JP7477971B2 - Beer-flavored beverages - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage.

The addition of various aroma components has been proposed as a way to improve the beer-like flavor of beer-flavored beverages such as non-alcoholic beer.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a flavor improver for beer-like beverages, which contains at least one selected from the group consisting of higher alcohols and ethers, which are flavor substances contained in beer, as the alcohol component, at least one selected from the group consisting of furanones and lactones, which are flavor substances contained in beer, as the sweet component, and at least one selected from the group consisting of aldehydes, which are flavor substances contained in beer, as the aldehyde component.

JP 2013-81417 A

However, the technical means described in Patent Document 1 has not yet achieved sufficient effects, and there is a need to explore further components that can improve the beer-like flavor (e.g., aged taste and richness).

The present invention aims to provide a beer-flavored beverage with a mature feel and excellent richness.

The inventors have discovered that beer-flavored beverages containing 4-methylpentanoic acid have an improved sense of maturity and richness. The present invention is based on this novel finding.

The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage containing 4-methylpentanoic acid.

The beer-taste beverage according to the present invention contains 4-methylpentanoic acid, giving it an excellent aged feel and rich flavor.

In the above beer-taste beverage, the content of 4-methylpentanoic acid is preferably 10 μg/L or more and 500 μg/L or more, more preferably 30 μg/L or more and 300 μg/L or more, and even more preferably 50 μg/L or more and 300 μg/L or more. If the content of 4-methylpentanoic acid is within this range, the beer-taste beverage will have an even more excellent aged feel and richness.

The beer-taste beverage may be a non-alcoholic beverage (non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage). Since non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages are particularly in demand for an improved sense of maturity and richness, the effects of the present invention are even more pronounced.

The beer-taste beverage may be a non-fermented beverage (a non-fermented beer-taste beverage).

The present invention also relates to a method for improving the aged sensation and richness of a beer-taste beverage, which involves adding 4-methylpentanoic acid to the beer-taste beverage. 4-Methylpentanoic acid can improve the aged sensation and richness of a beer-taste beverage, and is therefore suitable for use in improving the aged sensation and richness of a beer-taste beverage.

The present invention can provide a beer-taste beverage with excellent aged flavor and richness. The present invention can also provide a method for improving the aged flavor and richness of a beer-taste beverage.

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

[Beer-flavored beverages]
The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains 4-methylpentanoic acid (also known as 4-methylvaleric acid). Because the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains 4-methylpentanoic acid, it has an excellent aged flavor and richness.

In this specification, "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. A beer-taste beverage may be a beer-taste alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v/v% or more, or a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v%. In this specification, alcohol refers to ethanol unless otherwise specified.

Beer-flavored alcoholic beverages include, for example, those classified as beer, happoshu, other brewed alcoholic beverages, liqueurs, and spirits under the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 37 of 2019).

The alcohol content of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 1 v/v% or more, 2 v/v% or more, 3 v/v% or more, 4 v/v% or more, or 5 v/v% or more. The alcohol content of the beer-flavored alcoholic beverage may be, for example, 20 v/v% or less, 15 v/v% or less, 10 v/v% or less, 9 v/v% or less, 8 v/v% or less, 7 v/v% or less, 6 v/v% or less, 5 v/v% or less, 4 v/v% or less, or 3 v/v% or less.

A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage is a beer-flavored beverage that contains substantially no alcohol. The alcohol content of a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage may be less than 1 v/v%, and may be 0.5 v/v% or less, 0.1 v/v% or less, or less than 0.005 v/v% (0.00 v/v%). Since non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages are particularly required to have an improved sense of maturity and richness, the effects of the present invention are even more pronounced.

The 4-methylpentanoic acid content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, more than 0 μg/L and not more than 1000 μg/L. From the viewpoint of further improving the aged feel and richness of the beer-taste beverage, the 4-methylpentanoic acid content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 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, 40 μg/L or more, 45 μg/L or more, or 50 μg/L or more. From a similar perspective, the 4-methylpentanoic acid content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 900 μg/L or less, 800 μg/L or less, 700 μg/L or less, 650 μg/L or less, 600 μg/L or less, 550 μg/L or less, 500 μg/L or less, 450 μg/L or less, 400 μg/L or less, 350 μg/L or less, or 300 μg/L or less.

The 4-methylpentanoic acid content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding 4-methylpentanoic acid itself to the raw material liquid, or by adding a flavoring composition containing 4-methylpentanoic acid to the raw material liquid. It can also be adjusted, for example, by adding a plant raw material or food additive containing 4-methylpentanoic acid to the raw material liquid.

The 4-methylpentanoic acid content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be measured, for example, by GC-MS. Quantitation of 4-methylpentanoic acid can be carried out, for example, by the standard point addition method.

The beer-taste 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 processed barley product. Examples of barley include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, and oats. Examples of processed barley 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 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 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 weight or more and 100% by weight or less. The malt ratio may be 10% by weight or more, 20% by weight or more, 30% by weight or more, 40% by weight or more, 50% by weight or more, 60% by weight or more, 65% by weight or more, 66% by weight or more, 67% by weight or more, 70% by weight or more, 80% by weight or more, 90% by weight or more, 95% by weight or more, 99% by weight or more, or 100% by weight. The malt ratio may also be less than 100% by weight, 90% by weight or less, 95% by weight or less, 90% by weight or less, 80% by weight or less, 70% by weight or less, 60% by weight or less, or 50% by weight or less.

The 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 ricyrrhizinate, 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 beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, or 10.0 or less, or 1.0 or more, 2.0 or more, 3.0 or more, 4.0 or more, or 5.0 or more. The bitterness value of the beer-taste 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 set appropriately within the above range, for example, by adjusting the type and amount of raw materials used.

The 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 beer-taste beverage is sparkling, the upper limit of the gas pressure may be about 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg/cm ² ).

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be a fermented beverage (fermented beer-taste beverage) or a non-fermented beverage (non-fermented beer-taste beverage). Fermented beverages are produced through fermentation with yeast or the like. Non-fermented beverages are produced without fermentation with yeast or the like. Note that non-fermented beverages also include beer-taste beverages produced by blending alcohol (e.g. distilled alcohol such as spirits and raw material alcohol) without fermentation with yeast or the like.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. Any container that can be sealed can be used, and so-called canned 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. It is preferable to use a metal container, as it completely blocks gas, moisture, and light and can maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be produced according to standard methods, except for the inclusion of 4-methylpentanoic acid. 4-methylpentanoic acid can be included, for example, by adding 4-methylpentanoic acid to a raw material liquid. In this specification, raw material liquid refers to the liquid that is the source of the beer-taste beverage. Raw material liquid includes liquids used or produced in each process (for example, sugar-containing liquid, boiled liquid, refined liquid, pre-fermentation liquid, and post-fermentation liquid, which are described below).

The production method in one embodiment includes, for example, a brewing process and a fermentation process. 4-methylpentanoic acid may be added to the raw material liquid at any stage during the production process of the beer-taste beverage. For example, it may be added to the raw material in the brewing process, it may be added in the fermentation process, or it may be added to the post-fermentation liquid obtained through the fermentation process. The form of the 4-methylpentanoic acid to be added is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, 4-methylpentanoic acid itself, a flavoring composition containing 4-methylpentanoic acid, or a plant raw material or food additive containing 4-methylpentanoic acid.

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 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 production method according to this embodiment, other post-fermentation processes may include heating (sterilization), adding various additives (e.g., coloring agents, antioxidants, acidulants, bittering agents, flavorings), and adding alcohol to the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration process). Spirits, for example, can be used as the alcohol added in the post-fermentation process. When 4-methylpentanoic acid is added to the post-fermentation liquid, it may be added, for example, together with the various additives described above.

When the beer-flavored beverage is a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, it may be produced by fermenting in the same manner as regular beer or other beer-flavored beverages to produce alcohol, and then removing or reducing the amount of alcohol, or it may be produced by suppressing the production of alcohol by shortening the fermentation period, or it may be produced without carrying out a fermentation process.

If the beer-taste beverage is a non-fermented beverage (a non-fermented beer-taste beverage), it may be produced without carrying out the fermentation process described above.

In another embodiment, the manufacturing method includes, for example, a blending step in which water, 4-methylpentanoic acid, and, if necessary, distilled alcohol (e.g., spirits, raw material alcohol) and various additives (e.g., colorants, antioxidants, acidulants, bittering agents, flavorings) are blended in a raw material tank.

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 components 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 can 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 for a predetermined time. It is also possible to perform non-sterile filling without performing the second sterilization step.

[Method for improving the aged feel and richness of a beer-taste beverage]
The present invention can also be understood as providing a novel method for using 4-methylpentanoic acid (use for improving the aged flavor and richness of a beer-taste beverage). That is, in one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for improving the aged flavor and richness of a beer-taste beverage, which comprises adding 4-methylpentanoic acid to the beer-taste beverage.

The method for improving the aged feel and richness of a beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be carried out by, for example, adding 4-methylpentanoic acid to a raw material liquid, thereby incorporating 4-methylpentanoic acid into the beer-taste beverage. The 4-methylpentanoic acid added may be, for example, 4-methylpentanoic acid itself, a flavoring composition containing 4-methylpentanoic acid, or a plant raw material or food additive containing 4-methylpentanoic acid. The amount to be incorporated may be set with reference to the amount of content in the beer-taste beverage described above.

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.

(Preparation of beer-taste beverage)
Water-soluble dietary fiber, lactic acid, phosphoric acid, hop extract, acesulfame K, and caramel type I were dissolved in water, and 4-methylpentanoic acid was added thereto. The gas pressure was adjusted to 2.3 kg/ ^cm2 with carbonated water, and the mixture was filled into containers to prepare the beer-taste beverages of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1. The compositions of the prepared beer-taste beverages are as shown in Table 1.

(sensory evaluation)
A sensory evaluation was conducted on the beer-taste beverages of Examples 1 to 6 and Comparative Example 1 for the evaluation items of "sense of maturity" and "body flavor." The sensory evaluation was conducted by a panel of five selected members with discriminating abilities. Each evaluation item was rated on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average score was taken as the evaluation score.

"Maturity" is a sensation that is well-balanced in aroma and flavor, and is well-rounded and refined, with a higher score indicating a stronger sense of maturity. "Body" is a sensation that combines complexity, breadth, and persistence, with a higher score indicating a stronger sense of body. For the sensory evaluation of "maturity" and "body," the scores for the beer-taste beverage of Comparative Example 1 were fixed at 1 point and 3 points, respectively, and the other beer-taste beverages were evaluated based on these scores. The results are shown in Table 1.

The beer-flavored beverages of Examples 1 to 6, which contained 4-methylpentanoic acid, were highly rated for both their aged feel and richness.

Claims (5)

Contains 4-methylpentanoic acid ,
A beer-taste beverage having a 4-methylpentanoic acid content of 30 μg/L or more and 300 μg/L or less . 2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the content of 4-methylpentanoic acid is from 50 μg/L to 300 μg/L. 3. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1 or 2 , which is a non-alcoholic beverage. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , which is a non-fermented beverage. A method for improving the aged feel and richness of a beer-taste beverage, comprising adding 4-methylpentanoic acid to the beer-taste beverage so that the content is 30 μg/L or more and 300 μg/L or less .