Beer-flavored beverage

Abstract

To provide a beer-flavored beverage that is low in carbohydrates, yet boasts a mild bitterness, excellent bitterness retention, and superior bitterness quality. [Solution] A beer-flavored beverage having a carbohydrate content of less than 0.5g / 100mL and a total arabinoxylan content of 25mg / 100mL or more.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a beer-taste beverage.

Background Art

[0002] Due to the recent increase in health consciousness, the demand for beer-taste beverages with a reduced sugar content has been increasing. So-called zero-sugar beer-taste beverages are beer-taste beverages with a sugar content of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL. Since the sugar content is greatly reduced, the flavor is often insufficient. Therefore, technological development for improving the flavor of beer-taste beverages with a reduced sugar content has been underway. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a beer-taste beverage characterized in that the purine content is 0.5 to 5 mg / 100 mL, the sugar content is 0.5 g / 100 mL or less, and the pH is 3.0 to 4.0, which suppresses sugar and imparts taste while not impairing the refreshing aftertaste and having a good flavor.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Zero-sugar beer-taste beverages have problems in that the bitterness is sharp, disappears quickly, and the quality of the bitterness is inferior.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a beer-taste beverage that is low in sugar and excellent in mildness of bitterness, persistence of bitterness, and quality of bitterness.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage having a carbohydrate content of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and a total arabinoxylan content of 25 mg / 100 mL or more.

[0007] The beer-flavored beverage according to the present invention has a total arabinoxylan content within a predetermined range, and therefore, while being low in carbohydrates, it is excellent in terms of mildness of bitterness, persistence of bitterness, and quality of bitterness.

[0008] The above-mentioned beer-flavored beverage may have a malt usage ratio of 50 w / w% or more.

[0009] The total amount of arabinoxylan mentioned above may be 35 mg / 100 mL or more. This will result in a more pronounced effect than described above.

[0010] The above-mentioned beer-flavored beverage may have a low molecular weight ratio of 10% or more. This will result in a more pronounced effect than described above. Furthermore, the above-mentioned beer-flavored beverage may have a low molecular weight ratio of 15% or more. This will result in an even more pronounced effect than described above.

[0011] The present invention also relates to a method for producing a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the carbohydrate content to less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and adjusting the total arabinoxylan content to 25 mg / 100 mL or more.

[0012] The present invention further relates to a method for improving the mildness of bitterness, the persistence of bitterness, and the quality of bitterness in a beer-flavored beverage, which includes adjusting the carbohydrate content to less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and the total arabinoxylan content to 25 mg / 100 mL or more.

[0013] The methods described above for improving the mildness of bitterness, the persistence of bitterness, and the quality of bitterness in beer-flavored beverages may further include adjusting the low molecular weight ratio to 10% or more. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a beer-flavored beverage that is low in carbohydrates, yet has excellent mildness of bitterness, excellent persistence of bitterness, and excellent quality of bitterness. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0016] [Beer-flavored beverage] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment has a carbohydrate content of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and a total arabinoxylan content of 25 mg / 100 mL or more. Because the total arabinoxylan content of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment is within a predetermined range, it is low in carbohydrates, yet has excellent mildness of bitterness, excellent persistence of bitterness, and excellent quality of bitterness.

[0017] In this specification, "beer-flavored beverage" means a beverage having a beer-like flavor. The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be a beer-flavored alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, or a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v / v%. In this specification, "alcohol" means ethanol unless otherwise specified.

[0018] Examples of beer-flavored alcoholic beverages include, but are not limited to, those classified as sparkling alcoholic beverages, other brewed alcoholic beverages, and liqueurs under the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 8 of 2020). The beer-flavored alcoholic beverages according to this embodiment are not limited to those exemplified above.

[0019] The alcohol content of the beer-taste 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. Also, the alcohol content of the beer-taste 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.

[0020] The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage is a beer-taste beverage that substantially does not contain alcohol. The alcohol content of the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage may be less than 1 v / v%, may be 0.5 v / v% or less, may be 0.1 v / v% or less, or may be less than 0.005 v / v% (0.00 v / v%).

[0021] The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage can be measured, for example, based on the vibrating densitometer method described in the National Tax Agency's prescribed analysis method (ordinance) "3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol Content".

[0022] The carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment is less than 0.5 g / 100 mL. The carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.4 g / 100 mL or less, or may be 0.3 g / 100 mL or less. The carbohydrate content of the beer-taste beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, more than 0 g / 100 mL, may be 0.1 g / 100 mL or more, may be 0.2 g / 100 mL or more, may be 0.3 g / 100 mL or more, or may be 0.4 g / 100 mL or more. The carbohydrate content can be adjusted according to the type and amount of raw materials used, etc.

[0023] In this specification, the term "carbohydrate" refers to the carbohydrate as defined in the Food Nutrition Labeling Standards (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Notification No. 176 of 2003). Specifically, carbohydrates refer to the substances obtained by removing proteins, lipids, dietary fibers, ash, moisture, and alcohol from foods. The carbohydrate content in the beer - flavored beverage is calculated by subtracting the amounts of proteins, lipids, dietary fibers, ash, moisture, and alcohol from the weight of the beer - flavored beverage. The amounts of proteins, lipids, ash, and moisture are measured by the methods listed in the Nutrition Labeling Standards. The amount of alcohol can be measured together with the amount of moisture. Specifically, the amount of protein is measured by the method for quantifying total nitrogen (protein) by the modified Dumas method, the amount of lipid is measured by the ether extraction method, chloroform - methanol mixed solution extraction method, Gerber method, acid decomposition method, or Rose - Gottlieb method, the amount of dietary fiber is measured by the high - performance liquid chromatography method or the Prosky method, the amount of ash is measured by the magnesium acetate - added ashing method, direct ashing method, or sulfuric acid - added ashing method, and the amounts of moisture and alcohol can be measured by the Karl Fischer method, drying aid method, vacuum heating drying method, normal pressure heating drying method, or plastic film method.

[0024] The total arabinoxylan amount in the beer - flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be 25 mg / 100 mL or more. In this specification, the "total arabinoxylan amount" is a value calculated by hydrolyzing arabinoxylan in the beer - flavored beverage into xylose and arabinose, quantifying the total xylose amount in the hydrolyzate, and multiplying the total xylose amount by 100 / 62. The total xylose amount is the sum of the xylose generated by hydrolysis and the free xylose originally present in the beer - flavored beverage. Since the free xylose originally present in the beer - flavored beverage can be regarded as arabinoxylan with a lower molecular weight, it is used for calculating the total xylose amount and the calculation of the low - molecular - weight ratio described later. The quantification of xylose can be carried out, for example, using a commercially available kit (D - xylose analysis kit, manufactured by Megazyme).

[0025] The total amount of arabinoxylan in the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 30 mg / 100 mL or more, 35 mg / 100 mL or more, 40 mg / 100 mL or more, 45 mg / 100 mL or more, 50 mg / 100 mL or more, or 60 mg / 100 mL or more, in order to make the effects of the present invention more pronounced and to increase the viscosity of the beer-flavored beverage and make the richness more noticeable. The upper limit of the total amount of arabinoxylan in the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 250 mg / 100 mL or less, 200 mg / 100 mL or less, 150 mg / 100 mL or less, or 100 mg / 100 mL or less.

[0026] The total amount of arabinoxylan can be adjusted, for example, by adding arabinoxylan. The total amount of arabinoxylan can also be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials (e.g., malt) used, and by the conditions of the manufacturing process (e.g., mashing process) (e.g., temperature).

[0027] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may have a low molecular weight ratio of 0% or more and 100% or less. In this specification, "low molecular weight ratio" refers to the ratio (%) of free xylose to the total xylose. It can also be considered as the ratio of low molecular weight arabinoxylan to arabinoxylan.

[0028] The molecular weight ratio of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, greater than 0%, 5% or more, 10% or more, or 15% or more, in order to make the effects of the present invention more pronounced. The upper limit of the molecular weight ratio of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 75% or less, 50% or less, 40% or less, 30% or less, or 25% or less.

[0029] The molecular weight ratio can be adjusted, for example, by adding arabinoxylan and / or xylose. The molecular weight ratio can also be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials (e.g., malt) used, and by the conditions of the manufacturing process (e.g., mashing process) (e.g., temperature).

[0030] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain malt as an ingredient. In this specification, malt refers to malt or processed malt products. Examples of malt include barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl oats, and oats. Examples of processed malt products include malt extract, malt, and malt extract. Malt extract is obtained by extracting malt extract containing sugars and nitrogen from malt. Malt is obtained by germinating malt. As malt, colored malt (e.g., caramel malt, crystal malt, dark malt, chocolate malt, coffee malt, etc.) produced by roasting or scorching at a relatively high temperature (e.g., about 120°C) during malt production may be used. Malt extract is obtained by extracting extract containing sugars and nitrogen from malt.

[0031] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may or may not contain hops as an ingredient. Hops include, for example, dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract, as well as processed hop products such as raw hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and isopropyl hop extract.

[0032] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may have a malt usage ratio (the proportion of malt in ingredients other than water and hops) of 50 w / w% or more. The malt usage ratio may be 55 w / w% or more, 60 w / w% or more, 65 w / w% or more, 70 w / w% or more, 75 w / w% or more, 80 w / w% or more, 85 w / w% or more, 90 w / w% or more, or 95 w / w% or more. Alternatively, the malt usage ratio may be 100 w / w%, 100 w / w% or less, 95 w / w% or less, 90 w / w% or less, 85 w / w% or less, 80 w / w% or less, 75 w / w% or less, 70 w / w% or less, 65 w / w% or less, 60 w / w% or less, or 55 w / w% or less.

[0033] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may contain bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, etc., which are commonly used in beverages, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of bittering agents include, in addition to the hops mentioned above, iso-alpha acids, caffeine, gentian extract, peptides, theobromine, naringin, bitter oak extract, wormwood extract, cinchona extract, etc. Examples of coloring agents include caramel color, gardenia color, fruit juice color, vegetable color, and synthetic color. Examples of sweeteners include 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, DL-sodium tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, and DL-sodium malate. Examples of salts include table salt, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, and ammonium sulfate.

[0034] The bitterness value (BU) of the beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be, for example, 0.0 or more and 50.0 or less. The BU of the beer-flavored 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 beer-flavored 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 Japan Brewing Association, edited by the International Technical Committee [Analysis Committee] of the Beer Brewers Association, revised and augmented in 2013). The bitterness value can be appropriately set within the above range by, for example, adjusting the type and amount of raw materials used.

[0035] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment may be non-carbonated or carbonated. Here, non-carbonated means that the gas pressure at 20°C is 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm²). 2 This refers to a gas pressure of less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm²) at 20°C, and foaming means that the gas pressure at 20°C is less than 0.049 MPa (0.5 kg / cm²). 2 This refers to a pressure of 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm²) or higher. If it is to be foamy, the upper limit of the gas pressure is 0.294 MPa (3.0 kg / cm²). 2 It can be set to that extent.

[0036] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be provided in a container. Any airtight container is acceptable, and so-called metal containers (such as aluminum or steel cans or kegs) can be used. Alternatively, glass containers, PET bottles, paper containers, pouch containers, etc., can also be used. The capacity of the container is not particularly limited, and any currently available containers can be used. It is preferable to use a metal container because it can completely block gas, moisture, and light, and maintain stable quality at room temperature for a long period of time.

[0037] [Method of manufacturing beer-flavored beverages] The beer-flavored beverage according to this embodiment can be produced by a manufacturing method that includes, for example, adjusting the carbohydrate content to less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and adjusting the total arabinoxylan content to 25 mg / 100 mL or more. This manufacturing method may, for example, involve mixing raw materials to produce the beer-flavored beverage (blending method), or it may involve fermentation with yeast or the like to produce the beer-flavored beverage (fermentation method).

[0038] A manufacturing method (method by blending) according to one embodiment includes, for example, a blending step of blending water, arabinoxylan, and, if necessary, alcohol (e.g., distilled alcohol such as raw material alcohol, spirits and vodka, or fermented liquid obtained by brewing), xylose and / or various additives (e.g., bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, water-soluble dietary fiber, etc.) and other raw materials such as wort in a raw material tank. The blending step can be carried out in accordance with conventional methods, except for adjusting the sugar content and total arabinoxylan amount within the above range.

[0039] The manufacturing method according to this embodiment may further include a filtration step of filtering a mixture obtained by mixing each component in a blending step, a first sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filtered in the filtration step, a filling step of filling the sterilized filtrate sterilized in the first sterilization step into containers such as bottles, cans, or PET bottles, and a second sterilization step of sterilizing the filtrate filled into the containers together with the containers.

[0040] The blending process may involve mixing while stirring with a stirrer or similar device to ensure that each component is well combined. The filtration process can be carried out using, for example, a general filter or strainer. The first sterilization process may be carried out by plate sterilization, from the viewpoint of processing speed, etc., and is not limited to this method as long as a similar process can be performed. The filling process may be carried out in a clean room that maintains a level of cleanliness that is normally maintained in beverage manufacturing. The second sterilization process can be carried out by heating the filtrate together with the container at a predetermined temperature and for a predetermined time. The first or second sterilization process may be a non-heating sterilization process. Examples of non-heating sterilization processes include ultraviolet (UV) sterilization. It is also possible to perform unsterilized filling without performing a sterilization process.

[0041] Other embodiments of the manufacturing method (fermentation method) include, for example, a preparation step and a fermentation step.

[0042] The preparation process is the process of preparing the pre-fermentation liquid to be used for fermentation. The preparation process may be, for example, the process of obtaining the pre-fermentation liquid using raw materials and preparation water (water used in the preparation process). The preparation process may also include, for example, a boiling process in which the sugar-containing liquid is boiled, a removal process in which solids are removed from the raw material liquid, and a cooling process in which the raw material liquid is cooled.

[0043] In the boiling process, the sugar-containing liquid is boiled to obtain the boiled liquid (sugar-containing liquid after boiling). The sugar-containing liquid is a liquid that contains components capable of alcoholic fermentation by yeast. Examples of sugar-containing liquids include wort and syrup. Wort is a liquid obtained after the saccharification of the aforementioned barley raw materials, and is unfermented. Wort can be obtained, for example, by the process of mixing the aforementioned barley raw materials with water, the process of saccharifying the liquid containing the raw materials and water by a conventional method to obtain a saccharified liquid, and the process of filtering the saccharified liquid.

[0044] Hops may be added to the raw material liquid during the boiling process. Examples of hops that can be added include dried hops, hop pellets, and hop extract. The hops may also be processed hop products such as raw hops, hexahops, tetrahops, and isopropyl hop extract.

[0045] In the removal step, solid matter is removed from the boiled liquid to obtain a purified liquid. The removal step can be carried out, for example, by precipitating the insoluble solid matter contained in the boiled liquid. Examples of solid matter include heat-coagulated material produced during the boiling step, and, if hops were added during the boiling step, hop residue, etc. The removal step may be carried out in a whirlpool. In the cooling step, the purified liquid is cooled to a temperature at which yeast fermentation is possible to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid.

[0046] The fermentation process involves fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. The fermentation process yields a post-fermentation liquid, which is the result of fermenting the pre-fermentation liquid with yeast. In the fermentation process, alcoholic fermentation is carried out by yeast. More specifically, yeast is inoculated into the pre-fermentation liquid and fermented, yielding a post-fermentation liquid containing alcohol produced by the yeast.

[0047] In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, the post-fermentation process may include steps for maturing and cooling the post-fermentation liquid, and for filtering the post-fermentation liquid. By performing the filtering step, insoluble solids, yeast, etc., can be removed from the post-fermentation liquid.

[0048] In the manufacturing method according to this embodiment, other post-fermentation steps may include heating (sterilization) of the post-fermentation liquid (or the post-fermentation liquid after the filtration step), and the addition of various additives (for example, bittering agents, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, antioxidants, acidulants, flavorings, salts, water-soluble dietary fiber).

[0049] The manufacturing method (fermentation method) according to this embodiment can be carried out in accordance with conventional methods, except that the carbohydrate content and total arabinoxylan content are adjusted to the above ranges. The carbohydrate content can be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials used. The total arabinoxylan content can be adjusted, for example, by the type and amount of raw materials used (e.g., malt), and by the conditions of the manufacturing process (e.g., mashing process) (e.g., temperature). The total arabinoxylan content can also be adjusted, for example, by adding arabinoxylan.

[0050] [Methods to improve the mildness of bitterness, the persistence of bitterness, and the quality of bitterness in beer-flavored beverages] The present invention described above can also be understood as a method for improving the mildness of bitterness, the persistence of bitterness, and the quality of bitterness in beer-flavored beverages, including adjusting the carbohydrate content to less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and the total arabinoxylan content to 25 mg / 100 mL or more. The method according to this embodiment may further include adjusting the low molecular weight ratio to 10% or more. The above-described embodiments can be applied without limitation as specific embodiments of the method according to this embodiment.

[0051] Furthermore, in other embodiments, methods for improving the mildness of bitterness, the persistence of bitterness, and the quality of bitterness in beer-flavored beverages may include adjusting the carbohydrate content to less than 0.5 g / 100 mL and adjusting the low molecular weight ratio to 10% or more. The methods according to these other embodiments may further include adjusting the total arabinoxylan amount to 25 mg / 100 mL or more. The embodiments described above can be applied without limitation as specific examples of the methods according to these other embodiments. [Examples]

[0052] The present invention will be described more specifically below based on examples. However, the present invention is not limited to the following examples.

[0053] [Test Example 1: Manufacturing and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Beverages] <Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages> Carbonated water, hop extract (bitterness value (BU) 16), and commercially available arabinoxylan (arabinoxylan NK, manufactured by Api Co., Ltd.) were mixed to produce the beer-flavored beverages shown in Table 1, from Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7. All of the beer-flavored beverages from Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 had a carbohydrate content of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL.

[0054] <Analysis of total arabinoxylan content> The total amount of arabinoxylan, the amount of free xylose, and the low molecular weight ratio in commercially available arabinoxylan were determined using the following procedure. The total amount of arabinoxylan, the amount of free xylose, and the low molecular weight ratio in the beer-flavored beverages in Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7 were calculated from the amount of commercially available arabinoxylan added.

[0055] (Total amount of arabinoxylan) 200 μL of commercially available arabinoxylan diluted 100-fold with water was mixed with 100 μL of 5N HCl and shaken for 1 hour at 99°C and 1,400 rpm (shaking for 20 seconds every minute) using a Thermomixer (Eppendorf Thermomixer Confort). This hydrolyzed the arabinoxylan, converting it to xylose and arabinose. The mixture was then centrifuged at 13,200 rpm and 25°C for 10 minutes, and the supernatant was neutralized by adding an equal volume of 5N NaOH to the 5N HCl. The resulting sample was used to quantify the total xylose content (the sum of free xylose and xylose produced by arabinoxylan hydrolysis). The quantification of total xylose content was performed using a commercially available kit (D-Xylose Analysis Kit, Megazyme) according to the instructions provided with the kit. The total amount of arabinoxylan was calculated by multiplying the measured total amount of xylose by 100 / 62.

[0056] (Amount of free xylose) A sample of commercially available arabinoxylan diluted 100-fold with water was used for the quantification of free xylose. The quantification of free xylose was performed using a commercially available kit (D-Xylose Analysis Kit, manufactured by Megazyme) according to the instructions provided with the kit.

[0057] (low molecular weight ratio) The low molecular weight ratio (free xylose ratio) was calculated according to the following formula. Formula: Low molecular weight ratio = (Amount of free xylose) / (Amount of total xylose) (%)

[0058] <Sensory evaluation> Sensory evaluations were conducted on the beer-flavored beverages in Test Examples 1-1 to 1-7, focusing on the evaluation items of "mildness of bitterness," "persistence of bitterness," and "quality of bitterness." The sensory evaluations were performed by three selected panel members with discriminatory abilities. Each evaluation item was rated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5, and the average score was used as the evaluation score.

[0059] "Mildness of bitterness" refers to the feeling that the intensity of bitterness in a beer-flavored beverage changes smoothly (not harsh) over time, and a higher score indicates better mildness of bitterness. "Longevity of bitterness" refers to the feeling that the bitterness lingers when drinking a beer-flavored beverage, and a higher score indicates better longevity of bitterness. "Quality of bitterness" refers to the overall texture of the bitterness, including mildness and longevity, and a higher score indicates better quality of bitterness.

[0060] The evaluation criteria for "mildness of bitterness," "persistence of bitterness," and "quality of bitterness" were fixed at 3 points for the beer-flavored beverage in Test Example 1-1, and other beer-flavored beverages were evaluated using this as a baseline. The results are shown in Table 1.

[0061] [Table 1]

[0062] The beer-flavored beverages in Test Examples 1-3 to 1-7, which contained a total arabinoxylan content of 25 mg / 100 mL or more, received high ratings in all evaluation categories. Despite being low in carbohydrates, they excelled in mild bitterness, bitterness persistence, and bitterness quality.

[0063] [Test Example 2: Manufacturing and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Beverages] <Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages> Carbonated water, hop extract (bitterness value (BU) 16), commercially available arabinoxylan (arabinoxylan NK, manufactured by Api Co., Ltd.), and xylose (D-xylose granules, manufactured by Okamura Seiyu Co., Ltd.) were mixed to produce the beer-flavored beverages shown in Table 2, from Test Examples 2-1 to 2-4. All of the beer-flavored beverages from Test Examples 2-1 to 2-4 had a carbohydrate content of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL.

[0064] <Analysis of total arabinoxylan content> The total amount of arabinoxylan, the amount of free xylose, and the low molecular weight ratio in commercially available arabinoxylan were determined using the same procedure as in Test Example 1. The total amount of arabinoxylan, the amount of free xylose, and the low molecular weight ratio in the beer-flavored beverages in Test Examples 2-1 to 2-4 were calculated from the amount of commercially available arabinoxylan and the amount of xylose added. Specifically, the total amount of arabinoxylan was calculated by adding the amount of xylose added to the total amount of xylose corresponding to the amount of commercially available arabinoxylan added, and then multiplying the result by 100 / 62. The amount of free xylose was calculated by adding the amount of xylose added to the amount of free xylose corresponding to the amount of commercially available arabinoxylan added. The low molecular weight ratio (free xylose ratio) was calculated according to the following formula. Formula: Low molecular weight ratio = (Amount of free xylose corresponding to the amount of commercially available arabinoxylan added + amount of added xylose) / (Amount of total xylose corresponding to the amount of commercially available arabinoxylan added + amount of added xylose) (%)

[0065] <Sensory evaluation> The evaluation criteria for "mildness of bitterness," "persistence of bitterness," and "quality of bitterness" were fixed at 3 points for the beer-flavored beverage in Test Example 2-1, and other beer-flavored beverages were evaluated using this as a baseline. The evaluation was conducted in the same manner as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 2.

[0066] [Table 2]

[0067] Compared to Test Example 2-1 (equivalent to Test Examples 1-6), a higher ratio of low molecular weight arabinoxylan resulted in higher ratings for all evaluation items, with even greater mildness of bitterness, persistence of bitterness, and quality of bitterness.

[0068] [Test Example 3: Manufacturing and Evaluation of Beer-Flavored Beverages] <Manufacturing of beer-flavored beverages> A pre-fermentation liquid was obtained by conventional methods using malt (malt ratio 50-55% by mass), sugars (sucrose), and hops. Brewer's yeast was added to the pre-fermentation liquid and fermentation was carried out to obtain a post-fermentation liquid. The post-fermentation liquid was filtered to produce the beer-flavored beverage of Test Example 3-1 (alcohol content 3.7 v / v%, carbohydrate content less than 0.5 g / 100 mL).

[0069] <Analysis of total arabinoxylan content> The total amount of arabinoxylan, the amount of free xylose, and the low molecular weight ratio in the beer-flavored beverage in Test Example 3-1 were determined by the following procedure.

[0070] (Total amount of arabinoxylan) 200 μL of the beer-flavored beverage from Test Example 3-1 was mixed with 100 μL of 5N HCl and shaken for 1 hour at 99°C and 1,400 rpm (shaking for 20 seconds every minute) using a Thermomixer (Eppendorf Thermomixer Confort). This hydrolyzed the arabinoxylan, converting it to xylose and arabinose. The mixture was then centrifuged at 13,200 rpm and 25°C for 10 minutes. The resulting supernatant was neutralized by adding an equal volume of 5N NaOH to the 5N HCl, and then used to quantify the total xylose (the sum of free xylose and xylose produced by arabinoxylan hydrolysis). The quantification of total xylose was performed using a commercially available kit (D-Xylose Analysis Kit, Megazyme) according to the instructions provided with the kit. The total arabinoxylan amount was calculated by multiplying the measured total xylose amount by 100 / 62.

[0071] (Amount of free xylose) The beer-flavored beverage from Test Example 3-1 was used for the quantification of free xylose. The quantification of free xylose was performed using a commercially available kit (D-Xylose Analysis Kit, manufactured by Megazyme Inc.) according to the procedure manual included with the kit.

[0072] (low molecular weight ratio) The low molecular weight ratio (free xylose ratio) was calculated according to the following formula. Formula: Low molecular weight ratio = (Amount of free xylose) / (Amount of total xylose) (%)

[0073] <Sensory evaluation> Except for the use of absolute evaluation for the evaluation items "mildness of bitterness," "persistence of bitterness," and "quality of bitterness," the procedure was the same as in Test Example 1. The results are shown in Table 3.

[0074] [Table 3]

[0075] Even in beer-flavored beverages obtained by methods including fermentation of wort, if the total amount of arabinoxylan was within a specified range, all evaluation items received high ratings, and despite being low in carbohydrates, they excelled in mildness of bitterness, persistence of bitterness, and quality of bitterness.

Claims

[Claim 1] A beer-flavored beverage having a carbohydrate content of less than 0.5 g / 100 mL, an alcohol content of 1 v / v% or more, and a total arabinoxylan content of 25 mg / 100 mL or more.

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