Science

West Coast Chill lays claim to title of "World's First Self-Chilling Beverage"

West Coast Chill is being touted as the world's first beverage to be sold in a self-chilling can
West Coast Chill is being touted as the world's first beverage to be sold in a self-chilling can

Miller Beer may have announced its plans to do so several years ago, but now someone else is actually going through with it ... releasing a beverage in a self-chilling can, that is. At the end of the first quarter of this year, Joseph Company International will be launching its West Coast Chill all-natural energy drink, which will come in the company's patented Chill Can. When buyers press a tab on the can, the temperature of the liquid inside will decrease by 30ºF within three minutes.

The Chill Can itself has reportedly been in development for over 18 years. Pepsi Cola was set to use the technology in 1998, but had to change its plans when an environmental concern cropped up - the cans utilized HFC134A, a greenhouse gas-contributing refrigerant in the Tetrafluoroethane family. After another 12 years back on the drawing board, the harmful refrigerant was replaced with activated carbon derived from organic renewable vegetable materials, and carbon dioxide reclaimed from the atmosphere.

Although details on the workings of the technology haven't been publicly released, the cooling process doesn't require any energy source, and is said to be environmentally innocuous. It should also be noted that the Chill Can is not related to the I.C. Can, which is what Miller was planning to use for its beer.

The first cans of West Coast Chill should start showing up at selected stores in Southern California and Las Vegas, at a price of US$2.95 each. Recycle bins will also be provided, so that the cooling mechanisms can be reused.

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12 comments
The Tom
I like it! Can\'t wait for this to be released and extended to other itmes / uses
cachurro
Where it says: \'the cooling process doesn\'t require any energy source\' it should say: \'the cooling process doesn\'t require any EXTERNAL energy source\'
Scion
This sounds like it would be handy when travelling or after hiking all day to your camp site. But I can\'t help be a little taken aback by the excessiveness of the product. Do we need to spend resources on a self chilling can? Do we want these things turning up in landfill? Even with the recycle bins I imagine most of the cans will just be left behind at bus shelters and on trains along with all the other energy drink cans.
Jonny Ward
Well actually it completely relies on external energy, it being an endothermic reaction. (Whether or not the drink is external is another debate I guess.)
Dawar Saify
This will become an everyday item.
Gage Hamilton
this is old news they already have self chilling coca-cola in japan, you can get them right out of the vending machines and it gets alot colder alot quicker
Bad Mono
I saw a show about a Japanese company that created a self-cooling can several years ago. I can only find a reference to a self-cooling keg.
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20030626b5.html
Michael Crumpton
It would be so much cooler if this was reusable and you could put your own drinks in it.
Michael Mantion
This will be a novelty, then a flop.
cm
First thought, awesome!
Second thought, when will this be an everyday item??
Would save a truckload for shops as they wouldn\'t have to keep things \"chilled out\". This is a good thing for the environment; only expending energy to cool things exactly when we want it cooled.