The DIY ethos of maker culture takes an interesting new step with Whiskey Elements, a patented tool kit that allows you to change the flavour of your whiskey and 'age' it by three years, all in 24 hours.

Having realised the difference between top shelf whiskey and cheap whiskey is largely down to the amount of time spent in the barrel and the kind of wood used, the creators, led by project developer Tony Peniche, created a kit which "accelerates transpiration through capillary action." For those of us without a whiskey distilling PHD hanging on our wall, what this means is that the wooden stick included in the kit takes on the role of the barrel, and due to its special design, it speeds up the ageing process considerably.

Tests showed that after 24 hours not only had the whiskey matured but, as an added bonus, there was was a significant reduction in Methoxy-phenyl-Oxime and Acetaldehyde, the chemicals responsible for hangovers. To further personalise your drink you are able to add a preferred flavour of your choice. Options include oak, vanilla, maple, smokey or peaty woods, with the promise of more to follow. The flavours are all natural with no chemicals or additives.

This is another example of the new emphasis being placed on customisable goods, and suggests that consumers a keen to be more involved in production processes.