Alcoholic beverage and method of making the same
The present invention is an alcoholic beverage having the sensory characteristics of a traditionally aged distilled spirit. The method for making the alcoholic beverage includes introducing a ratio of wood chips to a distilled spirit and applying pressure to create interaction between the wood chips and distilled spirit.
1 . A method for imparting the sensory characteristics of a more matured distilled spirit to a distilled spirit, the steps being comprised of:
introducing a distilled spirit having an alcohol content of about 40% to about 57% to a container;
adding wood chips at a ratio of about 10 to about 120 grams per 750 mL of the raw distilled spirit to the container;
sealing the container such that the container has a fixed mass of gas;
heating the container until an internal pressure of the container reaches a predetermined maximum pressure of 15 psi;
cooling the container until the internal pressure reaches a predetermined lower pressure; and
cycling the heating step and the cooling step from 2 to 10 times, wherein the container is sealed for a duration of the step of cycling the heating step and the cooling step, and wherein the method has a total process time of less than a day.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising cycling the heating step and the cooling step for a total of 10 times.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising cycling the heating step and the cooling step for a total of 2 to 6 times.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are added at a ratio of about 20 to about 80 grams per 750 mL of the distilled spirit to the container.
5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are added at a ratio of about 30 to about 50 grams per 750 mL of the distilled spirit to the container.
6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the alcohol content of the distilled spirit is about 40% to about 45%.
7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the internal pressure of the container is increased to a maximum of about 10 psi to less than 15 psi.
8 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising filtering the distilled spirit from the wood chips in the container.
9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are charred or toasted on at least one side and finished prior to introduction to the container.
10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are smoked prior to introduction to the container.
11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are finished prior to introduction to the container.
12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are sourced from wood barrels that are deemed no longer useful in making whiskey.
13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are sourced from wood that has been air dried for at least 10 years.
14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips are sourced from wood that has been air dried for at least 100 years.
15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wood chips have a primary side (length×width) dimension of about 1 to about 2 inches in length, about ½ to about 1 inch in width, and a thickness of about ⅛ to about ¼ inch.
16 . A method for imparting the sensory characteristics of a more matured distilled spirit to a distilled spirit, the steps being comprised of:
introducing a distilled spirit having an alcohol content of about 40% to about 50% to a container;
adding wood chips at a ratio of about 30 to about 60 grams per 750 ml of the raw distilled spirit to the container;
sealing the container such that the container has a fixed mass of gas;
heating the container until an internal pressure of the container reaches a predetermined maximum pressure of 15 psi;
cooling the container to further modulate pressure within the container until the internal pressure is reduced back to a lower predetermined pressure; and
cycling the heating step and the cooling step from 2 to 6 times, wherein the container is sealed for a duration of the step of cycling the heating step and the cooling step, wherein the method has a total process time of less than a day.
17 . A finished distilled spirit having the sensory characteristics of a more matured distilled spirit produced by the steps comprising:
introducing a distilled spirit having an alcohol content of about 40% to about 57% to a container;
adding wood chips at a ratio of about 10 to about 120 grams per 750 mL of the raw distilled spirit to the container;
sealing the container such that the container has a fixed mass of gas;
heating the container until an internal pressure of the container reaches a predetermined maximum pressure of 15 psi,
once the predetermined maximum pressure is reached, cooling the container until the internal pressure is reduced back to a lower predetermined pressure;
cycling the heating step and the cooling step from 2 to 10 times over a time period of less than a day, wherein the container is sealed for a duration of the step of cycling the heating step and the cooling step; and
filtering the distilled spirit from the wood chips in the container.
18 . The finished distilled spirit of claim 17 , further comprising cycling the heating step and the cooling step for a total of 10 times.
19 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , further comprising cycling the heating step and the cooling step for a total of 2 to 6 times.
20 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are added at a ratio of about 20 to about 80 grams per 750 mL of the distilled spirit to the container.
21 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are added at a ratio of about 30 to about 50 grams per 750 mL of the distilled spirit to the container.
22 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the alcohol content of the distilled spirit is about 40% to about 45%.
23 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are charred on at least one side and finished prior to introduction to the container.
24 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are smoked prior to introduction to the container.
25 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are finished prior to introduction to the container.
26 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are sourced from wood barrels that are deemed no longer useful in making whiskey.
27 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are sourced from wood that has been air dried for at least 10 years.
28 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips are sourced from wood that has been air dried for at least 100 years.
29 . The finished distilled spirit according to claim 17 , wherein the wood chips have a primary side (length x width) dimension of about 1 to about 2 inches in length, about ½ to about 1 inch in width, and a thickness of about ⅛ to about ¼ inch.