Some might say that the cold brew coffee market is oversaturated. BKON believes it has yet to truly begin.

Through its proprietary infusion system called RAIN (Reverse Atmospheric Infusion), the Moorestown, N.J.-based beverage technology company aims to provide practical processing improvements for brands working in a variety of beverage categories, including more efficient production and better yield. Yet RAIN’s greatest potential impact may lie in its ability to extract flavors from virtually any ingredient, ranging from coffee to botanicals to dried and fresh fruits, for use in a broad spectrum of drinks.

To build the foundations of what it envisions as a holistic beverage platform, BKON is focusing first on cold brew, a category in which the company believes RAIN can hone in on the subtle flavors and notes of specialty coffees to recreate the diversity and sophistication seen in third-wave hot coffee.

“Cold brew represents the fastest growth area of coffee yet is also being plagued by significant obstacles,” wrote BKON co-CEO Lou Vastardis in an email to BevNET. Specifically for specialty roasters, the concept is designed as a way to “reclaim their competitive advantage by replicating their signature blends and single origins as cold brew offerings.”

RAIN takes a tech-forward approach through its use of algorithms to control the depth, duration and frequency of vacuum pressure used in the extraction process, whether the source is coffee or another botanical or fruit. Each algorithm is programmed into the system and essentially acts as a recipe for producing a different outcome; for example, the RAIN system can produce hot coffee, cold coffee, cold brew and a cocktail infusion from the same amount of ground coffee. According to the company, RAIN is at a minimum 30 times faster than traditional cold brewing, increases yield by 30 percent and maintains flavor stability over 120 days.

Beyond the efficiencies, BKON views the high quality of extraction as a bulwark against the dilution of the cold brew category by new products. “Coffee brands, especially roasters, are concerned about the muddying of the cold brew category by low quality products,” wrote Vastardis.

BKON first showcased its proprietary extraction technology in 2014 with the BKON Craft Brewer, a single cup system aimed at food service accounts, but has recently made RAIN the centerpiece of an ambitious new venture to help scale cold brew coffee brands. The program, called RAINCRAFT, aims to commercialize the technology as a SaaS (software as a service) platform in which the company licenses calibration and beverage innovation services to customers who own STORM units, BKON’s industrial-level RAIN-powered system. Under the program, brands will be able to send coffee to any authorized satellite co-packing facilities located in regional cold chain distribution markets around the country and have beverages produced consistently under the same parameters as specified in the algorithm. The company will continue to provide software upgrades and unique algorithms, such as Coldstretto, a cold extracted espresso.

The company currently has two STORM units in operation at its Moorestown, N.J. facility, each of which can produce 100,000 gallons of cold brew every month. It has activated products for two partner brands: Ceremony Coffee of Baltimore and Thornton, Colo.-based Allegro Coffee, which provides cold brew for in-store cafes at Whole Foods Market. Product launches with an additional nine brands are scheduled for this summer and the company projects to have 10-20 customers before the end of the year.

“Our goal for 2018 is to activate at least two RAINCRAFT Network partners, with one of them located in California,” wrote Vastardis. “As part of the supporting infrastructure, we have also established a partnership with one of the largest bag-in-box and keg-filling companies in America.”

As the types of RAIN applications grow, and with new funding due to arrive this Fall, Vastardis said BKON is conscious of creating a “holistic platform” for beverages with a focus on developing expertise and knowledge of ingredients; for example, the company has worked with Tufts University on research examining the structure and composition of green tea and turmeric.

Describing RAIN as both an “an art and a science” rather than just a piece of hardware, Vastardis compared BKON’s business approach to digital animation studio Pixar.

“Pixar shifted from being a company that sold Renderman [digital animation] systems, to applying its understanding of the art and science that surrounds its technology to help Disney transform the animation (storytelling) category,” he wrote. “We believe that the only way consumers will experience how the purest flavors come from RAIN is if we bring our RAINCRAFT know-how to beverage brands as a partner.”