Tag: instant beer

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Bar.on is a new technology from a Belgian start-up that is basically a countertop brewer. Imagine the equivalent to one of the ubiquitous coffee pod machines.

Let me backtrack, first you should read THIS fair and balanced (really) piece by Evan Rail about it.

Since the tech has not made it to Los Angeles, I cannot give my opinion on the taste of the beer but the red flag that I see waving is that of oversimplification. I do not think that I will be able to tap on a touchscreen that I want a Hazy DIPA with all New Zealand hops. The following but wait for the next generation left me feeling even more strongly that way.

“But greater complexity might be forthcoming. While the current OneTap prototype has just six flavor cartridges and one container of malt mixture, Standaert says the next-generation OneTap Pro — slated for 2025 — should have at least 14 flavor cartridges and three malt-mix containers, which will allow it to reproduce a much larger variety of styles.”

Beer has four main inputs, it is true, but the combinations are endless just within malt, let alone hops, water and yeast. The device might be able to copy a specific beer but will it ever go further than just a flat two dimensional simulacrum? Could this make a Cold IPA? Or a Pastry Stout?

Let’s just say that I am cautiously pessimistic.

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BeerStream

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There appears to be a vast market of beverages that are ready in seconds and can be consumed by the cup. Be it Keurig with both hot and cold settings or insta-soda’s, American’s need their caffeine and sugar and they need it fast and with maximum un-recyclability.

But where it is easy to add the concentrate of soda to sparkling water to make a decent soda trying to craft a beer that way sounds really ill-conceived. The company Sodastream wants to put a device on your counter to “concoct crafted beer in seconds” by adding alcoholic concentrate to sparkling water.

The first “beer” (concentrate) available through their German online store is “Blondie,” is a light beer coming in at 4.5% ABV.

This just sounds bad and I have so many questions. Sparkling water is not an ingredient in beer, so how does that work? Who is making the concentrate? Has anyone rated it on RateBeer or Untappd? When can I get Worst Beer Blog to sample it?

Some things in life you wait for or you go to the store and buy it ready made.