Every Monday, we present to you a company that innovates.
The product
“The cold in Quebec, we are good at it now, how can we make a product out of it? It was on a freezing day in January, in 2013, that Julien Michalk asked himself this question. He will respond to it – after four years of “tinkering” – by developing Ufrost, a machine capable of freezing vodka, for example, in a short time, using CO2 recycled.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
Julien Michalk, founder and president of Ufrost
“It’s the microwave of the cold, illustrates Mr. Michalk, founder and president of Ufrost. It is a tool that is capable of freezing or cooling anything extremely quickly. CO is used2 recycled to do it and it goes down to -100 ohC within seconds. »
“It’s powerful enough to freeze alcohol. Vodka, you put it in your freezer and it will never freeze because your freezer isn’t cold enough. We, in one minute, we can make a cube of vodka. »
Use
Ufrost was founded in 2016 by Mr. Michalk and his cousin. She finally left the ship, “entrepreneurship not being for her”. Then, in 2021, new investors decided to embark on the adventure of frozen cubes. Since then, a first version of the machine has been used in events. And it’s the Ufrost team that shows up – with the machine – at parties or congresses to prepare unique cocktails. The Montreal company now has about thirty employees, including two research and development engineers.
“We have a frozen bar service. We make you, for example, a white cocktail with a frosted part, it can be a red cube with alcohol. When it melts, your cocktail changes color and taste,” describes Julien Michalk, an engineer by training.
PHOTO HUGO-SÉBASTIEN AUBERT, THE PRESS
The Ufrost team shows up – with the machine – at parties or congresses to prepare unique cocktails.
The machine can generate eight frozen portions the size of a macaron in one use.
The company also prepares frosted bites composed in particular of alcohol and syrup. With this service, Ufrost has set itself the objective of “giving added value to the cold”.
The future
Within a month or two, an improved and smaller version of the machine, the Ufrost Pro, will see the light of day. His price ? : $4000. This will be intended for restaurateurs who particularly wish to improve their cocktail offer. It will be possible for them to rent it. Several establishments are on the waiting list.
But Julien Michalk will not stop there. He eventually wants to enter the kitchens of Quebecers. “Within three to five years, we want to make a model for the home, Soda Stream or Nespresso style. »
The company could also extend its tentacles outside Quebec. Ufrost will open an office in Toronto in the fall and could make its debut in the United States in 2024. “We want to bring Quebec cold to all kitchen counters around the world,” says Julien Michalk.