A new drink that combines coffee and beer is set to appear on your menu soon. Nestec, a subsidiary of the Swiss conglomerate Nestlé, has just invented a fermented coffee drink that is bubbly like beer but retains the distinctive flavor of coffee.
This beverage is produced in a manner similar to beer, but the temperature is controlled to prevent the formation of ethyl alcohol. As a result, this new drink is perfectly suitable for long-distance drivers.
Nestlé stated that preserving the unique coffee flavor during production is quite challenging. The coffee beans are roasted as usual, and the chemicals containing natural flavors are extracted via freeze distillation, which is then converted into coffee oil. The remaining materials are ground into a powder, mixed with yeast and cane sugar, and allowed to ferment for four hours at a temperature below 22 degrees Celsius. At this temperature, the yeast can still metabolize without producing alcohol.
At this stage, the flavor oil is blended with the liquid, and nitrogen is injected to create bubbles. Adding a bit of sugar also helps retain the flavor until the drink is poured, Nestlé revealed.
M.T. (according to Newscientist)