# US 2023/0265366 A1 · Edible alcohol-containing spheres

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- Number: US 2023/0265366 A1
- Document ID: US20230265366A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/141,145
- Filed: 2023-04-28
- Published: 2023-08-24
- Earliest claimed: 2018-09-12
- Assignees: CDJ Partners, LLC
- Applicants: CDJ Partners, LLC
- Inventors: Justin Peckerofsky; Jack Parker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230265366A1

## CPC

- C12G 3/005: Solid or pasty alcoholic beverage-forming compositions
- A23L 27/13: {from citrus fruits}
- A23L 27/33: {containing sugars or derivatives}
- A23L 27/72: {Encapsulation}
- A23L 29/03: {Organic compounds}
- A23L 29/256: from seaweeds, e.g. alginates, agar or carrageenan
- A23L 29/262: Cellulose; Derivatives thereof, e.g. ethers
- A23L 29/27: {Xanthan not combined with other microbial gums}
- A23P 10/30: Encapsulation of particles, e.g. foodstuff additives
- A23P 20/105: {Coating with compositions containing vegetable or microbial fermentation gums, e.g. cellulose or derivatives; Coating with edible polymers, e.g. polyvinyalcohol}
- A23P 30/10: Moulding
- B01J 13/14: Polymerisation; cross-linking
- C09B 67/0097: {Dye preparations of special physical nature; Tablets, films, extrusion, microcapsules, sheets, pads, bags with dyes}
- C12G 3/06: with flavouring ingredients
- C12G: WINE; PREPARATION THEREOF; ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES (beer C12C); PREPARATION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES NOT PROVIDED FOR IN SUBCLASSES C12C OR C12H
- A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B)
- A23P: SHAPING OR WORKING OF FOODSTUFFS, NOT FULLY COVERED BY A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- C09B: ORGANIC DYES OR CLOSELY-RELATED COMPOUNDS FOR PRODUCING DYES {, e.g. PIGMENTS}; MORDANTS; LAKES (fermentation or enzyme using processes to synthesise a desired chemical compound C12P)

## Abstract

A shelf stable, edible sphere containing alcohol and methods for preparing the same. The edible sphere comprises a liquid and/or gel inner core comprising ethyl alcohol and an outer membrane comprising alginate, wherein the outer membrane coats and encapsulates the liquid and/or gel inner core and wherein the edible sphere is shelf stable for at least one month. The process for preparing the shelf stable, edible sphere comprises combining an alcoholic beverage, a calcium salt, and optionally one or more further components to form a cocktail solution, deaerating and either freezing the cocktail solution to form a frozen cocktail solution or adding a thickening compound to the de-aerated cocktail solution to form a viscous cocktail solution, immersing the frozen cocktail solution or viscous cocktail solution in a sodium alginate bath at ambient temperature for a period of time to form an edible sphere containing alcohol, and removing the edible sphere containing alcohol from the alginate bath and rinsing it with water to form a shelf stable edible sphere.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A shelf stable, edible sphere comprising (1) a liquid and/or gel inner core comprising ethyl alcohol and (2) an outer membrane comprising alginate, wherein the outer membrane coats and encapsulates the liquid and/or gel inner core and wherein the shelf stable, edible sphere is shelf stable for at least one month.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 1, wherein the ethyl alcohol is derived from an alcoholic beverage.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 2, wherein the alcoholic beverage is derived from a distilled spirit and/or a liqueur.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 3, wherein the distilled spirit is selected from the group consisting of grain alcohol, vodka, gin, rum, tequila, whiskey/whisky, brandy, cachaça, metaxa, mezcal, ouzo, absinthe, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 1, wherein the outer membrane further comprises an edible coating and encapsulating material in addition to the alginate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 1, wherein the outer membrane further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of sweeteners, stabilizers, preservatives, flavorants, colorants, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 1, wherein the liquid and/or gel inner core comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of water, an organic acid, a calcium salt, a fruit juice, a fruit juice concentrate, a sweetener, a stabilizer, a preservative, a thickener, an anti-foaming agent, a natural flavorant, an artificial flavorant, a colorant, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 7, wherein the organic acid is selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, malic acid, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 7, wherein the calcium salt is selected from the group consisting of calcium lactate, calcium lactate gluconate, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 7, wherein the stabilizer and/or the thickener is selected from the group consisting of xanthan-based gums, cellulose-based gums, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 7, wherein the fruit juice and/or the fruit juice concentrate is selected from the group consisting of lemon juice, clarified cranberry juice concentrate, clarified pineapple juice concentrate, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 7, wherein the natural flavorant and/or the artificial flavorant is selected from the group consisting of lemon flavorants, lime flavorants, cranberry flavorants, lime flavorants, orange flavorants, pineapple flavorants, apple flavorants, sour apple flavorants, peach flavorants, and any combination thereof.

### Claim 13

(canceled)

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the outer membrane is in the range of from 0.01 mm to 0.5 mm.

### Claim 15

(canceled)

### Claim 16

(canceled)

### Claim 17

(canceled)

### Claim 18

(canceled)

### Claim 19 (depends on 1)

The shelf stable, edible sphere of claim 1, wherein the shelf stable, edible sphere is shelf stable for at least 12 months.

### Claim 20

A process for preparing a shelf stable, edible sphere, comprising
(1) combining an alcoholic beverage, a calcium salt, and optionally one or more further components selected from the group consisting of a stabilizer, a thickener, an anti-foaming agent, an organic acid, a sweetener, a fruit juice, a fruit juice concentrate, water, a natural flavorant, an artificial flavorant, a colorants, and a preservative, and any combination thereof, to form a cocktail solution;
(2) de-aerating the cocktail solution to form a de-aerated cocktail solution;
(3) freezing the de-aerated cocktail solution to form a frozen cocktail solution or adding a thickening compound to the de-aerated cocktail solution to form a viscous cocktail solution;
(4) immersing the frozen or viscous cocktail solution in a sodium alginate bath at ambient temperature or at a controlled temperature above or below ambient temperature for a period of time to form an edible sphere; and
(5) removing the edible sphere from the alginate bath and rinsing the edible sphere with water to form a shelf stable, edible sphere.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the stabilizers, thickeners, and/or anti-foaming agents are hydrated prior to combination with the alcoholic beverage and the calcium salt.

### Claim 22 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the de-aerated cocktail solution is frozen in a semispherical mold.

### Claim 23 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the de-aerated cocktail solution is frozen at a temperature of -10° F. or lower.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the sodium alginate bath is prepared by dissolving sodium alginate powder in distilled water in a ratio by weight of 0.5% sodium alginate to 99.5% distilled water.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The process of claim 20, wherein the frozen cocktail solution is immersed in the sodium alginate bath at ambient temperature for at least 10 minutes.