INTRODUCTION

The invention relates to a method and a device for treating beverage, and in particular to a method and a device which can cause a change in the taste of the beverage. The invention particularly relates to treatment of whisky and coffee.

BACKGROUN D OF THE INVENTION

Treatment of beverages has been exercised in many different ways - particularly as part of industrial processes carried out during manufacturing of the beverage.

Certain beverages, e.g. whisky, coffee, tee, wine etc have very sophisticated and delicate flavour which are highly vulnerable. Typically, the taste changes from the production until consumption e.g. depending on storage temperature, access to oxygen etc. Often, a controlled oxidation is desirable because it is generally accepted that it improves the taste. In case of whisky, most brands reduce or lose their "edge" which, by some people is desired. Since certain consumers prefer one taste and others prefer another taste, it can be difficult to provide beverages of the above kind having the exact the desired taste - some likes further oxidation and others prefer less oxidation. Additionally, oxidation is often desirable directly before the consumption of the beverage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device and a method for treating beverages, in particular of the above mentioned kind, with regards to changing the flavour of the beverage and the time of consumption, i.e. directly prior to the consumption and typically by the user himself. According to a first aspect, the invention provides a device for treatment of a beverage, the device comprising an elongated body extending from a head in a longitudinal direction towards a handle forming an upwards termination, where the device has a size and shape making it suitable for being moved in a beverage by manual handling of the device by a hand grip in the handle.

Since the device can be moved by hand in a beverage, the device facilitates change of taste immediately prior to consumption of the beverage and facilitates use of the device by the consumer himself. Therefore, the consumer may obtain exactly that individual taste which is desirable. The device could be made partly or completely of a stainless steel with a surface including chromium .

The device could e.g. be made from an alloy with between 8 and 33 percent, such as between 15 and 25 percent chromium, e.g. 18 percent chromium . In addition, the device may contain less than 1 percent nickel . An alloy with 18 percent chromium has been found very suitable for the device, and in a test panel including whisky expert, the device according to the invention has been found very effective.

In one example, a device is prepared from stainless steel AISI 304, 18/8 with 18 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel . The device is polished whereby the surface becomes very smooth. The device is dipped into a glass of whisky and moved back and fourth therein for 15-30 seconds. The result is a clear distinguishable change in taste of the whisky which is enjoyed immediately after the treatment. The polishing has been found to improve the effect.

By polishing is herein meant any kind of process which removes material and makes the surface smooth. Examples may include Electro-polishing such as electrochemical polishing or electrolytic polishing or traditional mechanical polishing. The device may form an elongated body extending from a head in a longitudinal direction towards an upwards termination at which the device can be handled manually by a user.

The head may have the form of a strainer, e.g. a cup or plane plate shape including slots or holes through which the beverage can flow when stirred with the device.

The head may particularly comprise an alloy or be made completely from an alloy containing chromium, e.g. 18 percent, and a number of holes extending through the plate. The plate may e.g. extend transverse to the longitudinal direction, and the head may have at surface area of at least 5 square centimetres such as between 8 and 20 square centimetres or between 10-15 square centimetres.

The device may particularly be used for a treatment which in the following is described as a second aspect of the invention. According to this second aspect, the invention provides a method for treating beverage, the method comprising the step of providing a body with a surface comprising chromium and

submerging the body at least partly into the beverage.

According to the invention, the treatment is carried out until a difference in taste can be observed. The treatment may include steering in the beverage, and it may include submerging of the body in the beverage e.g. for about 2-30 seconds or even longer, e.g. up to 3 minutes or more.

It has been found that the chromium containing surface changes the taste of beverages comprising alcohol, in particular on whisky, brandy, and wine. A change in taste may also be observed with coffee, tee and similar soft drinks. Specifically, the invention relates to change of taste of these beverages and in particular, it may be desirable to apply the method for changing taste of whisky. By "whisky" is herein meant any type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and maize, typically branded with a name including Bourbon, Whiskey or Whisky.

Without limiting the invention by theories, it is believed that the change in taste is caused by a catalytic effect by which oxidation occurs fast and efficient, or simply by a catalytic effect by which one or more ingredients are changed.

The treatment may be carried out in a container suitable for carrying the beverage during consumption, e.g. directly in the glass or cup which contains the consumed beverage. For this purpose, the chromium containing surface may be formed on a relatively small item which is suitable for being submerged into the beverage, e.g. suitable for stirring the beverage. Subsequently, the

beverage may be consumed directly from that container, e.g. a glass, in which the treatment was carried out.

The body may be moved in the beverage immediately prior to consumption of the beverage which herein means anything from a few seconds up to two or three hours before the consumption. Particularly, it has been found to have a positive effect on the taste if the treatment is carried out a few minutes before consumption, and/or even during consumption, i.e. by movement of the body in the beverage between sipping the beverage. In a third aspect, the invention provides the use of the device previously described for changing taste of whisky.

In a fourth aspect, the invention provides a beverage kit comprising a beverage selected from the group consisting of: coffee, tee, whisky, wine, brandy and port wine, the kit further comprising a device according to the above description. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT

In the following, an embodiment of the invention will be described in further details with reference to the drawing in which : Fig. 1 illustrates a device according to the invention in a side view;

Fig. 2 illustrates a device according to the invention in a top view, i .e. seen from above; and

Fig. 3 illustrates a device being used for stirring in a glass 8 with whisky 9. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the device comprises a submergible body 1 with a surface comprising chromium . The illustrated device is made from a stainless steel alloy and comprises 18 percent chromium .

The device comprises an elongated body 2 extending from a head 3 in a longitudinal direction indicated by the arrow 4 towards an upwards termination 5 at which the device can be handled manually by a user.

Referring to Fig. 2, the head 3 forms a strainer with a plate 6 of an alloy containing chromium and a number of holes 7 extending through the plate. The central portion of the plate extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction indicated by the arrow 4.c The device could e.g. be made from an alloy containing ^≤ 0,08 pet Carbon,

16,0-18,0 pet Chromium, 1,00 percent Silicon, 1,00 percent Manganese, 0,015 percent sulphur, and 0,040 percent phosphorous. The alloy may preferably not contain Nickel or at least less than 1 percent Nickel.