Method of cooling a beverage
A method of keeping an alcoholic beverage in an open topped vessel cool, said beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content, and said method comprising forming ice in the beverage in the open-topped vessel said ice having a cooling effect on the beverage, said ice being formed in the beverage from water of said water content.
1 . A method of keeping a draught-dispensed, alcoholic beverage in an open-topped drinking vessel cool, said beverage comprising a water content, an alcohol content, and a dissolved gas content, and said method comprising the steps of dispensing said beverage from a dispense tap into said drinking vessel and forming a plurality of ice crystals in said vessel from a portion of said water content of said dispensed beverage whereby said ice crystals have a cooling effect on the beverage.
2 - 3 . (canceled)
4 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of delivering said beverage to said dispense tap in a supercooled condition.
5 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said dispensing step is performed, such that a measure of beverage as liquid beverage enter said drinking vessel and formation of said plurality of ice crystals in said beverage in said drinking vessel are visible to a customer.
6 - 7 . (canceled)
8 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing said plurality of ice crystals as a thermal reservoir in the beverage and allowing said plurality of ice crystals to gradually melt in said dispensed beverage to keep said beverage at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.
9 . The method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of forming a head on the beverage.
10 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of ice particles floats at or near a liquid surface of the beverage and further comprising the step of forming a head above said plurality of ice crystals thereby insulating said plurality of ice crystals from heat generated towards said plurality of ice crystals from above said head.
11 . The method according to claim 9 wherein said beverage is selected from the group consisting of beer, lager and cider.
12 . The method according to claim 11 wherein said alcohol content is in the range 2.5% abv to 7% abv.
13 . The method according to claim 12 wherein said alcohol content is in the range 4-5% abv.±0.1% abv.
14 . A method of sustaining a head on cider in an open-topped drinking vessel wherein said cider comprises a dissolved gas content, an alcohol content, and a water content, said method comprising the steps of dispensing said cider into said drinking vessel; forming a plurality of ice crystals in said vessel from a portion of said water content of said cider; and forming a head of foam in the cider , such that said plurality of ice crystals forming a layer covered by said head.
15 . A method of sustaining a cooling, plurality of ice crystals in a beverage in an open-topped drinking vessel, said beverage comprising water content and a dissolved gas content, , said method comprising the steps of providing a head of foam on a liquid surface of said beverage; forming a plurality of ice crystals in said vessel from a portion of said water content of said beverage, which plurality of ice crystals floats at or near a liquid surface of the beverage; and insulating said plurality of ice crystals by covering said plurality of said ice crystals with said head, whereby in said vessel the plurality of ice crystals is shielded against heat directed towards said ice crystals from above said head.
16 . The method according to claim 15 , wherein said beverage is a draught alcoholic beverage.
17 . A method of sustaining a head on a beverage in an open-topped vessel, said beverage comprising a water content and a dissolved gas content, said method comprising the steps of providing said head on a liquid surface of said beverage and forming a plurality of ice crystals in the beverage from a portion of said water content, and in said vessel, whereby said ice crystals exert a cooling effect on said head from below an upper part of said head.
18 . The method according to claim 17 , wherein said beverage is a draught alcoholic beverage.
19 - 47 . (canceled)
48 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of ice crystals has a diameter of less than 10 mm.
49 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said plurality of ice crystals forms a layer extending substantially across an open-top of said drinking vessel.
50 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said beverage is a beer and is dispensed at a temperature in a range of substantially −12° C. to substantially −1° C.
51 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of controlling a temperature of said beverage prior to dispensing.
52 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of recirculating said beverage within means for dispensing prior to dispensing said beverage.
53 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of creating nucleation sites for the formation of ice crystals within said beverage.