JP2024089331A - Non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage that is excellent in authentic flavor and reduces the adverse effects on flavor caused by the sourness and sweetness that are characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages. [Solution] A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more. [Selected Figures] None

Description

The present invention relates to a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage.

In recent years, the market for beer-flavored beverages (non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages) with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v% has expanded. Various methods for producing non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages with flavor characteristics reminiscent of beer-flavored beverages have been disclosed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for producing a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, which is characterized by diluting beer and/or happoshu to an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v% and blending additives that impart visual and flavor characteristics resembling beer. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing an unfermented beer-flavored beverage, which comprises blending raw materials so that the ethyl acetate content in the beverage is adjusted to within the range of 1 to 15 mg/L and/or the isoamyl acetate content in the beverage is adjusted to within the range of 0.5 to 10 mg/L, and adding a bitter component.

International Publication No. 2004/018612 JP 2017-216891 A

Non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages have the problem that they lack the authentic flavor of fermentation, which is difficult to detect when drinking beer. In addition, compared to beer, non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages have the problem that the sourness and sweetness are more noticeable, and the sweetness can obscure the flavor, making it difficult to clearly detect the flavor's contours, which has a negative effect on the flavor.

The present invention aims to provide a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage that is both authentic and reduces the adverse effects on flavor caused by the acidity and sweetness that are characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages.

The present invention relates to a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage of the present invention contains a specified amount of terpinen-4-ol, giving it an excellent authentic taste and reducing the adverse effects on flavor caused by the acidity and sweetness that are unique to non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may further contain 4-vinylguaiacol. By further containing 4-vinylguaiacol in addition to a specified amount of terpinen-4-ol, the above-mentioned effects of the present invention are more pronounced.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage may have a terpinen-4-ol content of 5,000 μg/L or less.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage may have an alcohol content of less than 0.05 v/v%.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage may contain wort.

The present invention includes, for example, the following inventions.
[1]
A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage having a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more.
[2]
The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to [1], further comprising 4-vinyl guaiacol.
[3]
The non-alcoholic beer-flavor beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the terpinen-4-ol content is 5,000 μg/L or less.
[4]
The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], having an alcohol content of less than 0.05 v/v%.
[5]
The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], which contains wort.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage that is excellent in authentic flavor and has reduced adverse effects on flavor caused by the acidity and sweetness that are characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages.

The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention. Note that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment contains terpinen-4-ol, with the terpinen-4-ol content being 70 μg/L or more.

In this specification, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is a beer-taste beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v %. In this specification, alcohol refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

The alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be less than 1 v/v%, and may be 0.9 v/v% or less, 0.8 v/v% or less, 0.7 v/v% or less, 0.6 v/v% or less, 0.5 v/v% or less, 0.4 v/v% or less, 0.3 v/v% or less, 0.2 v/v% or less, 0.1 v/v% or less, less than 0.05 v/v%, or less than 0.005 v/v% (0.00 v/v%). The alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be more than 0 v/v%, 0.001 v/v% or more, 0.01 v/v% or more, 0.1 v/v% or more, 0.2 v/v% or more, 0.3 v/v% or more, 0.4 v/v% or more, or 0.5 v/v% or more.

The alcohol content of beer-taste beverages can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.3.6 Beer, Alcohol (Alcolyzer Method)" or "8.3.7 Headspace GC-FID Method" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Japan Breweries Association, revised and expanded in 2013).

Terpinen-4-ol is a compound also known as 4-methyl-1-(1-methylethyl)-3-cyclohexen-1-ol (CAS Registry Number (CAS RN (registered trademark)) 562-74-3). The terpinen-4-ol contained in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be the R-isomer, the S-isomer, or a mixture of the R-isomer and the S-isomer (for example, a racemic mixture containing the R-isomer and the S-isomer in a 1:1 ratio).

The content of terpinen-4-ol in the non-alcohol beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be 80 μg/L or more, 90 μg/L or more, 100 μg/L or more, 110 μg/L or more, or 120 μg/L or more, from the viewpoint of more prominently exhibiting the effects of the present invention. There is no particular upper limit to the content of terpinen-4-ol, but from the viewpoint of more prominently exhibiting the effects of the present invention and further suppressing the aroma and flavor, such as the spiciness and astringency, attributable to terpinen-4-ol, the content may be 5000 μg/L or less, 4000 μg/L or less, 3000 μg/L or less, 2500 μg/L or less, 2000 μg/L or less, 1500 μg/L or less, 1000 μg/L or less, 500 μg/L or less, or 300 μg/L or less.

The content of terpinen-4-ol in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by appropriately diluting the sample and using solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS).

The content of terpinen-4-ol in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted to within the above range, for example, by adding terpinen-4-ol at any stage during the production of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage so that the content falls within the above range, by appropriately selecting the type of raw material that increases or decreases the terpinen-4-ol content, or by using these methods in combination. The terpinen-4-ol added may be terpinen-4-ol itself, or a composition containing terpinen-4-ol (e.g., spices, flavoring compositions, food additives), etc.

4-Vinylguaiacol is a compound also known as 4-vinyl-2-methoxyphenol.

The content of 4-vinylguaiacol in the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be 1 μg/L or more, 5 μg/L or more, 10 μg/L or more, 15 μg/L or more, 20 μg/L or more, 25 μg/L or more, 30 μg/L or more, 35 μg/L or more, or 40 μg/L or more, from the viewpoint of more prominently exhibiting the effects of the present invention and further suppressing the flavors such as hotness and astringency attributable to 4-vinylguaiacol, while there is no particular upper limit on the content of 4-vinylguaiacol, it may be 500 μg/L or less, 400 μg/L or less, 300 μg/L or less, 250 μg/L or less, 200 μg/L or less, 150 μg/L or less, 100 μg/L or less, 80 μg/L or less, or 60 μg/L or less.

The content of 4-vinylguaiacol in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured, for example, by the SPME-GC-MS method. Quantitation is preferably performed by the standard addition method.

The content of 4-vinylguaiacol in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted to within the above range, for example, by adding 4-vinylguaiacol at any stage during the production of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage so that the content falls within the above range, by appropriately selecting the type of raw material that will result in a high 4-vinylguaiacol content, or by using these in combination. The 4-vinylguaiacol added may be 4-vinylguaiacol itself, or it may be a composition containing 4-vinylguaiacol (for example, a flavoring composition, food additive), etc.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain a barley raw material as a raw material. In this specification, the barley raw material refers to barley or a barley processed product. Examples of barley include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, and oats. Examples of barley processed products include barley extract, malt, and malt extract. Barley extract is obtained by extracting barley extract components containing sugar and nitrogen from barley. Malt is obtained by germinating barley. Malt extract is obtained by extracting extract components containing sugar and nitrogen from malt.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as an ingredient. Hops include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract, as well as processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extract.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may contain wort. Wort can be obtained, for example, by carrying out the brewing process, boiling process, and removal process described below. When wort is contained, the wort content in the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, more than 0% by mass and not more than 100% by mass, 10% by mass or more and not more than 90% by mass, 20% by mass or more and not more than 80% by mass, 30% by mass or more and not more than 70% by mass, or 40% by mass or more and not more than 60% by mass.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may have a malt ratio (the proportion of malt in ingredients other than water and hops) of 0% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less. The malt ratio may be 10% by mass or more, 20% by mass or more, 30% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, 66% by mass or more, 67% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, 99% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. The malt ratio may also be less than 100% by mass, 90% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, or 50% by mass or less.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, and the like that are typically blended into beverages, provided that the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Examples of colorants include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Examples of sweeteners include high-fructose glucose liquid sugar, glucose, galactose, mannose, fructose, lactose, sucrose, maltose, glycogen, and starch. Examples of high-intensity sweeteners include neotame, acesulfame K, sucralose, saccharin, sodium saccharin, disodium glycyrrhizinate, cyclamate, dulcin, stevia, glycyrrhizin, thaumatin, monellin, aspartame, and alitame. Examples of antioxidants include vitamin C, vitamin E, and polyphenols. Examples of acidulants include phosphoric acid, lactic acid, DL-malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, trisodium citrate, glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, sodium L-tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and sodium DL-malate. Examples of salts include table salt, potassium acid phosphate, calcium acid phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

The bitterness value (BU) of the non-alcoholic beer-tasting beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the non-alcoholic beer-tasting beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 15.0 or less, and may be 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, 5.0 or more, or 10.0 or more. The bitterness value of the non-alcoholic beer-tasting beverage according to this embodiment can be measured by the method described in "8.15 Bitterness Value" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee of the Brewers Association of Japan (Analysis Committee), revised and expanded in 2013). The bitterness value can be appropriately set within the above range, for example, by adjusting the type and amount of raw materials used.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be either non-sparkling or sparkling. Here, non-sparkling means that the gas pressure at 20° C. is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg/cm ² ), and sparkling means that the gas pressure at 20° C. is 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg/cm ² ) or more. If the beverage is sparkling, the upper limit of the gas pressure may be about 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg/cm ² ).

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. Any container that can be sealed can be used, and so-called can containers or barrel containers made of metal (such as aluminum or steel). Glass containers, PET bottle containers, paper containers, pouch containers, etc. can also be used as the container. There is no particular limit to the capacity of the container, and any container currently in circulation can be used. Note that it is preferable to use a metal container, as it is possible to completely block gas, moisture, and light and maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be produced, for example, by mixing ingredients (a blending method) or through fermentation using yeast or the like.

The manufacturing method according to one embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending water and terpinen-4-ol in a raw material tank. In the blending step, 4-vinylguaiacol, alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, distilled alcohol such as spirits and vodka, fermented liquid obtained by brewing), various additives (e.g., colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, etc.), and wort may be further blended in the raw material tank as necessary. The blending step can be carried out according to a conventional method, except that the content of terpinen-4-ol and, if necessary, 4-vinylguaiacol are adjusted to fall within the above range. Terpinen-4-ol may be blended as terpinen-4-ol itself, or as a composition containing terpinen-4-ol (e.g., spices, flavoring compositions, food additives). Similarly, 4-vinylguaiacol may be blended as 4-vinylguaiacol itself, or as a composition containing 4-vinylguaiacol (e.g., a flavor composition, a food additive).

The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering the mixed liquid obtained by mixing the components in the blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling a container such as a bottle, a can, or a plastic bottle with the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the container together with the filtrate filled in the filling step.

In the blending step, the ingredients may be mixed while being stirred with a stirrer or the like so that they are thoroughly mixed. The filtration step may be performed, for example, with a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization step may be performed by plate sterilization from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this, and may be applied as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling step may be performed in a clean room that maintains a degree of cleanliness that is usually performed in the manufacture of beverages. The second sterilization step may be performed by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization step may be a non-heating sterilization step. Examples of non-heating sterilization steps include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to perform non-sterile filling without performing a sterilization step.

In another embodiment, the manufacturing method includes, for example, a brewing process, a fermentation process, and an alcohol content adjustment process.

In the brewing process, a pre-fermentation liquid is obtained using raw materials and brewing water (water used in the brewing process). In other words, the brewing process is a process for preparing a pre-fermentation liquid to be used in fermentation. The brewing process may include, in this order, a boiling process for boiling the sugar-containing liquid, a removal process for removing solids from the raw material liquid, and a cooling process for cooling the raw material liquid.

In the boiling process, the sugar-containing liquid is boiled to obtain a boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling). A sugar-containing liquid is one that contains components that can be fermented into alcohol by yeast. Examples of sugar-containing liquids include wort and syrup. Wort is an unfermented liquid obtained through the saccharification of the above-mentioned barley raw material. Wort can be obtained, for example, through a process of mixing raw materials such as the above-mentioned barley raw material with water, a process of saccharifying the liquid containing the raw materials and water by a conventional method to obtain a saccharified liquid, and a process of filtering the saccharified liquid.

In the boiling process, hops may be added to the raw material liquid. Examples of hops that can be added include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract. The hops may be processed hop products such as low hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and iso-hop extracts.

In the removal step, the solids in the post-boiling liquid are removed to obtain a refined liquid. The removal step can be carried out, for example, by precipitating the insoluble solids contained in the post-boiling liquid. Examples of solids include thermal coagulations produced in the boiling step, and hop residues if hops are added in the boiling step. The removal step may be carried out in a whirlpool. In the cooling step, the refined liquid is cooled to a temperature at which fermentation by yeast is possible to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.

In the fermentation process, the pre-fermentation liquid is fermented with yeast to obtain a post-fermentation liquid. In the fermentation process, yeast is added to carry out alcoholic fermentation. More specifically, yeast is inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermented to obtain a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast.

The alcohol content adjustment process is a process for adjusting the alcohol content to within the range described above. Since the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment has a low alcohol content, the alcohol content may be adjusted, for example, by shortening the fermentation period in the fermentation process to suppress the production of alcohol, or the alcohol content may be adjusted by removing or reducing the alcohol after fermentation is performed in the same manner as in ordinary beer or other beer-taste beverages in the fermentation process. There are no particular limitations on the method for removing or reducing the alcohol, and it may be carried out according to standard methods such as distillation, dialysis, dilution, etc.

The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may include a step of filtering the post-fermentation liquid as a post-fermentation step following the fermentation step. By carrying out the filtration step, insoluble solids, yeast, etc. can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, other post-fermentation processes may include heating (sterilization) the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration process) and adding various additives (e.g., colorants, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts).

The terpinen-4-ol content can be adjusted, for example, by adding terpinen-4-ol to the raw material liquid. In this specification, the raw material liquid refers to the liquid that is the base for the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. The raw material liquid includes the liquids used or produced in each process (e.g., sugar-containing liquid, boiled liquid, refined liquid, pre-fermentation liquid, and post-fermentation liquid). The terpinen-4-ol content may also be adjusted by appropriately selecting the type of raw material that increases or decreases the terpinen-4-ol content. The terpinen-4-ol added may be terpinen-4-ol itself, or a composition containing terpinen-4-ol (e.g., spices, flavoring compositions, food additives), etc.

The content of 4-vinylguaiacol can be adjusted, for example, by adding 4-vinylguaiacol to the raw material liquid. In this specification, the raw material liquid means the liquid that is the base of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage. The raw material liquid includes the liquids used or produced in each process (e.g., sugar-containing liquid, boiled liquid, refined liquid, pre-fermentation liquid, post-fermentation liquid). The content of 4-vinylguaiacol may also be adjusted by a method of appropriately selecting the type of raw material that increases or decreases the content of 4-vinylguaiacol. The 4-vinylguaiacol added may be 4-vinylguaiacol itself, or a composition containing 4-vinylguaiacol (e.g., a flavor composition, a food additive), etc.

The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment has an excellent authentic taste and reduces the adverse effects on flavor caused by the acidity and sweetness specific to non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages. Therefore, the present invention can be considered as a method for improving the authentic taste of a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage, and/or a method for reducing the adverse effects on flavor caused by the acidity and sweetness specific to non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages, which includes adjusting the terpinen-4-ol content to 70 μg/L or more. These methods may also include further containing 4-vinylguaiacol. Other specific aspects of these methods can be applied without particular limitation to the aspects described above for non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages.

The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

Test Example 1: Production and Evaluation of Non-Alcoholic Beer-Taste Beverage
A base solution was obtained by adding liquid sugar, 50% lactic acid, and hop extract to the water so that the final concentrations of the base solution were 1 w/v%, 0.05 w/v%, and 0.1 w/v%, respectively, and adjusting the gas pressure to 2.3 kg/ ^cm2 with carbonated water. Terpinen-4-ol (racemic) and 4-vinylguaiacol were added to the obtained base solution so that the contents were as shown in Tables 1 and 2, to obtain the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages (alcohol content 0.00 v/v%) of Test Examples 1-1 to 1-11.

A sensory evaluation was conducted on the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages of Test Example 1-1 to Test Example 1-11 for the evaluation items of "authentic taste," "masking of sourness," "clarity of flavor outline," and "hotness, astringency." The sensory evaluation was conducted by four selected panelists with discerning abilities. Each evaluation item was rated on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average score was used as the evaluation score. In addition, for each evaluation item, the score of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage of Test Example 1-1 was set at 1 point (standard), and the other non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages were evaluated.

"Authenticity" is the sensation of not sensing the aroma and flavor associated with fermentation (complex flavors, alcoholic taste, fermentation, etc. that emerge with fermentation) felt when drinking beer, with a higher score indicating a stronger sense of authenticity. "Masking of sourness" is the sensation of not sensing sourness, with a higher score indicating that the sourness is less felt (the sourness is masked). "Clarity of taste contour" is the sensation of sensing the taste contour without blurring, with a higher score indicating that the taste contour is more clearly felt. "Hotness, astringency" is the sensation of hotness and/or astringency, with a higher score indicating that the hotness and/or astringency is stronger. In other words, the lower the score for the evaluation item "hotness, astringency," the more preferable it is. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

As shown in Table 1, the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages with a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more (Test Examples 1-2 to 1-6) received higher scores in "authentic flavor," "masking of sourness," and "clarity of flavor outline" compared to the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with a terpinen-4-ol content of less than 70 μg/L (Test Example 1-1). In addition to providing a superior authentic flavor, the sourness characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages was less noticeable, and the adverse effects on flavor, such as the flavor outline being blurred by the sweetness characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages and making it difficult to clearly perceive the flavor outline, were reduced.

As shown in Table 2, the non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages (Test Examples 1-8 to 1-11) that contained 4-vinylguaiacol in addition to having a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more received higher scores for "authentic flavor," "masking of sourness," and "clarity of flavor contours," indicating an even more excellent authentic flavor, while also further reducing the adverse effects on flavor, such as the sourness characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages being less noticeable and the sweetness characteristic of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages obscuring the flavor and making it difficult to clearly perceive the flavor contours.

Test Example 2: Production and Evaluation of Non-Alcoholic Beer-Taste Beverage
Malt, corn starch, hops and water were used as raw materials to produce wort in a conventional manner. The wort obtained was diluted with water to adjust the concentration to 3.1% by weight, pH 3.8 and gas pressure 2.2 kg/ ^cm2 , and pH adjustment (using lactic acid) and gas pressure adjustment were also performed to obtain a base solution. Terpinen-4-ol (racemic form) and 4-vinylguaiacol were added to the obtained base solution in the amounts shown in Table 3 to obtain non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages (alcohol content 0.00 v/v%) of Test Examples 2-1 to 2-5. The contents of terpinen-4-ol and 4-vinylguaiacol in the base solution were 0 μg/L and 43 μg/L, respectively.

A sensory evaluation was conducted on the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 2-1 to 2-5 using the same procedures as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages with a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more (Test Examples 2-1 to 2-5) received high scores in "authentic flavor," "masking of sourness," and "clarity of flavor outline," even when they contained wort, demonstrating an excellent authentic flavor. In addition, the sourness characteristic of non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages was less noticeable, and the adverse effects on flavor, such as the flavor being blurred by the sweetness characteristic of non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages and making it difficult to clearly perceive the flavor outline, were reduced.

Claims (5)

A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with a terpinen-4-ol content of 70 μg/L or more. The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, further comprising 4-vinyl guaiacol. The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, wherein the terpinen-4-ol content is 5,000 μg/L or less. The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, having an alcohol content of less than 0.05 v/v%. The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage according to claim 1, which contains wort.