At Flavorman, we know that not everyone has been trained in the art of tasting. That’s why we strive to not only bring our clients’ dream beverages to life, but also help them understand the flavor business and the process behind creating a high-quality beverage product. Naturally, a key part of the beverage development process is tasting; but before getting started, it is important to be aware of a few best practices for preparation – after all, how you prepare for a tasting can make or break the success of your experience.
Choosing a Smell-Free Space
First, it is important to select the right space in which to conduct your tasting. A huge part of taste is smell, so it’s best to find a room that’s as neutrally scented as possible! That means you should probably avoid setting up near the post-cooking smells of the kitchen or too close to your favorite pizzeria.
Finding a Well-Lit Room
Lighting is another factor you’ll want to consider as you prepare. You’ll want to be in a bright room that is, ideally, filled with lots of natural light. This will help you more effectively judge the color and other visual aspects of your beverage, all of which impact how you and – your consumers – will experience the product overall.
Picking the Right Time to Taste
As a rule, you’ll want to time your tasting sometime between breakfast and lunch. Not only will this give you more of a neutral mouth and stomach, but your senses are more alert in the morning. That being said, you should also brush your teeth after breakfast to eliminate any bacteria that would affect how you taste a few hours later. Cleansing your mouth immediately after breakfast will also give you enough time for the toothpaste aftertaste to fade before your scheduled tasting.
Speaking of breakfast – there are a few menu items you’ll want to avoid: coffee, spicy food, garlic, onion, and even cigarettes have pungent flavors that will stick with you for longer than you may expect. Even after brushing your teeth, these types of flavors can impair the results of your tasting: you don’t want it to seem like your fizzy cola sample has subtle notes of Greek omelet, do you? No? Didn’t think so.
Now that you’ve learned to correctly prepare, we can get to the fun part – tasting!
Have a great drink idea? Flavorman can help you bring it to life. Give us a call at (502) 273-5214 or contact our team through this webform.
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