JP7488052B2 - Beer-flavored beverages - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage.

In recent years, the market for beer-flavored beverages (beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages) with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v% has expanded. Various methods for producing beer-flavored non-alcoholic 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-like beverage, which is characterized by diluting beer and/or happoshu to an alcohol concentration 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

However, the effect of combining trace amounts of ethanol and isoamyl acetate on the flavor of beer-flavored beverages was previously unknown.

The present invention aims to provide a beer-flavored beverage (non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage) that has an excellent mildness and fruity flavor characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage.

The inventors have discovered that a beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverage containing specific amounts of isoamyl acetate, ethanol, and propylene glycol has an improved mildness and fruity flavor characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage. The present invention is based on this novel finding.

The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage that contains isoamyl acetate, ethanol, and propylene glycol, in which the isoamyl acetate content is 8 mg/L or less, and the ethanol content is 0.04 v/v% or more and less than 0.75 v/v%.

The beer-taste beverage of the present invention contains a combination of a specific amount of isoamyl acetate, a specific amount of ethanol, and propylene glycol, and therefore has an excellent mildness and fruity taste characteristic of a beer-taste beverage. In addition, by adopting the above composition, it also has an excellent moderate alcohol taste characteristic of a beer-taste beverage.

The beer-taste beverage may contain propylene glycol not more than 900 mg/L.

The beer-taste beverage may have a content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate (ethyl acetate/isoamyl acetate) of 3 or more and 80 or less. This provides an even better mildness and fruity flavor characteristic of a beer-taste beverage.

The ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage may be less than 0.50 v/v %. This will further enhance the effects of the present invention.

The present invention also relates to a method for improving the mildness and fruitiness of a beer-taste beverage, which comprises adding 8 mg/L or less of isoamyl acetate, adding 0.04% or more and less than 0.75% v/v of ethanol to the beer-taste beverage, and adding propylene glycol.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beer-taste beverage (a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage) that is excellent in the mildness and fruitiness typical of a beer-taste beverage. In addition to being excellent in the mildness and fruitiness typical of a beer-taste beverage, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention also has an appropriate alcoholic flavor typical of a beer-taste beverage. The present invention also makes it possible to provide a method for improving the mildness and fruitiness 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 isoamyl acetate, ethanol, and propylene glycol, with an isoamyl acetate content of 8 mg/L or less and an ethanol content of 0.04 v/v% or more and less than 0.75 v/v%. The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains a combination of a specific amount of isoamyl acetate, a specific amount of ethanol, and propylene glycol, and therefore has an excellent mildness and fruity taste typical of a beer-taste beverage. Furthermore, by adopting the above-mentioned composition, the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment also has an excellent moderate alcohol taste typical of a beer-taste beverage.

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

The isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be more than 0 mg/L and not more than 8 mg/L. From the viewpoint of further enhancing the mildness and fruity flavor characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, the isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.01 mg/L or more, 0.05 mg/L or more, 0.1 mg/L or more, 0.2 mg/L or more, 0.3 mg/L or more, 0.4 mg/L or more, or 0.5 mg/L or more. From the same viewpoint, the isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 7 mg/L or less, 6 mg/L or less, 5 mg/L or less, 4 mg/L or less, 3 mg/L or less, or 2 mg/L or less.

The isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.1 mg/L or more and 8 mg/L or less. If the isoamyl acetate content is within this range, the mildness and fruity taste characteristic of a beer-taste beverage will be even better. Furthermore, by keeping the content within this range, the moderate alcohol taste characteristic of a beer-taste beverage will also be even better. From a similar perspective, the isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.2 mg/L or more and 6 mg/L or less, 0.3 mg/L or more and 4 mg/L or less, or 0.4 mg/L or more and 2 mg/L or less.

The isoamyl acetate content of a beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.22 Low-boiling point aroma components" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013).

The isoamyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding isoamyl acetate so that the content falls within the above range when producing a beer-taste beverage by a conventional method, by appropriately selecting the type of raw material that increases or decreases the isoamyl acetate content, by controlling the brewing conditions (e.g., fermentation temperature, etc.) to control the amount of isoamyl acetate produced, or by any combination of these methods. In the method of adding isoamyl acetate, the isoamyl acetate may be added by, for example, adding isoamyl acetate itself, or adding a flavoring composition containing isoamyl acetate.

The ethanol content (alcohol content) of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.04 v/v% or more and less than 0.75 v/v%. From the viewpoint of further enhancing the mildness and fruity flavor characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, the ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.05 v/v% or more, 0.06 v/v% or more, 0.07 v/v% or more, 0.08 v/v% or more, 0.09 v/v% or more, 0.10 v/v% or more, 0.15 v/v% or more, 0.20 v/v% or more, or 0.25 v/v% or more. From the same viewpoint, the ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.70 v/v% or less, 0.60 v/v% or less, 0.50 v/v% or less, less than 0.50 v/v%, or 0.40 v/v% or less.

The ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.10 v/v% or more and less than 0.50 v/v%. When the ethanol content is within this range, the beer-taste beverage will have an even better mildness and fruity taste, as well as a moderate alcoholic taste, as is typical of beer-taste beverages. From a similar perspective, the ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 0.15 v/v% or more and less than 0.50 v/v%, 0.20 v/v% or more and less than 0.50 v/v%, or 0.25 v/v% or more and less than 0.50 v/v%.

The ethanol content (alcohol content) of beer-taste beverages can be measured, for example, using the vibration density meter method described in the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction) "3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol content."

The ethanol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be adjusted to within the above range, for example, by adding alcohol, or by removing alcohol from the fermented liquid obtained by brewing, or by using a combination of these. There is no particular restriction on the alcohol added, and it may be, for example, distilled alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, spirits, vodka), or a fermented liquid obtained by brewing. There is no particular restriction on the method for removing alcohol from the fermented liquid obtained by brewing, and it may be carried out according to conventional methods such as distillation or dialysis.

The beer-taste beverage of this embodiment contains propylene glycol. The propylene glycol content of the beer-taste beverage of this embodiment may be, for example, more than 0 mg/L and not more than 9,000 mg/L. The propylene glycol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 1 mg/L or more, 2 mg/L or more, 3 mg/L or more, 4 mg/L or more, 5 mg/L or more, 6 mg/L or more, 7 mg/L or more, 8 mg/L or more, 9 mg/L or more, 10 mg/L or more, 20 mg/L or more, 30 mg/L or more, or 40 mg/L or more, and may be 8000 mg/L or less, 7000 mg/L or less, 6000 mg/L or less, 5000 mg/L or less, 4000 mg/L or less, 3000 mg/L or less, 2000 mg/L or less, 1000 mg/L or less, 900 mg/L or less, 800 mg/L or less, 700 mg/L or less, 600 mg/L or less, 500 mg/L or less, 400 mg/L or less, or 300 mg/L or less.

The propylene glycol content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 1 mg/L or more and 900 mg/L or less. If the propylene glycol content is within this range, the mildness and fruity taste characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage will be even better. Furthermore, by keeping the propylene glycol content within this range, the moderate alcohol taste characteristic of a beer-flavored beverage will also be even better. From a similar perspective, the propylene glycol content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 10 mg/L or more and 600 mg/L or less, 20 mg/L or more and 500 mg/L or less, 30 mg/L or more and 400 mg/L or less, or 40 mg/L or more and 300 mg/L or less.

The propylene glycol content of a beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by GC-MS.

The propylene glycol content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding propylene glycol. The propylene glycol added may be propylene glycol itself, or it may be a flavoring composition, food additive, etc. that contains propylene glycol.

The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain ethyl acetate. When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains ethyl acetate, the ethyl acetate content is preferably 1 mg/L or more and 80 mg/L or less. From the viewpoint of further improving the mildness and fruity taste characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, the ethyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 2 mg/L or more, 3 mg/L or more, 4 mg/L or more, 5 mg/L or more, 6 mg/L or more, 7 mg/L or more, 8 mg/L or more, 9 mg/L or more, or 10 mg/L or more. From the same viewpoint, the ethyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be 70 mg/L or less, 60 mg/L or less, 50 mg/L or less, 40 mg/L or less, 30 mg/L or less, or 20 mg/L or less.

When the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment contains ethyl acetate, it is preferable that the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate (ethyl acetate (mg/L)/isoamyl acetate (mg/L)) is 2 or more and 80 or less. When the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate is within this range, the mildness and fruity taste characteristic of a beer-taste beverage are even more excellent. From a similar perspective, the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate may be 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, 7 or more, 8 or more, or 9 or more, and may be 75 or less, 70 or less, 65 or less, 60 or less, or 55 or less.

The ethyl acetate content of a beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, by the method described in "8.22 Low-boiling point aroma components" of the Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (published by the Brewing Society of Japan, edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, revised and expanded in 2013).

The ethyl acetate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment can be adjusted, for example, by adding ethyl acetate so that the content falls within the above range when producing a beer-taste beverage by a conventional method, by appropriately selecting the type of raw material that increases or decreases the ethyl acetate content, by controlling the amount of ethyl acetate produced by controlling the brewing conditions (e.g., fermentation temperature, etc.), or by any combination of these methods. In the method of adding ethyl acetate, for example, ethyl acetate itself may be added, or a flavoring composition containing ethyl acetate may be added.

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 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 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 15.0 or less, or 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 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 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 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, isoamyl acetate, alcohol (e.g., raw material alcohol, distilled alcohol such as spirits and vodka, fermented liquid obtained by brewing), propylene glycol, and, as necessary, ethyl acetate and/or various additives (e.g., coloring agent, sweetener, high-intensity sweetener, antioxidant, acidulant, flavoring, salt, etc.) in a raw material tank. The blending step can be carried out according to a conventional method, except that the content of isoamyl acetate and ethanol, and, as necessary, propylene glycol and/or ethyl acetate are adjusted to fall within the above range. Isoamyl acetate may be blended as isoamyl acetate itself, or may be blended as a flavoring composition containing isoamyl acetate or a food additive. Similarly, propylene glycol may be blended as propylene glycol itself, or may be blended as a flavoring composition containing propylene glycol or a food additive. When ethyl acetate is contained, ethyl acetate may be blended as ethyl acetate itself, or may be blended as a flavoring composition containing ethyl acetate or 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 ethanol content within the above range. Since the 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 or dialysis.

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 isoamyl acetate content can be adjusted, for example, by adding isoamyl acetate to the raw material liquid. In this specification, raw material liquid means the liquid that is the base for the beer-taste beverage. Raw material liquid includes liquids used or produced in each process (e.g., sugar-containing liquid, boiled liquid, refined liquid, pre-fermentation liquid, post-fermentation liquid). The isoamyl acetate content may also be adjusted by a method of appropriately selecting the type of raw material that increases or decreases the isoamyl acetate content, or a method of controlling the amount of isoamyl acetate produced by controlling the brewing conditions (e.g., fermentation temperature, etc.).

In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, when the alcohol content adjustment step is carried out by removing or reducing the alcohol content after fermentation to produce alcohol in the same manner as in the case of ordinary beer or other beer-flavored beverages, it is preferable to adjust the content of isoamyl acetate after the alcohol content adjustment. For example, the content of isoamyl acetate may be adjusted by adding isoamyl acetate to the raw material liquid from which the alcohol has been removed or reduced.

The isoamyl acetate added to the raw material liquid may be isoamyl acetate itself, or it may be a flavoring composition or food additive containing isoamyl acetate.

If necessary, the ethyl acetate content can be adjusted in the same manner as for adjusting the isoamyl acetate content.

If necessary, the propylene glycol content can be adjusted by adding propylene glycol, for example. The propylene glycol added may be propylene glycol itself, or a flavoring composition, food additive, etc., that contains propylene glycol.

[Method for improving the mildness and fruitiness of a beer-taste beverage]
The beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment has the effect of improving the mildness and fruitiness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage. Thus, as one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method for improving the mildness (mildness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage) and fruitiness (fruity characteristic of a beer-taste beverage) of a beer-taste beverage, comprising: adding 8 mg/L or less of isoamyl acetate to the beer-taste beverage; adding 0.04% or more and less than 0.75% v/v of ethanol; and adding propylene glycol. The method according to this embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, and therefore has the effect of improving the mildness and fruitiness characteristic of a beer-taste beverage, as well as improving the moderate alcoholic feel characteristic of a beer-taste beverage. The specific aspects of the method according to this embodiment can be applied without any restrictions to the specific aspects of 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.

[Test Example 1]
[Preparation of beer-taste beverages]
Ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, propylene glycol, spirits (alcohol content: 65.5%) and water were mixed to the compositions shown in Tables 1 and 2 and filled into containers to prepare the beer-taste beverages (beer-taste non-alcoholic beverages) of Test Examples 1-1 to 1-5 and Test Examples 2-1 to 2-6.

〔sensory evaluation〕
The prepared beer-taste beverages were subjected to a sensory evaluation for the evaluation items "mildness typical of a beer-taste beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as "mildness"),""fruity typical of a beer-taste beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as "fruity")," and "moderate alcoholic flavor typical of a beer-taste beverage (hereinafter simply referred to as "alcoholic flavor"). The sensory evaluation was carried out by five selected panelists with discriminating abilities. Each evaluation item was rated on a five-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average score was calculated.

"Mildness typical of a beer-taste beverage" refers to a smooth, mellow sensation on the palate while maintaining the satisfying taste typical of a beer-taste beverage, with higher ratings indicating a stronger feeling of this. "Fruity typical of a beer-taste beverage" refers to the sensation of a moderate fruit flavor as a beer-taste beverage, with higher ratings indicating a stronger feeling of this. "Moderate alcoholic flavor typical of a beer-taste beverage" refers to the sensation of a moderate drunkenness as a non-alcoholic beer without any alcoholic or pungent odor, with higher ratings indicating a stronger feeling of this. The results are shown in Tables 1 and 2.

For "mildness," "fruity," and "alcoholic flavor," the scores for the beer-taste beverage in Test Example 1-1 were fixed at 1 point, 2 points, and 1 point, respectively, and other beer-taste beverages were evaluated based on these scores. For "mildness" and "fruity," beer-taste beverages with an evaluation score of 3.0 or higher were deemed to have passed.

As shown in Tables 1 and 2, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-3 to 1-4 and Test Examples 2-1 to 2-5, which have an isoamyl acetate content of 8 mg/L or less and an ethanol content of 0.04 v/v% or more and less than 0.75 v/v%, received evaluation scores of 3.0 or more for "mildness" and "fruity," demonstrating excellent mildness and fruitiness typical of beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, these beer-taste beverages also received high evaluation scores for "alcoholic sensation," demonstrating an excellent moderate alcoholic sensation typical of beer-taste beverages.

In addition to the above, the beer-taste beverages of Test Examples 1-3 to 1-4 and 2-2 to 2-5, in which the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate (ethyl acetate/isoamyl acetate) was between 2 and 80, had higher evaluation scores for "mildness" and "fruity," and were even more excellent in the mildness and fruitiness characteristic of beer-taste beverages.

[Test Example 2]
[Preparation of beer-taste beverages]
Ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, propylene glycol, spirits (alcohol content: 65.5%), high fructose glucose liquid sugar, acidulant, bitterness level, caramel color, and water were mixed to obtain the compositions shown in Table 3, and the gas pressure was adjusted to 2.3 kg/ ^cm2 with carbonated water. The mixture was then filled into containers to prepare the beer-flavored beverages (beer-flavored non-alcoholic beverages) of Test Examples 3-1 to 3-2.

The prepared beer-taste beverage was subjected to a sensory evaluation in the same manner as in Test Example 1. Note that the scores for "mildness," "fruity," and "alcoholic flavor" of the beer-taste beverage in Test Example 1-1 were fixed at 1 point, 2 points, and 1 point, respectively, and the other beer-taste beverages were evaluated based on these scores. The results are shown in Table 3.

As shown in Table 3, the beer-taste beverage of Test Example 3-2, which had an isoamyl acetate content of 8 mg/L or less and an ethanol content of 0.04 v/v% or more and less than 0.75 v/v%, excelled in the mild and fruity flavors characteristic of beer-taste beverages, even though it contained various additives. It also excelled in the moderate alcohol flavor characteristic of beer-taste beverages.

Claims (5)

Contains isoamyl acetate, ethanol and propylene glycol,
The content of isoamyl acetate is 8 mg/L or less,
the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate (ethyl acetate/isoamyl acetate) is 2 or more and 20 or less,
A beer-taste beverage having an ethanol content of 0.04 v/v% or more and less than 0.75 v/v%. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the propylene glycol content is 900 mg/L or less. 3. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate (ethyl acetate/isoamyl acetate) is 5 or more and 20 or less. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the ethanol content is less than 0.50 v/v%. The method for improving the mildness and fruitiness of a beer-taste beverage comprises adding 8 mg/L or less of isoamyl acetate to the beer-taste beverage, adding 0.04% or more but less than 0.75% v/v of ethanol , adding propylene glycol, and adjusting the content ratio of ethyl acetate to isoamyl acetate (ethyl acetate/isoamyl acetate) to 2 or more and 20 or less .