Are 3D Printed Drinks the Future of the Beverage Industry?

As technology continues to advance, it’s becoming clear that 3D printing is making its way into every possible industry – including the beverage industry. While 3D printing drinks is not yet common, companies like Smart Cups, Ripples, and Print A Drink are already making their mark with innovative solutions that are changing the way we enjoy our favourite beverages.

Source: Smart Cups

Smart Cups, founded by Chris Kanik, is a beverage manufacturing company based in Mission Viejo, California, that is all about chemistry. Their technology allows you to add water to a cup to get a flavoured drink. Smart Cups uses eco-friendly bioplastic cups instead of cans or bottles to reduce the carbon footprint created by the added energy costs of transporting liquid. The cup allows you to easily add any liquid to your drink, which makes it a new kind of beverage. With Smart Cups, the only liquid you need to have on hand is water.

Source: Triple Bar Coffee

Ripples, on the other hand, offer a way for food and beverage companies to print on top of foam-topped drinks. Their aim is to use drinks to tell stories and promote products. The Ripple Maker is a Wi-Fi-enabled countertop device that can print on one beverage at a time. It can print just about anything on foam-topped beverages, from brand logos to beautiful line art, and even some basic selfies. These drinks are completely user-friendly: anyone can upload their designs, choose from Ripples’ content catalogue, or choose from submitted designs on the Ripples app.

While we may not see 3D-printed beverages in our favourite coffee shops or bars any time soon, 3D printing is bound to expand in the drinks industry. By printing moulds and using them to make custom ice cubes, any bar could now use 3D printing effectively to add a custom touch to their experience. It would also be simple to use food printers such as the ByFlow to add unique flavourings to cocktails as well. 3D printing will expand, but to what extent? The possibilities are endless, and we can’t wait to see what’s next for the future of the beverage industry.