DESC:FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a kinnow (Mandarin) based alcoholic beverages and its method of preparation thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to an alcoholic beverage namely alcoholic kinnow ready to drink (RTD) beverage, Melomel (Mead), and Gin prepared from Kinnow (Mandarin) fruit and a method of its preparation by utilizing whole kinnow fruits.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0002] This invention takes priority from an earlier filed Provisional application No. 202211007967 filed on dated February 15, 2022; which is incorporated herein as reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The Kinnow fruit, a hybrid of two citrus cultivars (Citrus nobilis and Citrus × deliciosa), is first developed by Howard B. Frost in California, USA region and was released for commercial cultivation in 1935. The fruit is known as a high yield mandarin, cultivated extensively in the wider Punjab region of India and Pakistan.
[0004] Punjab is one of the largest Kinnow (Mandarin) growing state in the country. The total production of Kinnow from Punjab for the year 2020-21 is 11,77,544 M. Tonnes covering 44,752 hectares of land; contributing around 1/3rd to the national production. Kinnow is majorly produced in the districts of Fazilka, Muktsar, Bathinda and Hoshiarpur, with Fazilka district (mainly Abohar belt) alone contributing up to the 60% to the state’s total production. The fruit is very smooth, easy to peel and juicy with higher sweetness. The main drawback during and after cultivation and harvest is the fruit wastage. This leads to economic loss of the farmers.
[0005] On the other hand, the alcohol industry is looking for the market growth through the innovation in drinks and therefore they are engaged to develop new possible varieties of flavors to improve the taste of traditional alcoholic beverages. The alcoholic drinks made from fermented fruits (mainly grapes) are one of the most popular beverages worldwide which improves the economic benefit of the farmers.
[0006] Due to the high acidity and low sugar contents, it is hard to make the alcoholic beverages from the citrus fruit as sugar is an important raw material to make an alcohol. Therefore, it is necessary to add extra sugar for the fermentation process to get a good alcohol from citrus fruits.
[0007] In context to utilization of the citric fruit kinnow, mainly fresh juice is consumed where Kinnow/Mandarin is squeezed by simple hand machines. Fresh juice is consumed at home or in social events etc. However, Kinnow/Mandarin is not being processed at the industrial level because its juice gets bitter due to the presence of certain compounds in various parts of kinnow (flavedo, albedo, rind and seeds, etc.). The presence of limonene in the seeds is a significant reason behind the bitterization of the juice. A high number of seeds in the present varieties of Kinnow/Mandarin make it challenging to process. The cost of processing Kinnow (Mandarin) is high. Around sixty per cent is wastage or residual from which no by-product is being extracted.
[0008] Suitable technology to make products such as pectin, limonin, peel oil etc., from Kinnow is in high demand. The problem in the making of by-products such as pectin is that extraction of such products is very low & handling of wastage (pomace) is complicated.
[0009] In general, the Kinnow variety used for the preparation of juice is non-table variety / non-marketable variety. Currently for C & D grade (small, bruised, mild scars but overall sound fruit) produce (non-table variants) of the Kinnow, the farmer does not have any market / market value and thus is usually discarded by the farmers. However, this C&D grade fruit will be used for preparation process of the products of the present invention. Therefore, the farmers will get good value for the produce that was being discarded and they would have a better realization of the same grade fruit which earlier gained no market value.
[00010] Hence, there is a need to develop a novel method to produce alcoholic beverages from citrus fruits having moderately high sugar content, that fully utilizes the whole fruit to produce the economic advancement of the farmers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[00011] The primary objective of the present invention is to prepare multiple alcoholic beverages from kinnow fruit extract without any artificial flavors.
[00012] Another objective of the present invention is to provide a method of preparation of multiple alcoholic beverages from the whole kinnow fruits leaving less residue, following a series of steps of process.
[00013] According to present invention, the method comprising the steps of extracting kinnow fruit juice from kinnow whole fruits, pretreating the extracted juice using chemicals for clarifying the juice, fermenting the clarified kinnow fruit juice by inoculating the clarified kinnow fruit juice with at least one yeast, obtaining lees-free ferment or a base wine by racking off the lees of fermented kinnow fruit juice after inactivating the at least one yeast, and producing the one or more alcoholic beverages from the base wine, the one or more alcoholic beverages having potential alcohol of 5-45 % alcohol by volume (ABV).
[00014] In some embodiments, the step of producing the one or more alcoholic beverages comprises any one step of: producing a first alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of 5-8 % alcohol by volume (ABV) by clarifying and filtering the base wine, producing a second alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of 11% ABV from the base wine by clarifying and filtering the base wine, and producing a third alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of up to 45 % ABV by performing primary distillation and secondary distillation of the base wine.
[00015] In some embodiments, the third alcoholic beverage is produced by storing the base wine at room temperature for 24 hours, increasing pH of the stored wine to 6.5 to reduce acidity of the base wine, primary distilling the base wine to produce a base spirit or a low wine by heating the base wine until the base wine evaporates thereby producing a first vapor stream and converting the first vapor stream into a first liquid alcohol; and secondary distilling the first liquid alcohol to produce a third alcoholic beverage by heating the first liquid alcohol with at least one botanical until the first liquid alcohol evaporates thereby producing a second vapor stream and converting the second vapor stream into the third alcoholic beverage.
[00016] According to the present invention, the first alcoholic beverage is a ready to drink beverage or wine, the second alcoholic beverage is a mead and the third alcoholic beverage is a Gin.
[00017] Thus, the advantage of the present invention is a method of producing multiple alcoholic beverages from Kinnow fruits from a single process of fermentation.
[00018] The present invention also provides at least one kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverage having 5-45% alcohol by volume (ABV) of potential alcohol that is produced by the aforesaid method of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[00019] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description made with reference to the drawings.
[00020] FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing multiple alcoholic beverages from whole kinnow fruit according to the present invention.
[00021] FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing a first alcoholic beverage according to the present invention.
[00022] FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing a second alcoholic beverage according to the present invention.
[00023] FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing a third alcoholic beverage according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[00024] Aspects of the present invention are best understood by reference to the description set forth herein. All the aspects described herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with the following descriptions. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating preferred aspects and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration only and should not be treated as limitations. Changes and modifications may be made within the scope herein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and the present invention herein includes all such modifications.
[00025] Several aspects of the present invention are disclosed herein. It is to be understood that these aspects may or may not overlap with one another. Thus, part of one aspect may fall within the scope of another aspect, and vice versa. Each aspect is illustrated by a number of embodiments, each of which in turn, can include one or more specific embodiments. It is to be understood that the embodiments may or may not overlap with each other. Thus, part of one embodiment, or specific embodiments thereof, may or may not fall within the ambit of another, or specific embodiments thereof, and vice versa.
[00026] A broad framework of the principles will be presented by describing various embodiments of this invention using exemplary aspects. Reference to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. For clarity and ease of description, each aspect includes only a few embodiments. Different embodiments from different aspects may be combined or practiced separately, to design a customized process or product depending upon application requirements. Many different combinations and sub-combinations of a few representative processes or structures shown within the broad framework of this invention, that may be apparent to those skilled in the art but not explicitly shown or described, should not be construed as precluded.
[00027] The present invention relates to alcoholic beverages and a method for producing multiple alcoholic beverages, preferably three by a single process with slight modifications.
Definitions:
[00028] Reference to “fermentation” as used herein refers to a process to generate alcohol by the action of at least one or more bacteria or yeasts.
[00029] Reference to “distillation” as used herein is a process to extract alcohol from an aqueous solution of alcohol.
[00030] Reference to “wine” as used herein is described as fermented fruit juice.
[00031] Reference to “spirit” as used herein is described as the product obtained as a result of distillation of wine.
[00032] Reference to “must” as used herein is described as clarified juice which is ready for fermentation.
[00033] Reference to “mead” as used herein is described as an alcoholic beverage made from honey.
[00034] Reference to “melomel” as used herein is described as blending fruit juice with honey and fermenting the resultant mead.
[00035] The kinnow crop which does not get sold easily in market because of their shape, size and color but is perfectly fit for human consumption with the juice reaching more than 8 brix. The non-marketable or non-table variety of Kinnow fruit after post-harvest processing is selected for the present invention. In view of the market trends there is high surge in demand of flavored alcoholic beverages such as RTD, Melomel (Mead) and Gin. Hence, the present invention utilizes the Kinnow to produce valuable products, helping farmers in every possible way and getting them the right price for their fruit.
[00036] According to an aspect of the present invention, FIG. 1 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing multiple alcoholic beverages from the whole kinnow fruit, where the whole method is broadly divided into three main steps, i.e., the process of juice extraction; fermentation of extracted juice, and distilling to produce one type of beverage.
[00037] According to the present invention, the method of producing multiple alcoholic beverages from kinnow fruits following the series of steps. At step 102, kinnow fruit juice is extracted from kinnow whole fruits. At step 104, the kinnow fruit juice is clarified by pre-treating the kinnow fruit juice with at least one chemical agent. At step 106, the clarified kinnow fruit juice is fermented by inoculating the clarified kinnow fruit juice with at least one yeast. At step 108, obtaining lees-free ferment or a base wine by racking off the lees of fermented kinnow fruit juice after inactivating the at least one yeast. At step 110, one or more alcoholic beverages are produced from the base wine, the one or more alcoholic beverages having potential alcohol up to 5-45 % alcohol by volume (ABV).
[00038] In some embodiments, the step of producing the one or more alcoholic beverages comprises any one step of:
producing a first alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of 5-8 % alcohol by volume (ABV) by clarifying and filtering the base wine,
producing a second alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of 11% ABV from the base wine by clarifying and filtering the base wine, and
producing a third alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol up to 45% ABV by performing primary distillation and secondary distillation of the base wine
[00039] According to the present invention, the at least one chemical agent is potassium metabisulphite and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone.
[00040] According to the present invention, the first alcoholic beverage is a carbonated ready to drink beverage or wine, the second alcoholic beverage is a non-carbonated beverage called Melomel, and the third alcoholic beverage is a Gin.
[00041] According to an aspect of the present invention, FIG. 2 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing a first alcoholic beverage, where the whole method is broadly divided into three main steps, i.e., clarification of base wine, balancing taste of clarified wine, and filtering clarified wine for bottling.
[00042] According to the present invention, the method of producing the first alcoholic beverage following the series of steps. At step 202, the base wine is clarified by adding 0.5 g/ liter (l) of fining agent that comprises bentonite to the base wine and racking off bentonite lees after 8 days of adding the fining agent, where a level of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and volatile acidity (VA) is in the base wine is stabilized before clarifying the base wine. At step 204, clarified wine is stored at a temperature of 12°C for 2 months. At step 206, taste of stored wine is balanced by adding 35 gm/l of sugar and color. At step 208, taste balanced wine is filtered using at least one cellulose filter pad before bottling to obtain the first alcoholic beverage, forced carbonation is induced to the filtered wine before bottling.
[00043] According to an aspect of the present invention, FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing a second alcoholic beverage, where the whole method is broadly divided into two main steps, i.e., clarification of base wine, and filtering clarified wine for bottling.
[00044] According to the present invention, the method of producing the second alcoholic beverage following the series of steps. At step 302, 1 kilogram (kg)/ 100 liter (l) of honey is added to the clarified kinnow fruit juice before inoculation of the at least one yeast. At step 304, the kinnow fruit juice with honey is fermented to obtain the fermented kinnow fruit juice. At step 306, lees-free ferment or a base wine is obtained by racking off the lees of fermented kinnow fruit juice after inactivating the at least one yeast. At step 308, the base wine is clarified by adding a fining agent to the fermented kinnow fruit juice and racking off bentonite lees after 8 days of adding the fining agent. At step 310, clarified kinnow fruit juice is filtered to obtain the second alcoholic beverage, the second alcoholic beverage is mead.
[00045] According to an aspect of the present invention, FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart representing a method of producing a third alcoholic beverage, where the whole method is broadly divided into two main steps, i.e., primary distillation, and secondary distillation.
[00046] According to the present invention, the method of producing the third alcoholic beverage following the series of steps. At step 402, the base wine is stored at room temperature for 24 hours. At step 404, pH of the stored wine is increased to 6.5 to reduce acidity of the base wine. At step 406, the base wine is subjected to primary distillation for producing a base spirit or a low wine by heating the base wine until the base wine evaporates thereby producing a first vapor stream and converting the first vapor stream into a first liquid alcohol. At step 408, the first liquid alcohol is subjected to secondary distillation for producing the third alcoholic beverage by heating the first liquid alcohol with at least one botanical until the first liquid alcohol evaporates, thereby producing a second vapor stream and converting the second vapor stream into the third alcoholic beverage, the third alcoholic beverage is Gin.
[00047] According to the present invention, the at least one botanical is selected from at least any one of the groups consisting of a first set of botanicals, and a second set of botanicals. The first set of botanicals comprises juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seeds, and orris root for producing a first gin profile or a basic gin profile. The second set of botanicals comprises kinnow peels, and lemon grass for producing a second gin profile or a citrus profile gin.
[00048] In some embodiments, the step of producing the third alcoholic beverage comprises any one step of:
secondary distilling the first liquid alcohol with a first set of botanicals to obtain a first gin profile, wherein the first set of botanicals is selected from a group comprising juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seeds, and orris root; and
secondary distilling the first liquid alcohol with a second set of botanicals to obtain a second gin profile, wherein the second set of botanicals is selected from a group comprising kinnow peels, and lemon grass.
[00049] The method of producing multiple alcoholic beverages from the whole Kinnow fruit of the present invention is explained in detail below.
[00050] Juice Extraction:
[00051] The whole Kinnow fruits are obtained and some of the fruits are peeled, where the peels of the fruits are sundried separately. The juice extraction process involves washing of the fruit after unloading it. Then, the fruit is passed through brush and roller conveyor to remove the damaged fruit and then is made to pass through a polycitrus machine to extract the peel oil. Finally, the whole fruit is fed into the juice extractor for extraction of the juice. The juice is then preserved and is set ready for the further process of fermentation. In one embodiment, the whole kinnow fruit is milled in a fruit mill, where the blades of the milling equipment are replaced by pedals and sieves are removed in order to keep the seeds intact, thereby ensuring no or minimal seed breakage which in turn provides bitter less juice. Before pressing, a predetermined amount of IOC Be Fruits is added to milled kinnow fruit and stored below 21°C for over 2 hours, thereby providing better yield and enhances fruity characteristics during fermentation.
[00052] Then, the milled kinnow is pressed in a hydraulic basket press in a pressing bag at an applied pressure is about 80 bar. In this process around 40% juice is extracted (i.e., 1 kg of Kinnow with peels yields 400 ml of juice). The sugar content of the extracted deep yellow colored juice is 10 ± 1 Brix, pH is 3.87, while the total acidity and specific gravity are 5.7 and 1.044 respectively.
[00053] Fermentation:
[00054] Pretreatment of juice:
[00055] A dosage of 2 ml/hl of IOC Be Fruits enzyme is added to the milled kinnow and stored below 21°C for over 2 hours, which maintains a better yield and enhances fruity characteristics during fermentation. In one example, IOC Be Fruits enzyme is an enzyme secreted by yeast strain (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae). For example, milled kinnow is stored at below 21°C for 2-4 hours after adding the IOC Be Fruits enzyme. After pressing the milled kinnow, a dosage of 30ppm of Potassium Metabisulphite (KMS) is also added with the extracted juice to prevent spoilage of juice. Another dosage of 500 mg/l of Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) is added to ensure color retention, removal of oxidative agents and other particulate matter from the juice. The juice is kept in jacked cooled steel tanks below 10°C for over 48 hours and the juice is racked off from the top of the tank and the clarified juice (termed as Must) is produced, which is ready for the fermentation. For example, the juice is kept in jacked cooled steel tanks at below 10°C °C for 48-72 hours. Fermentation start time depends on pH level of the juice. For example, if the kinnow fruit juice has lower pH value, fermentation starts after 48 hours. If the kinnow fruit juice comprises higher pH value, fermentation starts from 3 to 12 hours.
[00056] Inoculation of Must:
[00057] The clarified must with potential alcohol of 6.5% ABV is further chaptalized with sugar or dextrose to 12% ABV, but for producing Ready to Drink (RTD) beverage chaptalized is not required. Sugar or dextrose is added to the clarified must if the clarified must comprises low brix value. The cooling system is shut off overnight and the temperature of the must is raised to 14°C without any external heating. The tank is prepared for fermentation by cleaning with ozonised water to keep off oxidation and the pH of the must is adjusted to 3.3 by addition of citric acid. Further, the must is inoculated with a dosage of 25 gm/hl of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Bayanus Lalvin DV 10 along with a dosage of 20 gm/hl of rehydration nutrient (i.e., Go Ferm Protect).
[00058] Monitoring fermentation:
[00059] After inoculation, considering the requirement of the low nitrogen of yeast, a dosage of 15gm/hl of diammonium phosphate (DAP) is added after 24 hours, when visible action is observed in the tank. After generation of 4% ABV alcohol in around halfway of the fermentation process, a dosage of 15gm/hl of complex yeast nutrient is added with it. In one exemplary embodiment, the complex yeast nutrient is Fermaid K. During fermentation, the temperature is maintained between 13-14°C and acidity and sugar level are monitored as well in alternate days till 10 days or till the completion of fermentation. After completion of fermentation, the temperature is brought down to 4°C to ensure the inactivation of active yeasts. After 48 hours, the produced wine is racked off lees. The racked wine is dosed with 30 ppm of KMS and checked for volatile acidity (VA). The air locks installed on the tank are filled with water to ensure that there is no air contact with the wine in the fermentation tank. The carbon dioxide generated is vented out by these air locks which indicates active fermentation.
[00060] Preservation, Clarification, Filtration & Balancing:
[00061] The produced wine is monitored by checking free SO2 and VA. KMS is added to compensate the SO2 level. When the SO2 level is stabilized, a dosage of 0.5 g/l of bentonite is introduced. After 8 days, clarified wine is racked off bentonite. Temperature is maintained at 12°C in storage for about 2 months. Before bottling the wine, taste is balanced by addition of sugar in dosage of 35 gm/l and color is optionally added. The process of filtration is completed in five stages with15, 8, 1.5 and 0.675 microns of cellulose filter pads, followed by 0.45 microns of cartridge filter.
[00062] Bottling the alcoholic Kinnow RTD:
[00063] Before ‘cartridge filtration’ or ‘sterile filtration’, a mannoprotein Mannospark is added to improve mouthfeel and to increase the longevity of the bubble in a carbonated product. Before bottling of produced wine or RTD, addition of KMS is needed to ensure the long life and to eliminate the chances of re-fermentation due to presence of sugar. The forced carbonation is induced to carbonate the produced RTD where the carbonation is done by ways selected from the group consisting of tank carbonation, inline carbonation. According to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the inline carbonation is preferred. Then the product is bottled in a 275 ml clear glass bottle at 2.6 bar pressure and each bottle is capped with an aluminum pull top for ease of opening and thus the product kinnow based RTD is formed. Bottles are stored in a cool, dry, and dark place to ensure its quality.
[00064] According to another embodiment of the present invention, the Kinnow Melomel is prepared by the above said steps with the addition of honey. When a fruit juice is blended with honey and then fermented, the resultant alcoholic beverage mead is produced and is termed as a melomel. Production of Melomel is a good option for producing high alcoholic beverages in the category of wine / mead.
[00065] Since Kinnow does not contain enough sugar to produce higher level of alcohol, the clarified juice is blended with honey to prepare melomel with a potential alcohol of11% ABV. The melomel is not carbonized, but the bottle is kept as a still product. According to the present invention the mustard honey of Punjabis used to produce melomel and the rest of the process of inoculation, clarification and filtration remains the same as the RTD.
[00066] According to the present invention, the third alcoholic beverage called alcoholic Kinnow Gin is prepared by the following method.
[00067] Distillation:
[00068] Prepping the ferment or base wine:
[00069] In the mid-way of wine making process when the wine is racked off lees, the ferment is separated. pH is not adjusted initially in case of distillation of the product. Ferment is refrained from any further cooling or addition of KMS for the next 24 hours. The temperature can be increased to the room temperature. Then, the pH of the ferment is increased to 5.6 to reduce acidity. Fruits generally tend to have high acid levels if it is retained in the distil it may cause heart burn on consumption of fruit spirits. Hence, the pH adjustment is advisable at this stage. The final alcohol level needs to be checked before distillation by an Ebulliometer, to calculate the quantity of alcohol that is going to be generated from the ferment.
[00070] Preparing base spirit:
[00071] To produce a Kinnow based Gin, the base spirit is also made from Kinnow. The base wine is allowed to be heated in the still until the alcohol starts to evaporate from the wine. This process is otherwise known as primary distillation. As the steam rises, it is captured at the top of the still by a pipe system and the evaporated alcohol is allowed to be cooled down. Later it is converted back to the liquid. This alcohol is known as ‘Low Wine’ (at around 22% volume) and is captured in thirds for purity reasons. Neither the first third, known as the ‘heads’, nor the last third, known as the ‘tails’, are used. Only the middle third of this low wine, known as the ‘heart’, is used as the base spirit. The ‘heart’ of this low wine is then put back into a fresh still and is distilled again (otherwise known as secondary distillation) with botanicals, for producing the fruit Kinnow Gin. In one embodiment, the Kinnow peel is used for secondary distillation.
[00072] Botanical Selection and Dosage:
[00073] Botanicals are dividend in 2 groups, i.e., Basic Gin Profile comprising of Juniper Berries, Angelica Root, coriander seeds, & Orris Rootand Citrus Profile comprising of Kinnow and Lemon grass.
[00074] Optionally, the botanical comprises Indian Spices Profile that comprises Star Anise, Liquorice Root, Black Peppercorns, White Peppercorns and Turmeric.
[00075] Two separate gin profiles are created to understand the depth of flavors. The final recipe is created with a perfect mixture of these botanicals as per taste. The base spirit is also flavorful since Kinnow has distinct taste and aroma which is imparted to the distillate. The botanicals are introduced within it to complement the flavor of the kinnow and base spirit. For the preparation of Gin, a reflux type of column still with a perforated basked is required, so that the botanicals can be infused within the beverages to enhance the taste and aroma.
[00076] According to one embodiment, the method of the present invention is used to prepare at least minimum of three alcoholic beverages to a maximum of five alcoholic beverages.
[00077] The present invention also provides at least one kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverage having 5-45% alcohol by volume (ABV) of potential alcohol that is produced by the aforesaid method of the present invention
[00078] In some embodiments, the kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverage comprises a first alcoholic beverage that comprises 5-8 % alcohol by volume (ABV) of potential alcohol.
[00079] In some embodiments, the kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverage comprises a second alcoholic beverage that comprises 11% alcohol by volume (ABV) of potential alcohol.
[00080] In some embodiments, the kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverage comprises a third alcoholic beverage that comprises 45 % alcohol by volume (ABV) of potential alcohol.
[00081] According to an aspect of the present invention provides an exemplary apparatus for producing multiple alcoholic beverages from whole kinnow fruit, where the apparatus broadly comprises a juice extraction unit for extracting kinnow fruit juice from kinnow whole fruits, a clarifying unit for clarifying the kinnow fruit juice by pre-treating the kinnow fruit juice with at least one chemical agent, a fermenting unit for fermenting clarified kinnow fruit juice by inoculating the clarified kinnow fruit juice with at least one yeast, a first alcoholic beverage producing unit for producing a first alcoholic beverage from base wine, a second alcoholic beverage producing unit for producing a second alcoholic beverage from base wine, a primary distillation unit for performing primary distillation on base wine to a first liquid alcohol, and a secondary distillation unit of performing secondary distillation on the first alcohol to produce a third alcoholic beverage. It is to be noted that one or more components of the apparatus does not limit the scope of the present invention. It is also to be noted that the one or more components of the apparatus may be combined or may be further divided into sub-components.
[00082] The method of the present invention is explained more in detail with the help of following Trials/examples. Examples/Trials are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[00083] Experiments and Results:
[00084] The present invention utilizes the kinnow in preparation of alcoholic beverages, which has a high utilization quotient. Initially, in collaboration with Sisken Beverages, attempts are made to develop kinnow gin from kinnow concentrate; however, the results from the juices were better than the concentrate. Then R &D process shifted from the use kinnow concentrate to kinnow juice. Kinnow juice was primary distilled to form Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA), then further mixed with botanicals and distilled to form Kinnow Gin. After various attempts, a recipe was successfully finalized.
[00085] The Kinnow juice is prepared according to the method of the present invention and the parameters of the juice is as follows.
TSS (deg brix) – 10.2
pH – 3.24,
TA –1.40%
SG – N.A.
Sulphur dioxide – 1280 ppm
The parameters of the concentrate are as follows.
pH – 3.4
VA – 0
Brix – 49.9
SG – 1.085
[00086] The fermentation was carried on using both the raw materials like juice concentrate and juice obtained from the whole kinnow fruit.
[00087] Juice (for further distillation):
[00088] The juice was fermented with a regular strain of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae along with rehydration nutrients. The fermentation was completed with 6% abv. This must was then distilled in a column still for 50% abv.
[00089] Preparation of Melomel:
[00090] 1 kg of honey was added to 100-liter juice. Honey was added to the juice to increase the potential alcoholic content in the product. Fermented product of honey and fruit is termed as “MELOMEL” or “MEAD”. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey. A regular strain of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae along with a rehydration nutrient is used for fermentation. The product was fermented to 12% abv. The mead was clarified after fermentation was completed.
[00091] According to the present invention, the RTD preparation from fruit juice to extraction to bottling takes 45 – 60 days. Melomel production from juice extraction and honey blending for high alcoholic products take 60 – 90 days. Production of low wine / base spirit from fruit takes 30 days. Gin production which includes redistilling in column / reflux still for high strength with botanicals will take over 30 days.
[00092] According to one embodiment, this base spirit is utilized in several different applications like vodka and brandy production, where the vodka production includes redistilling the base spirit for high strength, flavored / non flavored and filtered spirit will take another 15 days. The brandy production which also includes redistilling in pot still for high strength will take 15 days.
[00093] In some embodiments, the base spirit is redistilled (secondary distillation) to produce alcoholic beverages with high potential alcohol up to 65-70 % ABV based on the requirement and regulations of a geographic area (e.g., state, country etc).
[00094] According to one embodiment, the RTD beverage is made from the citrus fruit (e.g., kinnow) without adding artificial color or flavor.
[00095] Thus, the advantages of the present invention including but not limited to are, method of producing multiple alcoholic beverages e.g., RTD or wine, Melomel and Gin or hard liquor, from the Kinnow. The process of the present invention aids sustainable agriculture by utilization of the whole fruits, leaving no residues. The farmers and manufactures are benefitted mostly with the present invention, since it is a low budget process, and the produced products have higher economic value.
,CLAIMS:1. A process for producing one or more kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverages, comprising steps of:
extracting kinnow fruit juice from kinnow whole fruits;
clarifying the kinnow fruit juice by pre-treating the kinnow fruit juice with at least one chemical agent;
fermenting clarified kinnow fruit juice by inoculating the clarified kinnow fruit juice with at least one yeast;
obtaining lees-free ferment or a base wine by racking off the lees of fermented kinnow fruit juice after inactivating the at least one yeast; and
producing the one or more alcoholic beverages from the base wine, the one or more alcoholic beverages having potential alcohol of 5-45 % alcohol by volume (ABV).

2. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of producing the one or more alcoholic beverages comprises any one step of:
producing a first alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of 5-8 % alcohol by volume (ABV) by clarifying and filtering the base wine,
producing a second alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol of 11% ABV from the base wine by clarifying and filtering the base wine, and
producing a third alcoholic beverage having potential alcohol up to 45 % ABV by performing primary distillation and secondary distillation of the base wine.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of producing a first alcoholic beverage comprises the steps of:
clarifying the base wine by adding 0.5 g/ liter (l) of fining agent that comprises bentonite to the base wine and racking off bentonite lees after 8 days of adding the fining agent, wherein a level of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and volatile acidity (VA) is in the base wine is stabilized before clarifying the base wine;
storing clarified wine at a temperature of 12°C for 2 months;
optionally balancing taste of stored wine by adding 35 gm/l of sugar; and
filtering taste balanced wine using at least one cellulose filter pad before bottling to obtain the first alcoholic beverage, wherein forced carbonation is induced to the filtered wine before bottling.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein step of producing a second alcoholic beverage comprises the steps of:
adding 1 kilogram (kg)/ 100 liter (l) of honey to the clarified kinnow fruit juice before inoculation of the at least one yeast;
fermenting the kinnow fruit juice with honey to obtain the fermented kinnow fruit juice;
obtaining lees-free ferment or a base wine by racking off the lees of fermented kinnow fruit juice after inactivating the at least one yeast;
clarifying the base wine by adding a fining agent to the fermented kinnow fruit juice and racking off bentonite lees after 8 days of adding the fining agent; and
filtering clarified kinnow fruit juice to obtain the second alcoholic beverage, wherein the second alcoholic beverage is mead.

5. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of producing a third alcoholic beverage comprises:
storing the base wine at room temperature for 24 hours;
increasing pH of the stored wine to 6.5 to reduce acidity of the base wine;
primary distilling the base wine to produce a base spirit or a low wine by heating the base wine until the base wine evaporates thereby producing a first vapor stream and converting the first vapor stream into a first liquid alcohol; and
secondary distilling the first liquid alcohol to produce the third alcoholic beverage by heating the first liquid alcohol with at least one botanical until the first liquid alcohol evaporates, thereby producing a second vapor stream and converting the second vapor stream into the third alcoholic beverage, wherein the third alcoholic beverage is Gin.

6. The process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the step of producing the third alcoholic beverage comprises any one step of:
secondary distilling the first liquid alcohol with a first set of botanicals to obtain a first gin profile, wherein the first set of botanicals is selected from a group comprising juniper berries, angelica root, coriander seeds and orris root; and
secondary distilling the first liquid alcohol with a second set of botanicals to obtain a second gin profile, wherein the second set of botanicals is selected from a group comprising kinnow peels, and lemon grass.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of extracting the kinnow fruit juice comprises the steps of:
milling, using a milling equipment, whole kinnow fruits, wherein blades of the milling equipment are replaced with pedals and sieves are removed in order to keep seeds of the whole kinnow fruit intact for producing bitter less kinnow fruit juice;
adding 2 milliliter (ml)/hectoliter (hl) of at least one enzyme to milled kinnow fruit;
storing milled kinnow fruit along with the at least one enzyme below 21 °C for over 2-4 hours; and
pressing, using a hydraulic basket press, stored milled kinnow fruit in a pressing bag to extract the kinnow fruit juice.

8. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the step of clarifying the kinnow fruit juice comprises the steps of:
adding 30 parts per million (ppm) of at least one first chemical agent that comprises Potassium metabisulfite (KMS) and 500 milligram (mg)/liter (l) of at least one second chemical agent that comprises Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) to the kinnow fruit juice;
cooling the kinnow fruit juice with the at least one first chemical agent, and at least one second chemical agent, below 10 °C for 48-72 hours; and
obtaining the clarified kinnow fruit juice by racking of cooled kinnow fruit juice, wherein the clarified kinnow fruit juice having potential alcohol of 6.5% ABV.

9. The process as claimed in claim 1, comprising adding sugar or dextrose to the clarified kinnow fruit juice for increasing the potential alcohol to 12% ABV.

10. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein 25 gram (gm)/hectoliter (hl) of the at least one yeast is added for fermenting the clarified kinnow fruit juice at a temperature between 13-14 degree Celsius (°C), wherein the clarified kinnow fruit juice is adjusted to a pH and temperature of 3.3 and 14 °C, respectively, before inoculation of the at least one yeast.

11. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one yeast is inoculated along with 20 gm/hl of a rehydration nutrient.

12. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one yeast comprises Saccharomyces Cerevisiae.

13. The process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the extracted kinnow fruit juice comprises 10 ± 1 Brix (Bx) of sugar contents, 3.87 of pH, 5.7 of total acidity and 1.044 of specific gravity.

14. A kinnow fruit juice based alcoholic beverage having 5-45% alcohol by volume (ABV) of potential alcohol utilizing whole kinnow fruits, produced by the method as claimed in claim 1.