Sparkling Drink Systems says bottoms up to beer

When you think of pod-based, single-serve beverage brewing, you probably think of coffee or homemade soda. But Sparkling Drink Systems has their sights set on something different, something that a wise man once classified as both the cause of and solution to life's problems.

I'm talking about alcohol, of course -- beer, to be specific. Thanks to a newly announced partnership with Pat's Backcountry Beverages, Sparkling Drink Systems will soon offer consumers the power to brew the stuff on demand from concentrate, one 16 ounce glass at a time.

The concentrated beer is a syrupy substance that mixes with carbonated water to produce a fresh, full-flavored serving of suds. The initial flavor offerings range from a 5.2 percent ABV pale ale, a 6.1 percent ABV dark ale, and a 4.2 percent ABV lager. SDS claims that an alcohol free variety is in the mix, as well.

The news comes months after SDS announced that they'd be unveiling a home brewer capable of serving up carbonated beverages without the need for CO2 cartridges. Presumably, that would give them an edge over SodaStream, but not Keurig, who recently announced a partnership with Coke. The upcoming Keurig Cold brewer also won't require CO2 cartridges.

Adding beer to the mix looks to be another step to help differentiate SDS from the pack. Pat's Backcountry Beverages calls its beer "craft-quality" (I can't wait to put that to the test), and also claims to be the only brewing company in the world to produce highly concentrated beer compatible with at-home carbonation systems. If SodaStream or Keurig decide to try and follow suit, it'll be interesting to see how they go about doing it.

Sparkling Drink Systems plans to release their home brewer sometime between July and September 2014, which puts it right in line with the scheduled release of the Keurig Cold brewer. We'll be sure to put both to the test in the months to come.