable for being easily added to a container such as a pitcher, cup, mug, tumbler, or others including those described herein.

In some embodiments, one or more pieces of the composition may be present. For example, if multiple pieces are present, e.g., as in a kit, they may independently have the same or different concentrations, compositions, shapes, sizes, etc. In some cases, one or more than one piece may be separately packaged, e.g., to be applied to different uses (e.g., different beverages). For instance, in some cases, only one piece of the composition is necessary to be mixed with water or another liquid to form a beverage, although in other cases, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or more piece of the composition is necessary to be mixed with water or another liquid to form a beverage. The number of pieces may also be a function of the size of the beverage desired, e.g., more pieces would be used for a pitcher rather than a single cup.

The various pieces of the composition may have any of a variety of masses, depending on the embodiment. For example, the pieces may have an average mass of less than 1000 g, less than 500 g, less than 300 g, less than 200 g, less than 100 g, less than 50 g, less than 30 g, less than 20 g, less than 10 g, less than 5 g, etc. In some cases, the pieces may have an average mass of at least 5 g, at least 10 g, at least 20 g, at least 30 g, at least 50 g, at least 100 g, at least 200 g, at least 300 g, at least 500 g, at least 1000 g, etc. Combinations of any of these volumes are also possible in certain cases. For example, the pieces may have an average mass of between 30 g and 50 g, between 10 g and 20 g, between 100 g and 300 g, or the like.

In addition, the various pieces of the composition may have any of a variety of sizes. For example, the pieces may have an average maximum internal dimension of no more than 10 cm, no more than 9 cm, no more than 8 cm, no more than 7 cm, no more than 6 cm, no more than 5 cm, no more than 4 cm, no more than 3 cm, no more than 2 cm, no more than 1 cm, etc. In one set of embodiments, the pieces may have an average diameter of at least 0.5 mm, at least 0.7 mm, at least 1 mm, at least 1.1 mm, at least 1.2 mm, at least 1.3 mm, at least 1.5 mm, at least 2 mm, at least 3 mm, at least 4 mm, at least 5 mm, at least 1 cm, at least 1.5 cm, at least 2 cm, at least 3 cm, at least 4 cm, at least 5 cm, at least 6 cm, at least 7 cm, at least 8 cm, at least 9 cm, at least 10 cm, etc. Combinations of any of these are possible in some cases, e.g., the pieces may have an average diameter of between 1 cm and 5 cm, between 1 mm and 1 cm, between 3 cm and 9 cm, or the like.

In addition, in some embodiments, the composition may be stored at a temperature of less than 0° C. (e.g., in a freezer), e.g., if ice or another frozen liquid is present. For example, the temperature of the composition may be less than −2° C., less than −5° C., less than −10° C., less than −15° C., less than −20° C., less than −25° C., less than −30° C., less than −35° C., less than −40° C., etc. However, it should be understood that this is not a requirement, and in other cases, the composition need not be stored at a temperature of less than 0° C. For instance, the composition may be stored at about 4° C. (e.g., in a refrigerator), ambient temperature (about 25° C.), etc.

As mentioned, in some aspects, multiple pieces of the composition may be present together in a kit. A kit typically defines a package or an assembly including one or more of the compositions of the invention, and/or other compositions associated with the invention, for example, as previously described.

For instance, in one embodiment, a kit may comprise one or more pieces of the composition, which may be individually or collectively sealed. In some cases, the kit may form compartments containing the pieces. The compartments may be hermetically sealed in some cases, for example, to limit the evaporation of water and/or alcohol. For instance, the compartments may be sealed using aluminum, or a polymer, such as Mylar, polyethylene terephthalate, Elvax, ethylene vinyl acetate, etc.

In addition, in some cases, the pieces of the composition may be packaged in suitable containers within the kit. For instance, the pieces may be contained within preformed cartons, trays, blister packs, individually packed units, or the like. One or more than one piece may be present within a compartment of the kit. For instance, the pieces may be the same or different (e.g., for use in the formation of mixed drinks). In some cases, the pieces may be emptied or “popped out” of the kit, e.g., into water or another liquid to produce the beverage.

As another example, the composition may also be packaged as a gel or a semi-solid. For instance, in some cases, the gel may be contained within a tube. In some cases, the tube may be squeezed (e.g., by hand) to push out the composition. In certain embodiments, a tube-like device could contain a single gel formulation (which, in some embodiments, could be combined with other formulations to create the beverage), and/or have several perforatable or breachable compartments. In some cases, a compartment could be torn or breached, for example, through simple hand pressure, in a machine designed to prepare beverages, or the like, e.g., such as is described herein. In some embodiments, a compartment that, when squeezed, may be breached. Multiple compartments may, in certain instances, be torn or breached, sequentially or simultaneously, to produce a beverage, e.g., as discussed herein.

One set of embodiments is generally directed to kits that are sold without ice, but to which a user can add water which is frozen to produce ice. For instance, a composition comprising a gel and/or a beverage precursor, such as any of those described herein, may be obtained by a user, who then adds water and freezes the composition. For instance, the kit may be in the form of a tray or other container containing one or more compartments containing the composition (and which the compartments may independently have the same or different compositions). The user adds water to some or all of the compartments, then freezes the kit, e.g., in the freezer, to produce a composition comprising ice as well as the gel and/or beverage precursor. After freezing, the composition within the compartments can be removed as desired and used to produce a beverage.

In addition, in some cases, such compositions may be protected, prior to the addition of water. For instance, if the composition contains alcohol or other volatiles, then the compositions may be protected in some fashion to prevent such volatiles from evaporating, e.g., prior to the addition of water. As an example, in certain embodiments, the composition may be coated with starch or another coating that partially or fully seals in the volatiles. In some cases, the coating may be one that is soluble in water. Thus, upon addition of water, the volatiles may dissolve in the water, for example, during the formation of the beverage, or to produce ice compositions such as described above, which can then later be used to produce a beverage.

Furthermore, a kit may, in some cases, include instructions in any form that are provided in connection with the compositions of the invention in such a manner that the instructions would be recognized as being associated with the compositions described herein. For instance, the instructions may include instructions for the use, modification, mixing, diluting, preserving, administering, assembly, storage, packaging, and/or preparation of the compositions associated with the kit. In some cases, the instructions may also include instructions for the preparation and/or consumption of the compositions, for example, for a particular use. The instructions may be provided in any form recognizable as a suitable vehicle for containing such instructions, for example, written or published, verbal, audible (e.g., telephonic), digital, optical, visual (e.g., videotape, DVD, etc.) or electronic communications (including Internet or web-based communications), provided in any manner.

In some cases, the gel may be formed by mixing a gel-forming material with other ingredients such as those described herein, to form the gel. For example, the gel-forming material may be mixed with ingredients such as water, a beverage precursor, sugars and/or artificial sweeteners, flavorings, fragrance, aromas, food coloring, alcohol (ethyl alcohol), gas-forming agents, etc., such as any of those described herein. However, it should be understood that not all of these may be present; for example, they may be absent from the final beverage, or present but in a different layer or region of the composition, rather than with the gel.

The gel-forming material may then be caused to form a gel. For instance, in one set of embodiments, the mixture is heated to a suitable temperature (e.g., to a temperature of at least 30° C., at least 35° C., at least 40° C., at least 45° C., at least 50° C., at least 55° C., at least 60° C., at least 65° C., at least 70° C., at least 75° C., at least 80° C., at least 85° C., at least 90° C., at least 95° C., etc. and/or no more than 100° C., no more than 95° C., no more than 90° C., no more than 85° C., no more than 80° C., no more than 75° C., no more than 70° C., no more than 65° C., no more than 60° C., no more than 55° C., no more than 50° C., no more than 45° C., no more than 40° C., no more than 35° C., no more than 30° C., etc.), then allowed to cool to form a gel. For instance, the gel may be heated by adding the gel to water, e.g., heated to temperatures such as these. As a non-limiting example, the water may be at a temperature of at least 80° C., at least 95° C., between 85° C. and 90° C., etc.

In addition, certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to devices suitable for producing beverages such as those described herein. When a user activates the device (e.g., by pushing a button), the device may distribute a beverage, for example, into a cup or other suitable container used to serve the beverage. For instance, the container may be placed in or on the device by the user, or the device itself may contain suitable containers (for example, paper cups) to be given to the user.

In one set of embodiments, the device may be one that is able to create a beverage by mixing a composition, such as described herein, with water or another liquid. The device may mix the composition with water to produce the beverage, e.g., to be dispensed by a suitable dispenser, such as a nozzle.

Any source of water may be used by the device. For example, for water, the device in various embodiments may include a reservoir therein containing water (which may, for example, be fillable by a user), or be connected to an external source of water, e.g., a plumbing line.

The device may also contain a compartment suitable for containing a composition, e.g., including any of the ones described herein. Upon command, the device may mix water and the composition together, e.g., to produce a beverage that is dispensable, for example, to a cup or other container provided by the device or by the user, etc. The mixing may occur within the device, or external to the device in some cases (for example, within the cup or other suitable container).

In one set of embodiments, the composition may be provided by the user. For example, the composition may be provided as separate packages or assemblies, which may be may be individually or collectively sealed. One or more packages may be added to the device, e.g., inserted by a user. In one embodiment, this may function similarly to a common coffee machine.

In addition, in certain embodiments, the device may be able to contain a plurality of compositions, e.g., as described herein. For example, a user may be able to select one of a plurality of beverages, and in some cases, a mixture of two or more of those beverages. For example, the device may contain a plurality of compositions such that the user can select a single type of beverage, or a mixed drink comprising more than one type of beverage. In one embodiment, the device can accordingly function as a “bartender” device that allows a user to select any of a wide variety of beverages, e.g., alcoholic beverages and cocktails, that are produced by the device by using suitable compositions and/or mixtures of compositions.

In some cases, the device may also contain a source of ice. For example, the device may contain a reservoir that is to be filled with ice (e.g., by a user), or the device may be able to create ice, for example, by freezing water from a source of water (e.g., a reservoir containing water or an external source of water, etc.). The device, in certain embodiments, may mix the ice with the composition to produce the beverage. In some cases, liquid water may also be added.

U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/046,339, filed Jun. 30, 2020, entitled “Systems and Methods for Creating Beverages,” is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The following examples are intended to illustrate certain embodiments of the present disclosure, but do not exemplify the full scope of the disclosure.

Example 1

In this example, a series of ice cubes comprising food coloring, carboxylate agarose gel, and cognac extract or rum extract was used to prepare mixed drinks. These used CA 60 and CA 93, an alcohol spirit, and food coloring, using procedures such as those described below. The ice cubes were prepared by mixing the cognac extract or rum extract with carboxylate agarose gel and water at an elevated temperature, then freezing the mixture in an ice cube tray.

Food coloring was also added and frozen onto the ice cubes to form a colored layer. In this experiment, these were added separately to produce an aesthetic appearance, although it should be understood that it is not required to freeze the food coloring separately; the food coloring may be mixed with the other ingredients, or in some cases, no food coloring may be used. A photograph of the ice cubes may be seen in FIG. 1.

From top to bottom, the rows are:

- Row 1: Compositions of CA80 and CA 93 in a 1:1 mass ratio and a total concentration of 0.5% w/v infused with cognac and red/orange food coloring.
- Row 2: Compositions of CA80 and CA 93 in a 1:1 mass ratio and a total concentration of 0.5% w/v infused with rum and green food coloring.
- Row 3: Compositions of CA80 at 0.2% w/v infused with cognac and red/orange food coloring.
- Row 4: Compositions with two layers of gels, a bottom gel layer (CA80) infused with cognac and red/orange color, and a top gel layer (CA93) infused with rum and green food coloring.
- Row 5: Compositions of CA80 at 0.2% w/v infused with cognac and red/orange food coloring.
- Row 6: Compositions of CA80 at 0.5% w/v infused with cognac, rum, and green food coloring.

Example 2

The compositions described in Example 1 were used to prepare drinks in this example. Ice cubes were put in a common glass tumbler with the respective compositions, and ordinary drinking mineral water was added. The drink was stirred vigorously for a few minutes within the glass, allowing the alcohol, flavoring, and food coloring to dissolve together to produce a cocktail beverage.