A beverage system for making a beverage that includes a single-serve capsule and a beverage machine. The capsule has a cavity containing a beverage material; a flange; a cover fastened to a top side of the flange; and an individualization identifier on a bottom side of the flange. The beverage machine includes: a capsule receptacle having a wall structure to receive the capsule; an optical sensor/detector positioned outside of the wall structure to direct a beam through a portion of the wall structure to read the identifier; a pump that supplies water into the portion capsule only after the identifier is read by the sensor/detector; a mandrel to pierce the cover in a region that is offset from the central axis; and a seal that seals against the cover in a region between a peripheral edge of the flange and the region of the cover pierced by the mandrel.