Future tech is just around the corner for the spirits industry, as a new company will soon make the world’s first molecular beverage printer.
“It’s like having a personalized beverage aisle in your kitchen – with zero trash or hassle from plastic, aluminum, and glass containers,” said Cana One CEO Matt Mahar.
The Cana One device will be able to print thousands of beverages from the kitchen countertop … juice, soft drinks and iced coffee, hard seltzers, wine, and cocktails. And it will do so without the need for plastic, aluminum, glass or other wasteful containers.
Mahar said the new technology was designed to give users convenience, savings, and an experience they didn’t know they were craving, “while cleaning up the planet.”
The team working on this device include tech alumni from Nike, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Google, as well as Apple.
Matt Mahar recently visited with The Whiskey Wash about the new device and how it will make an impact on the future of the beverage industry, and what that means for whiskey making at home.
The Whiskey Wash: What was the inspiration behind the Cana One system?
Matt Mahar: “Every year, the world uses 121 million acres of land, 400 trillion liters of water, and 543 million metric tons of CO2 to create and ship beverages around the globe. Once these beverages are consumed, less than 20 percent of bottles and cans are recycled. The entire beverage industry is in the business of moving products that are mostly water, in environmentally unfriendly metal and plastic containers.
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“According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we are in a red zone for global warming, the impacts of which will be water shortages, severe weather, and drought. Every small choice we make today will have a big impact on our future, even our choice about what we drink.
“Humans use 1.3 billion plastic bottles every day, and the vast majority end up as litter in landfills, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Cana’s beverage printer was developed after three years of intense research on what we drink at the molecular level, deploying techniques found in top research institutions and universities. Using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, scientists analyzed the concentrations of trace amounts of ingredients to create a proprietary archive of beverages, removing unnecessary and harmful compounds such as pesticides. Cana scientists and engineers then developed their own ‘universal beverage ingredient set’ that forms the basis for thousands of drink variations.”
TWW: What would you compare something like this to, perhaps an all-encompassing Keurig-type product?
Matt: “Cana is not like any other company out there. Unlike pod-based beverage systems, a single Cana One ingredient cartridge can create hundreds of different beverages and will last one month on average without needing replacement. We are creating the first and only molecular beverage printer to meet all beverage needs, morning to night.”
TWW: Tell us about the ability for the machine to make cocktails. Will it be able to replicate hard alcohol, like bourbon or scotch, if someone wanted to make a “neat” drink?
Matt: “Yes, Cana One will have the ability to make specialty cocktails including various types of whiskey which are on our future roadmap.”
TWW: How would you explain the science behind the machine, in simple terms?
Matt: “Cana’s team spent three years studying what we drink at the molecular level, commercializing breakthrough research in flavor and analytical chemistry. Cana scientists identified and isolated the specific trace compounds that drive flavor and aroma for thousands of unique commercially available beverages. They created the world’s first universal beverage ingredient set, which recreates thousands of different drinks using a simplified set of ingredients that can be printed out of a long-lasting ingredient cartridge. Cana has invented new technologies at all three levels of the consumer experience:
Digitize – From their scientific building blocks, recreate beverages across popular genres like tea, coffee, wine, cocktails, seltzers, hydration, and juice.
Distribute – Print thousands of beverages at home, by combining filtered water with flavors from proprietary Cana cartridges.
Dispense – Personalize and pour favorite brands, and create unique blends tailored to individual tastes.”
TWW: Is this like when the smartphone came on the scene, we no longer needed a calculator, a camera, a phone, maps, etc.? Do you see this invention as revolutionizing the drinks industry?
Matt: “Yes, Cana is absolutely revolutionizing the drink industry! We are a mission-based company focused on eliminating unnecessary waste associated with the manufacturing and distribution of all beverages.
“Cana One is designed to give each customer convenience, savings, and an experience they didn’t know they were craving – while cleaning up the planet.”
TWW: Could you replicate specific sodas or spirits or is it more general cola or whiskey, for example?
Matt: “We have the capability to replicate specific beverages. We are open to conversations with partners who would like to put their existing beverages on our platform, as well as with partners who would like to bring new drinks to market. Our current beverages outcompete existing leading premium brands when blind-tested with consumers.”
TWW: When do you see this available to a mass audience and what is an estimated monthly cost for operations?
Matt: “Cana expects first shipments to go out in early 2023. Customers can reserve a Cana One device for $99, which will convert to a credit toward purchase. The first 10,000 orders are guaranteed a price of $499. After that, the regular price will be $799. The reservation fee is refundable at any time, and customers will have the opportunity to review the final product features closer to its ship date, before committing to a purchase.”
“Ingredient cartridges will be automatically replaced, at no additional cost to customers, as they run low. Customers easily return cartridges to Cana in prepaid packaging, where they are reused up to 12 times before being fully recycled.”
“Customers pay per drink for each beverage Cana makes. Per-drink pricing will range from 29 cents to $2.99; the average cost will be significantly lower than bottled beverage retail prices.”
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