Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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TTTT.~ OF l~n~ INV~ l'lON
FROZEN COCIKTAILS MADE FROM A FLAVOR CONCENTRATE
RA~GROmND OF I~IE lNv~N~ oN
This in~ention relates to frozen slush beverages,
and in parti~ular to a liquid flavor concentrate and a
method of using the concentrate to form a high quality
frozen slush cocktail.
Frozen cocktails ~re well known as mixtures of
crushed or s~aved ice, spirits, fruit juice, and sugar
that is strongly mixed until the crushed ice is reduced
lo to a "snowy" ~Dr "slush''' consistency. Frozen daiquiris,
margaritas and pina coladas in a variety of flavors
~uch as stra~diberry, peaLch and citrus varieties have
become incre~singly popular as bar specialty drinks.
The traditional approach to making such frozen
drinks begins with ordinary ice. It is then crushed,
cracked, shaved or blended to form a slush to which a
spirit, flavors and sweeteners are added. The
traditional recipe, particularly for home use, is to
use ice cubes that are pol7n~ into crushed ice, e.g.
in a canvas bag using a wooden mallet. The crushed ice
is then blended into a slush. A conventional home
blender can be used.
In practLce, few hosts or bartenders wish to take
the time and exert the physical effort required to
crush ice cubes manually . As a result, to the extent
that frozen drinks are made "from scratch" at home,
they use ice cubes from a home freezer that are added
directly to t:he cup of a blender. The other
ingredients are added to the blender cup and the
blender operal:es until the ice cubes are broken up into
very small pieces.
This approach, however, has several drawbacks
which have siLgnificantly hindered its use. First, the
noise generated by the blender in pulverizing the rock-
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hard ice cubes proAllc~ in a freezer compartment of a
conventional refrigerator i8 substantial. Typical
operating temperatures for home refrigerator freezer
compartments are -lO-F to +lO-F, with 0- to 5-F being
perhaps the most common temperature range. In
contrast, ice at commercial bars i8 often ~tored at
temperatures much nearer to 32-F, and as a result is
"softQr" than household ice. The temperature in home
freezer chests is typically colder than in refrigerator
freezer compartments, a typical range of values being -
15-F to 5-F.
Secol.d, fracturing and subdividing a cup full of
home ice cubes produces substantial wear on the blades
and the blender. A blender that is regularly used to
pulverize ice cubes will perform more poorly a~ a food
blender. Third, the pulverization process is fairly
slow as compared to commercial blenders and specialized
equipment such as the automatic frozen cocktail
machines for bar use described in one of the present
applicant's U.S. Patent Nos. 4,528,824 and 4,681,030
and commercial slush making ma~hi n~C which scrape ice
as it forms on a chilled surface. Fourth, the various
ingredients must be available at home'and measured out
indiv~ y. Fifth, in practice it is difficult for
the an amateur barten~er to produce frozen drinks "from
scratch" and achieve a smooth consistency -- -- small
ice particle of uniform size that preferably "peak"
when ~ouLed into a glass - and a good taste. Some
skill and experience is useful. Moreover, it is often
impossible for a home blender to reduce all the ice
particles to a uniformly small size regardless of skill
in any r~onAhle length of time. As the cubes are
fractured, the contents of the blender becomes more
viscous and the movement of ice pieces to the blades
becomes more difficult. This is particularly true
where the slush being formed is "thick" -- as opposed
to watery -- whether due to refreezing of divided
CA 02220~12 1997-12-17
W O96137120 P ~ ~U~ C6~2
particles or to insufficient addition or production
(due to melting of ice~l of liquid in the slush.
To solve some of 1hese problems, various companies
have cQncoct~ed and mar}ceted dry powder mixes, liquid
pre-mixes, and pre-froxen products for home use that
all include flavoring and sweeteni n~ ingredients in
pre-mixed portions. A dry powder mixer, for example,
i8 marketed by Franco'~~ Cocktail Mixes of Pompano
Beach, Florida, under 1;he trade designation "Franco's".
It directs t~e user add the mix and spirits to an ice-
filled cocktail ~k~rO However, the resulting drink
i8 a traditional chilled cocktail, not a blended frozen
drink. Heublein, Inc. of Farmington, Connecticut
markets a liquid margarita mix under the trade
designation "Cuervo" and Bacardi & Co., Ltd. markets a
liquid margarita cQ~rltrate mix under the registered
trademark "Bacardi Tropical Fruit Mixes". Theses
liquid mixes are addedr with a spirit, to ice in a
blender cup.
While these and like mixes avoid the inconvenience
of separatel~ buying, storing, and measuring out or
~queezing out flavor and sweetener ingredients, the
aforementioned problems associated with reducing ice
from a lump to a slush remain. There is the added
problem that chemical preservatives, freeze point
depressants, and other components that affect
crystallization can affect the flavor of the f;n;~h~
drink. Furtlher, the mix is portioned for a preset
number of drink servings. The pre-mix product must be
measured out to make single drinks, or drinks in a
quantity other than that corresponAing to the use of
the entire package or hottle.
Several frozen flavor mixes for frozen cocktails
are also kno~n. Coca Cola Foods, for example, sells a
frozen daiquiri concent:rate under the trade designation
"Bacardi Mixers". Like the powder and liquid mixes, it
pre-mixes flavor, sweet Dn; ng, texture and preservative
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W O96/37120 PCT~US3~ 12
ingredients. And like the dry mixes, it also directs
the use of ice. For alcoholic drinks, the user i8
instructed to add to a blender cup one cont~in~r of the
mix and a half to one cont~iner of rum. The user fills
the blender with ice. Bl~nA~ng then yields five frozen
daiquiris in 8 fluid oz. servings. Even without
addressing the important issue of taste, the product
suffers from the fact that it must be stored frozen,
sold frozen, and maint~ n~ in a frozen state until
used. The cost of freezer ~pace in a retail store --
and the total ~h~en~ of freezers in many stores that
sell distilled alcoholic beverages -- make such frozen
products unattractive for both cost and convenience
re~onC. Also, the product is sold in a can like
lS frozen concentrated orange juice, and prepared in the
same way, in a single large batch. It is not con~l1cive
to making single drinks to order, or any serving size
other than that of a full blender.
U.S. Patent No. 3,647,472 to Speech, et al.
describes a water, sugar, glycerol, flavoring mixture
that is 20 to 40% solids and which freezes in a home
freezer to a slush. The water forms ice crystals and
the "syrup" of glycerol, sugar and other colids ~, ~in~
liquid. A serving size of this slush is added to a
glass and stirred with a spirit or water to form a
chilled liquid drink -- a cocktail if alcohol is used.
The end product alcoholic drink is a liquid, not a
frozen cocktail.
Heublein, Inc. has sold a complete, "ready to
consume" frozen cocktail product. This product is
believed to have been sold under the trade designation
"Tropic Freezer~" and made according to U.S. Patent No.
4,790,999 to Ashmont, et al. assigned to Heublein, Inc.
The Ashmont cocktail product includes flavor and
~wee~Dn~ ng ingredients, alcohol, and
carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), all premixed. The CMC is
described in this patent as a "critical" component in
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producing the desired consistency when the product is
frozen. The ~Einal product has a Brix value of 18- to
25 . once frozen, it can be eaten directly from a
con~i n~r or ~roo~ into a glass for a slush-type
drink; It i~ not blended, let alone blended with an
added liquid. To drink this product, it must be warmed
to a ~ri nk~hle~ consistency.
As a gerleral rule, artificial additives degrade
flavor. Whi~Le organoleptic qualities are to some
degree subjec1:ive, flavor and consistency of the fully
pre-mixed fros~en cocktails do not compare favorably to
those of frox~an drinks made fresh from crushed or
shaved ice at bars (such as those made using the
aforementioned automatic ice shaving and bl~n~; n~
machine and t:he frozen cocktail fruit juice mixes
manufa~L~d 2md sold by the Island Oasis Frozen
Cocktail r , ny of Walpole, Mas~achu~etts under the
registered trzldemark "Island Oasis-"). Dry, liquid and
frozen conce.,l~ates without distilled spirits continue
to dominate t:he home frozen cocktail market. Moreover,
the market as a whole for frozen cocktail products for
home use remaLns small as compared to the market for
all home-use c:ocktail products.
To date, there ha~ been no frozen cocktail product
which can be ~itored and sold in a liquid form at room
temperature, iErozen at home in a conventional home
refrigerator, and then conveniently used in a home
blender, without any added ice, to produce a high
quality frozel1 cocktail.
It is therefore a principal object of the present
invention to provide a method of making a frozen
cocktail and a flavor concentrate used in this method
that is a solcl as a liquid, frozen, and then directly
blended without ice.
Another principal object is to provide a method
and co~centra1:e product with the forgoing advantages
that blends rapidly in an ordinary home blender to form
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a high quality frozen cocktail, as well as non-
alcoholic versions of the cocktails, in any of a wide
variety of flavors and types.
Another object is to provide a flavor conc~ntrate
that does not separate or hard freeze when frozen in a
conventional home refrigerator.
Still another object is to provide a method and
product with the foregoing advantages which is
convenient to store and use and requires no Gpecial
skill or equipment to make professional quality drinks
quickly, quietly, and in any preselected number of
drinks.
A further object is to provide a product for use
in the method which can be made of all natural
products, yet stored without preservatives, for
ext~n~ periods of time to provide a long shelf life.
SUMMA~Y OF THE lNv~NllON
A flavor conc~ntrate used to make a frozen
cocktail has a total solid content, including
sweeteners and flavor ingredients, that is equivalent
in depressing the freeze point of a water solution to a
disaccharide aqueous sugar solution with a Brix value
in the range of 10 to 25 , in the range of 16- to 22-
for most drink types, and preferably in the range of18- to 21-. This Brix value is a sufficiently
accurate weight measure of the solid content of the
co~c~ntrate to its total weight. The desired
equivalent Brix value in this range varies with factors
such as the type of drinks being made and the volume
and the nature of liquid additives, e.g., a distilled
alcohol product and water. The solid content is
preferably totally carbohydrates. Defined
functionally, the total solid content should be such
that 1) when frozen at temperatures typical of a home
freezer (e.g., O-F + lO-F), the concentrate is softly,
or "quiescently", frozen: and 2) when blended with a
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liquid accord.Lng to this invention, will produce a
frozen drink l~at blends readily to produce a drinkable
slush of generally ~mall uniformly sized ice particles
with ~Y~e~lenl organoleptic characteristics. The
f~ drinlc preferably "peaks" when poured into a
serving gla5s.. Using a conventional one c~uart home
blender opera1;ing at high speed, blenA;n~ typically is
completed in ~L0 to 30 ~?co~C. The ~f;n;ch~A~
~ c~h~ide. scale) Brix of the resulting frozen
cocktail is preferably in the range of 11.0~ to 13.5-,
but can lie wiLthin the range 9.0- to 15.0-.
The ~ ~o~i_s of this invention includes freezing a
lic~uid flavor cQ~er.Lrate with ~uch a solid content to
a ~olidly, but: softly, frozen state, and blending a
measured port.iLon of the frozen conc~ntrate with a
licluid diluent: consisting of a distilled spirit, water,
or a mixture of a distilled spirit and water. The
weight ratio ~,w/w) of ~olid frozen concentrate to
diluent is in t~e range of 1:1 to 3:1. The preferred
formulation for the diluent is a mixture of water and a
di~tilled spirit (such as 80 proof rum, gin or tequila)
in a 2:1 to 4:1 volume ratio (v/v) of water to spirit.
The ~on~entrate preferably is formulated from all
natural produc:ts including natural sugars, sweeteners
such as sucro~e, dexL,o-e and fructose and natural
fruit flavors such as berry, citrus, or peach derived
from the juice, fibers, and other naturally occurring
nutrients in t:he selected fruit or fruit blend. The
water is preferably refrigerator-chilled bottled water
to avoid variations in flavor due to varying mineral
contents of t.ap water and variation in its temperature.
Chilling the water before use aids in the blenA~ng.
Proportions oi~ frozen conc~ntrate, spirits or other
liquid to procluce the desired flavor and texture in the
f~ n~ h~-l drin}c vary with the type of drink (e.g.
daiquiri, margarita, pi~a colada) and flavor (e.g.
strawberry, peach, h;~n~n;3) and personal taste.
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- 8 -
However, the nature, solid content (expressed as a Brix
value), and sweetness of the ~nnc~ntrate are mutually
ad~usted to produce a smooth blended cocktail with the
desired taste. For many drinks and flavors, a mix of
about 4 oz. by weight of frozen ~onc~ntrate, about 3
fluid oz. of water and about 1 fluid oz. of 80 proof
distilled spirit is preferred. The frozen ronc~ntrate
i8 preferably blended as four separated portions each
weighing about 1 oz. (28.4g).
These and other features and advantages of this
invention will be more fully understood from the
following detailed description which should be read in
light of the accompanying drawings.
RT~TT.'F D~~ TpTTON OF T~ DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the method of
the present invention for making frozen cocktails
without blen~i~g ice;
Fig. 2 is a view in perspective illustrating the
blender addition steps of Fig. 1: and
Figs. 3-5 are graphs of the pressure applied to a
cube of softly frozen conc~ntrate by a shear press
pi~ton as a function of time/distance for low, medium
and high solid contents in the concentrate.
n~ATTT.~n DESCRIPTION OF THE ~K~ EMBODIMENT
Fig. 1 gives an overview of the method of the
present invention for making high quality frozen
cocktails 10 at home. The present invention supplies a
water based co~c~ntrate 12 that is a liquid at room
temperature, freezes it at typical home freezer
temperatures, as represented at block 14, to form a
solid concentrate 16 that is softly frozen, and adds
the frozen concentrate to a blender cup 18 along with a
liquid diluent 20. A blender 22, preferably a
conventional home kitchen blender used for food
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processing 1:]nen operate~ to blend the frozen
conc~ntrate 16 and the liquid 20 into a slushy
suspension of finely divided particles of the frozen
D conc~trate.
~he meçh:~nical re~istance of the frozen
concentrate 1:o being blended and the texture or
smoo~hn~c of the final drink ~p~nA ~L~ ly on the
level of solid content in the ronGentrate and on the
temperature 1:o which it is frozen. The ability of the
process to produce a ~ooth good-tasting end product
drinlc also ~p~n~ strcngly on the volume ratio of the
frozen conc~r-l:rate to the diluent, and the nature of
the ingredienl: forming the concentrate and the diluent.
The type of ~olids is also a factor. As a general
rule, except where taste considerations override, the
solids should be carbohydrates. ~o make an alcoholic
cocktail dilllent can b~e exclusively a distilled
spirit. Howe~rer, blendability is usually improved if
the liquid vo:Lume i8 increased by s~; ng water. Water
content in the slurry is al80 influenced by warming of
the ice in the frozen cQncentrate due to the warmer
temperatures of the admixed liquid, the blender cup
the ambient a:ir, as well as the merh~n-cal working of
the mixture by the rotating blades 24 of the blender as
it operates. Therefore these temperatures and the
bl~n~; n~ time. and speed are also factors that affect
texture, but 1;o a lesser degree than the other factors
noted above as strongly affecting blendability and
finished drinlc quality.
The conc~ntrate 12 in its simplest form is a
solution of wzlter 26 a flavor ingredient or
ingredients 28, and a sweetener or sweeteners 30. The
flavor ingredLent 28 is typically a fruit flavor,
preferably one provided by a natural fruit juice a
blend of frui1: juices or a combination of fruit juice
and crushed nzltural fruit or fruit pieces. The natural
juice and crushed fruit also introduce to the
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-- 10 --
co~centrate natural fruit fibre and small amounts of
naturally occurring nutrients found in the natural
fruit being used. Solids in the co~centrate which do
not add positively to the flavor of the f~nish~ drink
are referred to herein as other ingredients 32. The
other ingredient 32 includes not only unflavored fibre
and naturally occurring non-flavoring protein and fat
nutrients, but also natural and artificial solids such
as glycerol, p-glycerol, salts, gums and preservatives.
Typical flavors are varieties of citrus, varieties
of berry, h~nA~A, and peach. While a natural fruit
juice, with or without crushed fruit or fruit pulp, is
preferred, it is possible to use artificial flavors, or
combinations of natural and artificial flavors, as is
well known in the food industry. Non-fruit flavors, or
blends using fruit flavors only in part, can also be
used. Examples of such flavors are piha colada and ice
cream. However, regardless of the flavor, as noted
above, it is essential that the conc~ntrate have a
total solid content that is softly frozen at freezer
temperatures available to, and selected by, the user.
The liquid frozen cocktail mix now sold for commercial
bar use by the Island Oasis Frozen Cocktail Co. of
Walpole, Massachusetts under its registered trademark
"Island Oasis" is preferred. It is made and sold in a
variety of natural flavors for numerous drink types,
e.g. strawberry, h~n~n~ ice cream, and peach daiquiri,
regular flavor margarita and piha colada.
The sweetener 30 is likewise preferably a natural
sugar such as sucrose, glucose, or fructose. The
flavor ingredient 28, particularly of a naturally sweet
fruit, will often itself have a measure of naturally
occurring sugar, but for the flavors and frozen drink
types now popular it is necessary to add the sweetener
30. The amount of sweetener to be added ultimately
~ep~n~ in part on the taste and texture of the final
blended frozen cocktail.
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-- 11 --
The sweetener 30, 1:he flavor ingredient 28, and
the other ingredients 32, provide a total solid content
in the water-lh~ ~oncentrate that yields the
functional characterist~~Lcs and f;~ishe~ product of the
present invention a~ de~;cribed herein.
More specifically, the total solid content of the
co~c~ntrate 12 should produce a depression of the
freezing poin~ of the cc)~c~ntrate that is equivalent to
the freezing point depression of a solution of a
disaccharide ~ugar (e.g. ~ucrose) in water having a
Brix value in the range of 10- to 25-, and for most
drinks a high value in t;he range of 16.0 to 22.0 , and
preferably in the range of 18- to 21 . The solid
content value is calculated as a weight ratio of the
solid content to that of the solid content in solution,
the co~ce~trate. While Brix, a measure of the specific
gravity of a ~sugar solut:ion, is used as a weight
measure of sucrose in a sucrose-water solution, it is
known that the change in specific gravity of a sugar
solution pro~ e~ by suarose is substantially the same
as the change~1 pro~llce~ by other natural sugars such as
glucose and f~uctose. ~oreover, the presence of non-
sugar solids causes only small errors in the Brix
value. Standard disaccharide Brix is therefore a
r~co~hly accurate measure of total solid content of
aqueous sugar and flavor solutions regardless of the
exact nature of the solids, and is so used herein. The
Brix measurement of the frozen cocktail product is
skewed by the pre-~n~- of the ice crystals. It is
measured after the ice aontent of the cocktail has
melted.
The measured Brix value varies within this range
dep~n~ing on factors that include (i) the nature of the
ingredients, 28, 30 and 32 to produce the desired
drink, (ii) whether the cocktail 10 contains alcohol or
is non-alcoholic, e.g. a '~virgin dai~uiri", (iii) the
temperature of which the concentrate will be frozen,
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~ 12 ~
(iv) the nature and volume of the liquid 20 in
pro~o~ Lion to the volume of frozen co~centrate used,
and (v) the nature of the sweetener, e.g. a simple
sugar, a complex sugar, an artificial sweetener, (vi)
5 the temperature of the blended ingredients and (vii)
the strength of the distilled spirit and the mineral v
content of the water used as the liquid 20. In
general, alcohol as a diluent greatly aids in blenAing
of the frozen con~entrate to form the f;n;~h~ drink.
10 Non-alcoholic slush drinks are therefore more difficult
to blend and, in general, require a longer bl~nAing
time and offer less latitude in the range of portions
of ingredients and other process parameters than
alcoholic frozen cocktails. Other considerations
15 include (i) the characteristics of the ron~trate when
it is frozen and when it is broken up in the blender,
such as whether the ingredients of the co~centrate
freezes to a soft solid at temperatures normally found
in a home freezer, whether the frozen conc~ntrate blend
20 readily into finally divided and evenly dispersed
frozen particles when blended, whether the concentrate
separates when frozen at home freezer temperatures,
(ii) the sweetening power of the particular sweetener,
and (iii) the solid content contributed to the
25 concentrate by the sweetener 30. As is well known, a
monosaccharide such as glucose or fructose is sweeter
than a disaccharide such as sucrose, and certain high
potency sweeteners such as aspartame, at least when
used in low concentrations~ are much stronger
30 sweeteners than like amounts of natural sugars.
The following are examples of concentrates 12 and
methods according to the present invention of using
these concentrates. All cocktails were prepared using
a conventional home blender such as an Imperial brand,
35 two speed, one quart size blender manufactured by -
Osterizer, Inc. at its "high" operating speed, to
produce frozen cocktails of high quality in taste and
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~ 13 -
texture Wit]l,DUt using ice CUbQ~ shed or crushed
ice, or shav~d ice. Ingredients were weighed on an
Ohaus brand triple bQa~ scalQ to the nearest O.lg
(2,610g capa~-ity). The ~Qn~ntrates were mixed in a
sealable pla~stic cont~in~ by ~ k;n~ until thoroughly
J mixed. The cQn~entrat:e was frozQn in conventional
plastic ice ~ube tray~ for 48 hours in a s~n~d 6
cubic foot capacity, c:hest-type home freezer set to a
freezing te~]?erature of -15-F. Brix values were
10 measured wit~l Milton-R~oy Co. hand-held refractometer,
Cat. No. 33--45-01. The concentrates were formed by
diluting frozen cocktail mixes sold under the trade
designation Island Oasis~ with water. The ~pirits used
are 80 prooi.' and at room temperature. Rum is preferred
15 for daiquiri.~; and pina coladas. Tequila is preferred
for the marg2lrita. The frozen co~o~,.L~te is added in
cubes pro~ e~ by the ice-cube tray, with each cube
representing about 1 fluid ounce of concentrate (about
32g). The water is bottled water chilled in a
20 conventional. refrigerator.
~xAr~PLES
Blended ~ Blend
Frozen Drink Bri~ o~ Frozen Blended Blended Time
TvDe Concentrate ~n~ntrate water S~;rit (sec.)
(Fluid oz.) (Fl. oz.) ~Fl. oz.)
Strawberry
Daiquiri 19.5 4.0 3.01.015
Peach
Daiguiri 19.5 4.0 3.01.015
Banana
Daiquiri 20.5 4.0 3.o1.015
30Non-Alcoholic
Banana
Daiquiri 20.5 4.o 4.o - 15-20
Margarita 18.5 5.0 3.01.015
Piha Colada 20.8 6.0 3.01.015
Non-Alcoholic
Piha Colada 20.8 6.0 4.0 - 15-20
35Ice Cream 19.8 6.0 3.01.015
Non-Alcoholic
Ice Cream 20.8 6.0 4.0 - 15-20
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It will be understood that these values are
approximate and that the user can vary from the
recommended values and procedures, whether in error,
out of ~Gl.vellience, or due to taste and still obtain a r
5 high-quality, good-tasting frozen drink. As reflected
in these examples, a co~ce.L~te with a Brix in the
range of 18- to 21- will produce an optimal flnish~
drink for most st~n~A~d drink types. As a general
rule, increasing the liquid 20 added to the blender
10 without a CO~ LeS~O~ ng increase in frozen conce~trate
will reduce the bl~n~l~ ng time and produce a more watery
slush. A practical lower limit on the frozen
cono~.Llate-to-diluent ratio is determined by the fact
that the slush becomes too watery (too low of a
15 vi~cosity to blend) even at re~lce~ blending times,
when too much liquid is used. On the other hand,
reducing the liquid content increases the ice content
in the frozen drink, making it "stiffer". (A good
slush texL~Le is characterized by the finished drink
~P~Ak~ ng~ when ~o~red into a glass, but being readily
pourable and drinkable with few, if any, large frozen
particles.) Practical lower limits on the amount of
diluent liquid added to the blender arise when the
frozen co~centrate will not blend well, e.g. it will
freeze to the walls of the blender cup, will not
circulate to the blender blades, or will not divide
uniformly and finely, e.g. "marbles" of frozen
concentrate remain the slush after the recommended
bl~n~ ng time. The weight ratio (w/w) of frozen
co~cDntrate 16 to liquid diluent 20 is in the range of
1:1 to 3:1, but preferably closer to 1:1 for most drink
types.
Large, irregularly-sized frozen particles will
also result from the Brix level of the concentrate
being too low. Conversely, Brix that is too high
results in a watery slush. These results and taste
considerations, provide practical functional guidelines
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- 15 -
for selecting approprialte values for particular type of
~oncentrate a~nd a particular drink. With respect to
taste, a Brix ~ralue for the final product can range
from 9- to 15-, but drinks with the best taste will
prefer~bly ha~ve a value in the range of 11.0~ to 13 . 5- .
With res]?ect to the spirit to water ratio in the
diluent liqu~, as a general rule, as noted above,
increased alcohol conte.nt facilitates the bl~n~ ~ n~ .
Therefore if a higher ~lcohol content is desired, the
bl~n~i n~ time is ordin~rily re~llc~. The overall
liquid volume, the volume of the spirit and water,
should, howe~rer, remain at or near the preferred values
given, other Eactors being the same. The preferred
ratio for the diluent ingredient in an alcoholic frozen
cocktail is in the range of 2:1 to 4:1 water-to-spirit
by volume. A~; demonstrated in the Examples above, a
3:1 ratio is preferred for many drink types.
The affect of Brix on the blendability (and
therefore texlture) of the frozen co~c~ntrate is
illustrated hy Figs. 3~5. Graphs showing the
fracturing oiE a cube of frozen sugar water conc~ntrate
over time as lthe pressure applied by an F'rC shear
press. The press is a 5~n~rd instrument used to
measure the resistance of a solid to a crushing force
applied by a pneumatic piston. Since the piston
travels at a generally constant rate, elapsed time
equals distance travelled by the piston. Fig. 3 is a
typical graph for a solution with a low solids content
(e.g. below 1:2.5- Brix). Fig. 4 shows the typical
reaction curve for a medium solid content (e.g. 15--20-
Brix). Fig 5 shows the typical reaction curve for a
high solid content (e.g. in ~Ycecc of 20- Brix).
In each graph the initial pressure increase
reflects the ;resistance of the frozen cube to
fracturing. 'rhis result is a function of solid content
and the tempe;rature of the frozen cube. The curves
show typical results for cubes at the same temperature.
CA 02220~12 1997-12-17
W O96137120 PCTrUS96/06442
- 16 -
After initial fracture indicated at F in the graphs,
the shear press piston travels farther until a second
resistance is encol~ntered. The degree to which the
pr~-s~lre falls after the initial fracture, expressed as
S a percentage pressure relief, yields an indication of
how resistance to fracture varies as a function of
solid content.
The r~con~ increase of pressure as the shear press
piston travels to a maxi~um compression of the sample
varies in smoothnCcc as a function of the solid
content. Higher solid content produces a smoother
crush curve, as shown.
These tests confirm that solid content of the
concentrate is a key factor in the blendability of the
frozen concentrate into a good slush. More
specifically, softly frozen samples with a Brix below
12.5-, and certainly below 10.0 are difficult to crush
and do not produce a uniform particle size in a blended
frozen drink
product. Conversely, solid contents much in eYc~s~ of
about 20.0 Brix are too soft to produce a high quality
slush drink when blended. This range of Brix values
also pro~llcec~ at ordinary home freezer temperatures, a
~oftly frozen con~entrate that does not dull or damage
an ordinary home blender used to of reduce frozen
conc~ntrate into finely divided slush. Recall,
however, that blendability varies dep~n~;ng on the type
of the ingredients forming the conc~ntrate and the
diluent and the relative amount of frozen concentrate
and diluent. These tests do not reflect these
variables; but they do demonstrate the basic
relationship between Brix and fracture.
The fracture characteristics of a frozen
concentrate according to this invention also lend
themselves to partitioning a mass of the frozen product
into pre-measured portions. This and the ability to
freeze cubes of the concentrate in a conventional ice
CA 022205l2 l997-l2-l7
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17 -
cube tray allows frozen drinks to be made in any of a
wide variety of guantities, from a single serving to
batches of mu:Ltiple servings.
There hns been described a frozen drink product
aLnd process t:hat can be sold and stored as a liquid,
home frozen, ~md then blended c~Lickly and quietly using
aL st~AA~d h~I~e blender to produce frozen drinks,
particularly ~Erozen cocktails, having a high quality
taste and te~:ure. The product and ylO aLs can make a
vaLriety of driLnk types in aL variety of flavors, and in
a variety of serving sizes. A low skill level is
required. There i8 minimal preparation time (once the
concentrate i.s frozen), and the preparation is simple,
comparatively ~uiet, and does not harm the blender.
The product alnd process do not require expensive or
nll~llAl ingreclients, and preferably uses only natural
carbohydrates as it s 801 id content in the aqueous
h~rl concentrate, typically a fruit juice and a
natural sugar in ac~ueous solution diluted to a Brix
value in deteI~Lined accordance with this invention.
The product and process of this invention are also
highly flexib].e in terms of the types of drinks -
alcoholic, norl-alcoholilc, fruit based,'non-fruit based
-- that can be made while enjoying all of these
advantages.
While thLe invention has been described with
respect to it.~; preferred embodiments, it will be
understood thLat various modifications and alterations
will occur to those skilled in the art from the
foregoing detailed description and drawings. For
example, while the invention has been described with
respect to a con~ntrat,e formed by diluting an Island
Oasis~ brand of cocktail mixes, the concentrate can, of
course, be macle from ot~her fruit and non-fruit aqueous
solutions, providing thley have the solid content to
fall within the teachings of the present invention and
can satisfy the flavor and sweetness reguirements
CA 02220~12 1997-12-17
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- 18 -
inherent in making a selected frozen drink. As noted
above, while it is not preferred, the solid content can
include high potency sweeteners, gums, glycerol or
other sugar alcohols, artificial flavors or color
ingredients, preservatives, and other carbohydrate-
hA~~~ ingredients. Total solid content considerations
must be observed, but the main considerations are the
net affect on taste, blendability, and final product
texture.
Similarly, while chilled bottled water is a
preferred diluent, tap water can be used, but with
risks of variation in taste due to the mineral content
of the tap water and some small variations in
blendability and texture due to he water content and
warmer ambient temperature of tap water as compared to
chilled bottled water. The alcohol diluent can be any
of a wide variety of spirits, and in varying proofs.
More neutral spirits such as rum, gin, vodka and
tequila are preferred. Liqueurs could be added for
taste or color.
Different bl~n~;ng arrangements also fall within
the scope of this invention. While a st~n~Ard home
blender i8 preferred, it i8 possible to use food
proceQ~ors, food mixers, power stirrers, and even
manually powered mechAn;cal blen~;n~ provided that the
bl~n~ng implement can break apart the frozen
concentrate into a finely divided state while mixing it
with the diluent liquid.
These and other variations and modifications are
inte~ to fall within the scope of the appen~e~
claims.
