DRINK MIXING DEVICE

Abstract

A drink mixing glass which is graduated in a manner uniquely adapted to provide a prescribed volume of a drink mixture while compensating for the presence of water in the mixture attributable to the melting of ice which normally occurs during the drink mixing process. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the graduations included on the mixing glass are adapted to facilitate the pouring of one or more martinis which are each of a volume of approximately seven ounces, inclusive of the presence of water from ice which melts during the drink mixing process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/229,688 entitled DRINK MIXING DEVICE filed Jul. 29, 2009.

STATEMENT RE: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH/DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to drink mixing devices and, more particularly, to a mixing glass which is graduated in a manner uniquely adapted to provide a prescribed volume of a drink mixture while compensating for the presence of water in the mixture attributable to the melting of ice which normally occurs during the drink mixing process.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the bartending profession, bartenders mix drinks by pouring a liquor or liqueur from a bottle. Though bartenders will, from time to time, use jiggers to measure out prescribed volumes (e.g., “shots”) of various liquors or liqueurs, the more common practice is for bartenders to pour the liquor directly from a bottle into a drink glass or a drink mixing device, such as a shaker. Since a jigger is not used in this direct pouring technique, the normal practice is for bartenders to use a “count as they pour” measurement technique. In this regard, counting is often used by bartenders as a technique to pouring a similar amount of liquor every time. More particularly, when the bartender pours the liquor, he or she will often count at the same speed. For instance, a ¾ ounce shot might be a count of two, or a 1½ ounce a count of four.

However, as will be recognized, use of the counting technique for governing liquor or liqueur measurement during the drink mixing process is prone to gross inaccuracies in the measurement. Though the speed or pace of the count may be monitored and governed by the establishment in which the bartender works, it is virtually impossible to eliminate deviations from the preferred count pace by the bartender, particularly during peak business hours. Since the bartender will typically attempt to avoid an embarrassing under pour during the drink preparation process, the natural tendency is to over pour by slowing the count. As will be recognized, consistent over pouring carries a significant penalty in terms of liquor costs to the establishment in which the bartender works.

Drinks that contain ingredients that must be mixed, including the extremely popular martini, are often made through the use of a stainless steel shaker. Typically, for drinks made using a shaking technique, the shaker is initially filled with ice to a level of approximately three-quarters of the internal shaker volume. After being filled with ice, the remaining ingredients are poured into the shaker. Thereafter, a top is placed on the shaker to cover the open end thereof, with the entire assembly then being subjected to a brisk shake for several seconds or more.

As indicated above, a common problem for bartenders mixing drinks is the wasteful practice of over pouring. The problem of over pouring is compounded when the pour by the bartender occurs in an ice filled shaker during, for example, the preparation of a martini. In this regard, as a result of the presence of the ice in the shaker, a certain amount of water is necessarily added to the liquor poured into the shaker, the water being attributable to the melting of the ice which inevitably occurs upon its exposure to alcohol. The addition of the water to already over poured liquor within the shaker provides an even greater excess volume of the mixed drink which is ultimately poured from the shaker into a suitable drink glass.

With particular regard to martinis, drink glasses for martinis typically have a distinct shape, and are provided with any one of a number of internal volumes which are considered to be standard in the food and beverage industry. More particularly, three of the most common internal volumes for martini glasses are 4 oz, 7½ oz, and 10 oz. Of these, the 7½ oz martini glass is generally considered to be the most standard. For a martini poured into a 7½ oz martini glass, the proper amount of the drink mixture poured from the shaker into such martini glass should result in the liquid level terminating slightly below the glass rim, with the volume of such liquid therefore being a bit less than the 7½ oz total internal volume of the martini glass. The presence of a remaining volume of drink mixture in the shaker after the martini glass is filled in the aforementioned manner is typically indicative of an initial liquor over pour, with such excess drink mixture typically being discarded by the bartender. The failure to completely fill the martini glass despite the complete emptying of the liquid within the shaker is indicative an embarrassing under pour which, as indicated above, is typically avoided by the bartender erring to the side of a liquor over pour. As will be recognized, to avoid wasteful over pours, the ultimate desire is to pour the precise amount of liquor into the shaker such that when the post mixing pour into the martini glass occurs, the level of the liquid in such glass will be precise and accurate (i.e., tailored to the particular internal volume of the glass), while still accounting for the addition of the water to the drink mixture which occurs during the mixing process. The present invention, as will described in more detail below, provides a graduated mixing glass which accomplishes this particular objective.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a drink mixing glass which is graduated in a manner uniquely adapted to provide a prescribed volume of a drink mixture while compensating for the presence of water in the mixture attributable to the melting of ice which normally occurs during the drink mixing process. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the graduations included on the mixing glass are adapted to facilitate the pouring of one or more martinis which are each of a volume of approximately seven ounces, inclusive of the presence of water from ice which melts during the drink mixing process.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These, as well as other features of the present invention, will become more apparent upon reference to the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art graduated mixing glass; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a graduated mixing glass constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Common reference numerals are used throughout the drawings and detailed description to indicate like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a prior art drink shaker 10. The shaker 10 includes a mixing glass 12, the open end of which is selectively enclosable by a metal top 14. Printed on the outer surface of the mixing glass 12 are two sets of volumetric graduations 16. One set of the volumetric graduation 16 provides a visual indication of a fill level within the mixing glass 12 in increments of one ounce to a total of twelve ounces. The remaining set of volumetric graduations 16 provides a visual indication of the fill level within the mixing glass 12 in increments of ten mL to a total of 400 mL.

Though the volumetric graduations 16 included on the mixing glass 12 in the prior art shaker 10 provide a visual indication of the particular volume of liquid poured into the mixing glass 12, such shaker 10 does not address the problems with over pours highlighted above, and thus is not well suited for use in a commercial bartending environment. More particularly, the volumetric graduations 16 included on the mixing glass 12 are not tailored to compensate for the presence of water in the drink (e.g., martini) mixture attributable to the melting of ice which, as indicated above, normally occurs during the drink mixing process. For example, if the prior art shaker 10 was used to mix a martini, the initial step of the drink preparation process would entail filling approximately three quarters of the internal volume of the mixing glass 12 with ice. If the mixed martini were ultimately to be poured into a 7½ oz martini glass, filling liquor into the mixing glass 12 to the volumetric graduation 16 corresponding to the 7 oz level would still, in most instances, result in an over pour due to the lack of compensation for the water added to the drink mixture by the melting of the ice within the mixing glass 12. Any attempt to compensate for the presence of water would entail “guessing” as to what volume level below the 7 oz marker should serve as the proper fill level target. However, this guessing or estimation will more frequently result in an under pour. As indicated above, to avoid the embarrassment of an under pour, the more typical practice for bartenders is to err to the side of an over pour.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a drink mixing glass 20 constructed in accordance with a exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The exemplary mixing glass 20 is particularly adapted for use in mixing one or two martinis, each of which is of a total volume of approximately 7 oz, inclusive of the water added to the drink mixture attributable to the melting of ice which occurs during the drink mixing process. Thus, any martini mixed using the mixing glass 20 will typically be poured into the standard 7½ oz martini glass described above.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, the outer surface of the mixing glass 20 of the present invention includes a plurality of volumetric graduations 22 printed thereon. These volumetric graduations 22 include a plurality of line segments 24, two of which are of comparatively greater length than the remainder thereof, but all which extend in spaced, generally parallel relation to each other in a generally vertical column when viewed from the perspective shown in FIG. 2. The line segments 24 of shorter length will hereinafter be referred to as the line segments 24a, will those of extended length being referred to as the line segments 24b.

Within the volumetric graduations 22, the line segments 24a are segregated into two (2) vertically aligned sets of six segments 24a each. These two sets of the line segments 24a are separated from each other by one of the line segments 24b of increased length. The remaining line segment 24b is located above the uppermost line segment 24a of the top set when viewed from the perspective shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the line segments 24a of the bottom set thereof extend between the bottom of the mixing glass 20 and the lowermost one of the line segments 24b of increased length. The line segments 24a of the top set extend between the two line segments 24b of increased length. As further seen in FIG. 2, the volumetric graduations 22 further include the number “1” which is disposed between the uppermost line segment 24a of the bottom set thereof and the lowermost line segment 24b which extends between the top and bottom sets. Also included in the volumetric graduations 22 is the number “2” which is disposed between the uppermost line segment 24a of the top set thereof and the uppermost line segment 24b.

In the mixing glass 20, the distance separating the line segments 24a, 24b from each other, and the lowermost line segment 24a of the bottom set from the bottom of the mixing glass 20, are not selected to provide a corresponding volumetric measurement equal to one ounce for liquid poured into the interior of the mixing glass 20. Rather, as explained in more detail below, such distances are selected to provide visual fill level indicators for liquor alone or in combination other liquid ingredients poured into the mixing glass 20 which result in a single mixed drink ultimately poured from within the mixing glass 20 having a total volume of approximately 7 oz, inclusive of the water added to the drink mixture attributable to the melting of ice which occurs during the drink mixing process.

For example, when using the mixing glass 20 to mix a martini for ultimate pouring into the above-described 7½ oz martini glass, the initial step of the drink preparation process is the partial filling of the mixing glass 20 with ice above the level of the uppermost line segment 24b, but below the rim of the mixing glass 20. Thereafter, the liquid ingredients of the martini are poured into the interior of the mixing glass 20. The line segments 24a of the bottom set and the lowermost line segment 24b serve as visual indicators governing the amount of the liquid ingredients to be poured into the mixing glass 20. By further way of example and not by way of limitation, if a particular martini recipe called for four (4) ounces of a first ingredient and three (3) ounces of a second, the first ingredient would be poured into the mixing glass 20 over the ice already therein to a level equal or substantially equal to that of the fourth line segment 24a of the bottom set up from the bottom of the mixing glass 20. The second ingredient would then be poured into the mixing glass 20 to a level equal or substantially equal to that of the lowermost line segment 24b. In accordance with standard drink mixing practices, a top like the top 14 shown in FIG. 1 would then be secured to the mixing glass 20, with the entire assembly then being subjected to a brisk shake for a prescribed period of time. The contents of the mixing glass 20, not including the ice, would then be poured into the exemplary 7½ oz martini glass described above.

Though, in the aforementioned example, the total pour of liquid ingredients is at the level of the seventh line segment 24 as counted up from the bottom of the mixing glass 20, the volume of liquid ingredients poured into the mixing glass 20 is less than seven ounces since, as indicated above, the distance separating the line segments 24a, 24b is not indicative of a one ounce measurement. Rather, the spacing between the line segments 24a, 24b is such the total volume of the mixed drink poured into the 7½ oz martini glass totals approximately seven (7) ounces, inclusive of the addition of water to the drink mixture normally attributable to the melting of the ice initially filled into the interior of the mixing glass 20. By way of example, the spacing between the line segments 24a, 24b of each adjacent pair and between the lowermost line segment 24a of the bottom set from the bottom of the mixing glass 20 (i.e., the bottom of the sidewall of the mixing glass 20) may be selected to correspond to a volumetric measurement in the range of from about 0.75 ounces to about 0.95 ounces.

As indicated above, the exemplary mixing glass 20 may be used to simultaneously prepare two (2) of the same seven ounce drinks. Using the same drink example from above, if two of the same seven ounce drinks are to be mixed at the same time, the line segments 24a of the top set and the uppermost segment 24b are used as visual fill level indicators. In this scenario, the first ingredient (the original four ounce ingredient) would be poured to a level equal or substantially equal to that of the eighth line segment 24 up from the bottom of the mixing glass 20, with the second ingredient (the original three ounce ingredient) being filled to a level equal or substantially equal to that of the uppermost line segment 24b. Achieving these fill levels will result in the ultimate pour of two drinks, each of which is approximately seven ounces in volume inclusive of the water added to the drink mixture as a result of the melting ice during the drink mixing process.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that, depending on the particular volumes of the liquid ingredients included in a particular drink mixture, prescribed fill levels may be defined between any adjacent pair of the line segments 24a, 24b through the use of a simple visualization technique. Additionally, the separation distances between the line segments 24a, 24b may be altered from that shown in FIG. 2 as may be needed to conform to drink glasses of different internal volumes. For example, if the mixing glass 20 were particularly suited for use in conjunction with a 10 oz martini glass, the distances between the line segments 24a, 24b, and between the lowermost line segment 24a of the bottom set and the bottom of the mixing glass 20, would be greater so that, as a result of the mixing process, the total drink volume poured into the 10 oz martini glass would be approximately 9½ oz, despite the addition of water to the drink mixture attributable to the melting of the ice within the mixing glass 20. Thus, as indicated above, the mixing glass 20 shown in FIG. 2 is intended to be exemplary only, and may be modified to make the same compatible with drink glasses having an internal volume other than for the exemplary 7½ oz internal volume for which the mixing glass 20 is particularly suited.

This disclosure provides exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited by these exemplary embodiments. Numerous variations, whether explicitly provided for by the specification or implied by the specification, such as variations in structure, dimension, type of material and manufacturing process may be implemented by one of skill in the art in view of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A drink mixing glass, comprising:

a sidewall defining inner and outer surfaces, a top rim, and bottom end; and

a plurality of volumetric graduations applied to one of the inner and outer surfaces of the sidewall, the volumetric graduations including: a plurality of line segments which extend in spaced, generally parallel relation to each other; each adjacent pair of the line segments being separated from each other by a distance selected to provide a corresponding volumetric measurement of less than one ounce.

2. The drink mixing glass of claim 1 wherein a lowermost one of the line segments is separated from the bottom end of the sidewall by a distance selected to provide a corresponding volumetric measurement of less than one ounce.

3. The drink mixing glass of claim 2 wherein the distance separating the line segments of each adjacent pair thereof from each other and the lowermost one of the line segments from the bottom end of the sidewall is selected to provide a corresponding volumetric measurement in the range of from about 0.75 ounces to about 0.95 ounces.

4. The drink mixing glass of claim 3 wherein:

the sidewall has a generally circular cross-sectional configuration and defines a central axis; and

each of the line segments extends circumferentially relative to the central axis.

5. The drink mixing glass of claim 3 wherein the line segments are arranged in a column which extends between the top rim and the bottom end of the sidewall.

6. The drink mixing glass of claim 5 wherein an uppermost one of the line segments is of an increased length in comparison to the remainder thereof.

7. The drink mixing glass of claim 5 wherein:

two of the line segments are of comparatively greater length than the remainder thereof;

the line segments of comparatively shorter length are segregated into linearly aligned top and bottom sets of six segments each;

the line segments of the bottom set thereof extend between the bottom end of the sidewall and a lowermost one of the line segments of increased length; and

the line segments of the top set extend between the two line segments of increased length.

8. The drink mixing glass of claim 7 wherein the volumetric graduations further include the number 1 which is disposed between an uppermost line segment of the bottom set thereof and the lowermost one of the line segments of increased length which extends between the top and bottom sets, and the number 2 which is disposed between an uppermost line segment of the top set thereof and an uppermost one of the line segments of increased length.

9. A drink mixing glass, comprising:

a plurality of volumetric graduations including: a plurality of line segments which extend in spaced, generally parallel relation to each other; each adjacent pair of the line segments being separated from each other by a distance selected to provide a corresponding volumetric measurement of less than one ounce.

10. The drink mixing glass of claim 9 wherein the distance separating the line segments of each adjacent pair thereof from each other is selected to provide a corresponding volumetric measurement in the range of from about 0.75 ounces to about 0.95 ounces.