Beer-flavored beverage

Abstract

A beer-flavored beverage, which has an excellent balance of a suitable finish and acidity, with undesirable astringency suppressed, has been required. This beer-flavored beverage has an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more and satisfies the following expression (1).　Expression (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In expression (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: mass ppm), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: mass ppm).]

Description

Beer-flavored beverages

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

[0002] Conventionally, methods and devices for producing beer beverages by mixing a malt-based concentrate with carbonated water, etc., have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beer beverage production method and a beer beverage dispenser device for producing a malt-based fermented beverage by mixing a malt-based fermented beverage concentrate with a carbonated liquid diluent.

[0003] WO2018 / 100071 publication

[0004] Beer-flavored concentrates designed to be diluted, such as the malt-based concentrate described in Patent Document 1, are designed to have a higher alcohol content than typical beer-flavored beverages. In recent years, there has been a demand for diversifying ways to consume beer-flavored beverages in accordance with consumer preferences, such as by allowing such high-alcohol concentrates to be consumed without dilution. However, there has been a problem in that aroma components produced during the fermentation process to increase the alcohol content can lead to a strong sweet aroma unsuitable for beer-flavored beverages, resulting in a reduced firmness. Another problem is that excessive acetic acid can impart an astringent flavor, resulting in flavor characteristics unsuitable for beer-flavored beverages. Under these circumstances, there has been a demand for a beer-flavored beverage that has an excellent firmness and crisp acidity suitable for beer-flavored beverages, while suppressing the unsuitable astringency.

[0005] As a result of extensive research, the inventors discovered that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by adjusting the content ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid within a specific range, and have thus completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention includes the following aspects. [1] A beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more and satisfying the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] [2] A beer-taste beverage according to [1] that satisfies the following formula (2): Formula (2): X1 / X2≧0.1 [In the above formula (2), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] [3] A beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2] that satisfies the following formula (3): Formula (3): X1 / X3≧0.1 [In the above formula (3), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] [4] A beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [3], which satisfies the following formula (4): Formula (4): (X1+X2+X3) / Y≧1.0 [In the above formula (4), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] [5] A beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [4], which satisfies the following formula (5): Formula (5): (X1 + X2 + X3) / Z > 40.0 [In the above formula (5), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the alcohol content (unit: (v / v)%).] [6] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the total content of acids consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid is 500 ppm by mass or more. [7] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the isoamyl alcohol content is 20 ppm by mass or more. [8] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the alcohol content is 50.00 (v / v)% or less.[9] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [8], which has a malt ratio of 50% by mass or more.

[10] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [9], which is a fermented beverage.

[11] The beer-taste beverage according to

[10] , which is a bottom-fermented beer-taste beverage.

[12] A beer-taste concentrate having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more and satisfying the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).]

[13] The beer-taste concentrate according to

[12] , which is a concentrate for 2- to 10-fold dilution.

[14] A beer-taste beverage comprising the beer-taste concentrate according to

[12] or

[13] , and an edible aqueous solution.

[15] A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of mixing an edible aqueous solution with the beer-taste concentrate solution according to

[12] or

[13] .

[16] A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage, comprising adjusting the contents of acetic acid and lactic acid in a beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more so as to satisfy the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)].

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage with a good firmness is provided. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage with a good crispness of acidity is provided. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a beer-taste beverage with little undesirable astringency is provided. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a beer-taste concentrate is provided from which a beer-taste beverage with a good firmness and / or crispness of acidity and little undesirable astringency can be produced.

[0007] 1. Beer-Taste Beverages In this specification, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to an alcoholic carbonated beverage with a beer-like flavor. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the term "beer-taste beverage" in this specification encompasses any carbonated beverage with a beer flavor. Therefore, "beer-taste beverages" encompass not only beer, a malt fermented beverage obtained by fermenting malt, hops, and water with yeast, but also fermented beer-taste beverages, carbonated beverages to which beer flavorings containing esters, higher alcohols, lactones, etc. have been added, as well as other happoshu (low-malt beer) and sparkling liqueurs, as defined under Japan's Liquor Tax Act.

[0008] Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a fermented beer-taste beverage that has undergone a fermentation process using yeast, or a non-fermented beer-taste beverage that has not undergone a fermentation process. Fermented beer-taste beverages may be ale-taste beverages brewed through a fermentation process using top-fermenting yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces), lager-taste beverages or pilsner-taste beverages brewed through a fermentation process using bottom-fermenting yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces), or blends of these beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, "fermentation" as used herein may refer to alcoholic fermentation, which produces alcohol, or non-alcoholic fermentation, which does not produce alcohol. Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a malt-based beer-taste beverage that uses malt (e.g., barley malt, wheat malt, etc.), or a malt-free beer-taste beverage that does not use malt. Examples of malt-based beer-taste beverages include barley malt beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a barley-based beer-taste beverage that uses barley (e.g., barley, wheat, etc.) as an ingredient, or a barley-free beer-taste beverage that does not use barley. An example of a barley-based beer-taste beverage is a barley-based beer-taste beverage.

[0009] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention has an alcohol content of 8.0 (v / v)% or more and satisfies the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)]. When beer-taste beverages are designed with a high alcohol content, the undesirable sweet aroma produced as fermentation progresses becomes stronger, impairing the body, and resulting in a beverage that is difficult to drink. The inventors of the present invention conducted extensive research to address this issue and found that, even when designed with a high alcohol content of 8.0 (v / v)% or more, by adjusting the content ratio of specific organic acids within a predetermined range, the beverage is less likely to have an excessively sweet aroma, provides the desired body and crisp acidity characteristic of beer-taste beverages, is less likely to have an undesirable astringent taste, and maintains a good balance of flavor and aroma. "Sharp sourness" means that the sweetness from the aroma or taste does not linger for too long, and is not dependent on bitterness; it does not necessarily have to be perceived as sourness.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with a moderately stimulating sensation, the alcohol content (ethanol content) (v / v)% is 8.0 (v / v)% or higher, but is also preferably 8.5 (v / v)% or higher, 9.0 (v / v)% or higher, 9.5 (v / v)% or higher, 10.0 (v / v)% or higher, 10.5 (v / v)% or higher, 11.0 (v / v)% or higher, 11.5 (v / v)% or higher, 12.0 (v / v)% or higher, 12.5 (v / v)% or higher, 13.0 (v / v)% or higher, 13.5 (v / v)% or higher, 14.0 (v / v)% or higher, 14.5 (v / v)% or higher, 15.0 (v / v)% or higher, 15.5 (v / v)% or higher, 16.0 (v / v)% or higher, 16.5 (v / v)% or higher, 17.0 (v / v)% or higher, 17.5 (v / v)% or higher, 18.0 (v / v)% or higher, 18.5 (v / v)% or higher, 19.0 (v / v)% or higher, 20.0 (v / v)% or higher, 20.5 (v / v)% or higher, 21.0 (v / v)% or higher, 21.5 (v / v)% or higher, 22.0 (v / v)% or higher, 22.5 (v / v)% or higher, 23.0 (v / v)% or higher, 23.5 (v / v)% or higher, 24.0 (v / v)% or higher, 24.5 (v / v)% or higher, 25.0 5(v / v)% or more, 16.0(v / v)% or more, 16.5(v / v)% or more, 17.0(v / v)% or more, 17.5(v / v)% or more, 18.0(v / v)% or more, 18.5(v / v)% or more, 19.0(v / v)% or more, 19.5(v / v)% or more, 20.0(v / v)% or more, 20.5(v / v)% or more, 21.0(v / v)% or more, 21.5(v / v)% or more, 22.0(v / v)% or more, 22.5(v / v)% or more, 23.0(v / v)% or more, 23.5(v / v)% or more, 24.0(v / v)% or more, 24.5(v / v)% or more, or 25.0(v / v)% or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of providing a beer-flavored beverage with a less excessively stimulating sensation, the alcohol content may be 50.0 (v / v)% or less, 45.0 (v / v)% or less, 40.0 (v / v)% or less, 35.0 (v / v)% or less, 30.0 (v / v)% or less, 25.0 (v / v)% or less, 24.5 (v / v)% or less, 24.0 (v / v)% or less, 23.5 (v / v)% or less, 23.0 (v / v)% or less, 22.5 (v / v)% or less, 22.0 (v / v)% or less, 21.5 (v / v)% or less, 21.0 (v / v)% or less, 20.5 (v / v)% or less, or 20.0 (v / v)% or less.

[0011] In this specification, the alcohol content is expressed as a percentage ((v / v)%) on a volume / volume basis. The alcohol content of a beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, according to the "8.3 alcohol" standard in the "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Method, 2013 Revised and Enlarged Edition (Edited by the International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, Published by the Brewery Society of Japan, a public interest incorporated foundation)." In addition, the adjustment of alcohol content is based on the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the type of raw material (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw material, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of enzyme addition, the saccharification time in the brewing tank, the proteolysis time in the brewing tank, the pH in the brewing tank, the pH during the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of malt to before the addition of yeast), the amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (during brewing, during fermentation, at the end of fermentation, before drinking, after drinking, etc.), and the temperature ranges during wort preparation (including during saccharification). The set temperature and holding time, original extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, number of yeast grown, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, amount of enzyme added, type of enzyme, timing of enzyme addition, etc.), addition of ethanol, addition of ethanol composition (raw material alcohol, spirits (distilled alcohol) such as shochu, awamori, whiskey, brandy, vodka, rum, tequila, gin, etc., brewer's alcohol, etc.), etc. can be appropriately set.

[0012] The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may or may not contain grain-derived spirits (distilled alcoholic beverages) as the alcohol component in order to adjust the alcohol content to fall within the above range. From the perspective of producing a beer-taste beverage with a high-quality flavor and a beer-like flavor, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a beverage that does not contain spirits. In other words, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention preferably does not contain an ethanol solution or an ethanol-containing composition as an ingredient.

[0013] One embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 (In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).) In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the lactic acid content (X1 / Y) in the above formula (1) may be, in mass ratio, 0.3 or more, 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more, 0.7 or more, 0.8 or more, 0.9 or more, 1.0 or more, 1.1 or more, 1.2 or more, 1.3 or more, 1.4 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.6 or more, 1.7 or more, 1.8 or more, 1.9 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.8 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.5 or more, 4.0 or more, 4.5 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.5 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, or 10.0 or more, from the viewpoint of improving the firmness and / or crispness of the acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing an astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-flavored beverage, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the lactic acid content (X1 / Y) may be, in mass ratio, 50.0 or less, 45.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 35.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.5 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.5 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.5 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.5 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, 5.0 or less, 4.5 or less, or 4.0 or less.

[0014] A beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (2): Formula (2): X1 / X2≧0.1 [In formula (2) above, X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the citric acid content (X1 / X2) in formula (2) above is, in terms of mass ratio, 0.2 or more, more than 0.2, 0.3 or more, 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more, 0.7 or more, 0.8 or more, 0.9 or more, 1.0 or more, 1.1 or more, or 1.2 or more, from the perspective of improving the firmness and / or crispness of the acidity that is suitable for beer-taste beverages. , 1.3 or more, 1.4 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.6 or more, 1.7 or more, 1.8 or more, 1.9 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.8 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.5 or more, 4.0 or more, 4.5 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.5 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, or 10.0 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing an astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-flavored beverage, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the citric acid content (X1 / X2) may be, in mass ratio, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.5 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.5 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.5 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.5 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, 5.0 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.0 or less, 3.5 or less, 3.0 or less, 2.8 or less, 2.6 or less, 2.4 or less, 2.2 or less, or 2.0 or less.

[0015] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (3): Formula (3): X1 / X3≧0.1 [In formula (3), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the succinic acid content (X1 / X3) in formula (3) is, in terms of mass ratio, 0.2 or more, more than 0.2, 0.3 or more, 0.3 or more, 0.4 or more, 0.4 or more, 0.5 or more, 0.6 or more, 0.7 or more, 0.8 or more, 0.9 or more, 1.0 or more, 1.1 or more, It may be 1.2 or more, 1.3 or more, 1.4 or more, 1.5 or more, 1.6 or more, 1.7 or more, 1.8 or more, 1.9 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.8 or more, 3.0 or more, 3.5 or more, 4.0 or more, 4.5 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.5 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, or 10.0 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing an astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-flavored beverage, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the succinic acid content (X1 / X3), in mass ratio, may be 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.5 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.5 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.5 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.5 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, 5.0 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.0 or less, 3.5 or less, 3.0 or less, 2.8 or less, 2.6 or less, 2.4 or less, 2.2 or less, or 2.0 or less.

[0016] One embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (4): Formula (4): (X1 + X2 + X3) / Y ≥ 1.0 (In the above formula (4), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).) In one aspect of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the ratio of the total content of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of lactic acid in formula (4) above ((X1+X2+X3) / Y) is, in terms of mass ratio, 1.2 or more, 1.4 or more, more than 1.4, 1.6 or more, 1.8 or more, 2.0 or more, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, more than 2.4, 2.6 or more, from the perspective of improving the firmness and / or crispness of sourness that is suitable for beer-taste beverages. or above, 2.8 or above, 3.0 or above, 3.2 or above, 3.4 or above, 3.6 or above, 3.8 or above, 4.0 or above, 4.2 or above, 4.4 or above, 4.6 or above, 4.8 or above, 5.0 or above, 5.5 or above, 6.0 or above, 6.5 or above, 7.0 or above, 7.5 or above, 8.0 or above, 8.5 or above, 9.0 or above, 9.5 or above, 10.0 or above, 12.0 or above, 14.0 or above, 16.0 or above, 18.0 or above, or 20.0 or above. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of suppressing an astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage, the ratio of the total content of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of lactic acid ((X1 + X2 + X3) / Y) may be, in mass ratio, 50.0 or less, 45.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 35.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.5 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.5 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.5 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.5 or less, 6.0 or less, 5.5 or less, 5.0 or less, 4.5 or less, 4.0 or less, 3.5 or less, 3.0 or less, 2.5 or less, or 2.0 or less.

[0017] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (5): Formula (5): (X1 + X2 + X3) / Z > 40.0 [In formula (5), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the alcohol content (unit: (v / v)%).] In the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention, the ratio of the total content of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the alcohol content ((X1 + X2 + X3) / Z) in formula (5) above is 42.0 or more, 44.0 or more, 46.0 or more, more than 46.0, 48.0 or more, 50.0 or more, 52.0 or more, 54.0 or more, from the perspective of improving the firmness and / or crispness of acidity that are suitable for beer-taste beverages even in beverages with a high alcohol content. or more, 56.0 or more, 58.0 or more, 60.0 or more, 62.0 or more, 64.0 or more, 66.0 or more, 68.0 or more, 70.0 or more, 72.0 or more, 74.0 or more, 76.0 or more, 78.0 or more, 80.0 or more, 85.0 or more, 90.0 or more, 95.0 or more, 100.0 or more, 110.0 or more, 120.0 or more, 130.0 or more, 140.0 or more, 150.0 or more, 175.0 or more, or 200.0 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of designing a beverage having a high alcohol content while maintaining a good balance of flavor and aroma, the ratio of the total content of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the alcohol content ((X1 + X2 + X3) / Z) may be 500.0 or less, 450.0 or less, 400.0 or less, 350.0 or less, 300.0 or less, 250.0 or less, 200.0 or less, 190.0 or less, 180.0 or less, 170.0 or less, 160.0 or less, 150.0 or less, 140.0 or less, 130.0 or less, 120.0 or less, 110.0 or less, 100.0 or less, 95.0 or less, 90.0 or less, 85.0 or less, or 80.0 or less.

[0018] One embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (6): Formula (6): (X1 + X2 + X3) / Z1 > 2.0 (In the above formula (5), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z1 represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).) In one aspect of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the ratio of the total content of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of isoamyl alcohol in formula (6) above ((X1+X2+X3) / Z1) is, in terms of mass ratio, 2.2 or more, 2.4 or more, 2.6 or more, 2.8 or more, 3.0 or more, more than 3.0, 3.1 or more, 3.2 or more, 3.3 or more, 3.4 or more, 3.5 or more, 3.6 or more, from the perspective of improving the firmness and / or crispness of acidity that is suitable for beer-taste beverages even in beverages with a high alcohol content. or more, 3.7 or more, 3.8 or more, 3.9 or more, 4.0 or more, 4.1 or more, 4.2 or more, 4.3 or more, 4.4 or more, 4.5 or more, 4.6 or more, 4.7 or more, 4.8 or more, 4.9 or more, 5.0 or more, 5.2 or more, 5.4 or more, 5.6 or more, 5.8 or more, 6.0 or more, 6.5 or more, 7.0 or more, 7.5 or more, 8.0 or more, 8.5 or more, 9.0 or more, 9.5 or more, 10.0 or more, 11.0 or more, 12.0 or more, 13.0 or more, 14.0 or more, 15.0 or more, or 20.0 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of designing a beverage having a high alcohol content while maintaining a good balance of flavor, the ratio of the total content of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of isoamyl alcohol ((X1 + X2 + X3) / Z1) may be, in mass ratio, 50.0 or less, 45.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 35.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 18.0 or less, 16.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.8 or less, 9.6 or less, 9.4 or less, 9.2 or less, 9.0 or less, 8.8 or less, 8.6 or less, 8.4 or less, 8.2 or less, 8.0 or less, 7.7 or less, 7.6 or less, 7.4 or less, 7.2 or less, 7.0 or less, 6.8 or less, 6.6 or less, 6.4 or less, 6.2 or less, or 6.0 or less.

[0019] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the isoamyl alcohol content, from the perspective of improving the firmness and / or crisp acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages, is 1 ppm by mass or more, 5 ppm by mass or more, 10 ppm by mass or more, 20 ppm by mass or more, 30 ppm by mass or more, 40 ppm by mass or more, 50 ppm by mass or more, 60 ppm by mass or more, 70 ppm by mass or more, 80 ppm by mass or more, 90 ppm by mass or more, 100 ppm by mass or more, 110 ppm by mass or more, 120 ppm by mass or more, 130 ppm by mass or more, ppm or more, 140 ppm by mass or more, 150 ppm by mass or more, 160 ppm by mass or more, 170 ppm by mass or more, 180 ppm by mass or more, 190 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 260 ppm by mass or more, 280 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 320 ppm by mass or more, 340 ppm by mass or more, 360 ppm by mass or more, 380 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, or 500 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of preventing an inappropriately sweet smell from becoming excessively strong, the content of isoamyl alcohol is set to 1000 ppm by mass or less, 900 ppm by mass or less, 800 ppm by mass or less, 700 ppm by mass or less, 600 ppm by mass or less, 550 ppm by mass or less, 500 ppm by mass or less, 450 ppm by mass or less, less than 400 ppm by mass, 400 ppm by mass or less, 350 ppm by mass or less, 300 ppm by mass or less, 280 ppm by mass or less, 260 ppm by mass or less, mass ppm or less, 240 mass ppm or less, less than 230 mass ppm, 220 mass ppm or less, less than 200 mass ppm, 200 mass ppm or less, 190 mass ppm or less, 180 mass ppm or less, 170 mass ppm or less, It may be 160 mass ppm or less, 150 mass ppm or less, 140 mass ppm or less, less than 130 mass ppm, 130 mass ppm or less, 120 mass ppm or less, 110 mass ppm or less, or 100 mass ppm or less.

[0020] Isoamyl alcohol may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-flavored beverage, may be produced during fermentation from a substrate contained in the raw materials, or may be added separately in the production process (for example, purified isoamyl alcohol). The content of isoamyl alcohol can be adjusted by the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the addition of purified isoamyl alcohol, the type of isoamyl alcohol-containing raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of isoamyl alcohol-source raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to before the addition of yeast), the pH in the mashing process, and pH adjustment. The amount of acid added during the pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperatures and holding times for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, the original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. The content of isoamyl alcohol can be measured by headspace gas chromatography with an FID detector in accordance with the method described in "8.22 Low-boiling-point aroma components" of the revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods (revised and expanded in 2013), an analytical method established by the Brewers Association of Japan (BCOJ).

[0021] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, the acetic acid content may be 1 ppm by mass or more, 5 ppm by mass or more, 10 ppm by mass or more, 15 ppm by mass or more, 20 ppm by mass or more, 30 ppm by mass, 40 ppm by mass or more, 50 ppm by mass or more, more than 50 ppm by mass, 60 ppm by mass or more, 70 ppm by mass or more, 80 ppm by mass or more, 90 ppm by mass or more, 100 ppm by mass or more, 120 ppm by mass or more, 140 ppm by mass or more, 160 ppm by mass or more, 180 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 260 ppm by mass or more, 280 ppm by mass or more, 290 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 310 ppm by mass or more, 320 ppm by mass or more, 330 ppm by mass or more, 340 ppm by mass or more, 350 ppm by mass or more, 360 ppm by mass or more, 370 ppm by mass or more, 380 ppm by mass or more, 390 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 410 ppm by mass or more, 420 ppm by mass or more, 430 ppm by mass or more, 440 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, 460 ppm by mass or more, 470 ppm by mass or more, 480 ppm by mass or more, 490 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 510 ppm by mass or more, 520 ppm by mass or more, 530 ppm by mass or more, 540 ppm by mass or more, 550 ppm by The concentration may be 0 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 320 ppm by mass or more, 340 ppm by mass or more, 360 ppm by mass or more, 380 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 550 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 650 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 750 ppm by mass or more, 800 ppm by mass or more, 850 ppm by mass or more, 900 ppm by mass or more, 950 ppm by mass or more, 1000 ppm by mass or more, 1100 ppm by mass or more, 1200 ppm by mass or more, 1300 ppm by mass or more, 1400 ppm by mass or more, or 1500 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of providing a beer-taste beverage that is not too sour and suppressing an astringent taste, the acetic acid content may be 2000 ppm by mass or less, 1800 ppm by mass or less, 1600 ppm by mass or less, 1400 ppm by mass or less, 1200 ppm by mass or less, 1000 ppm by mass or less, 950 ppm by mass or less, 900 ppm by mass or less, 850 ppm by mass or less, 800 ppm by mass or less, 750 mass ppm or less, 700 mass ppm or less, 650 mass ppm or less, 600 mass ppm or less, 550 mass ppm or less, 500 mass ppm or less, 450 mass ppm or less, 400 mass ppm or less ppm or less, 350 mass ppm or less, 300 mass ppm or less, 250 mass ppm or less, 200 mass ppm or less, 150 mass ppm or less, or 100 mass ppm or less.

[0022] The acetic acid may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, may be produced during fermentation from a substrate contained in the raw materials, or may be added separately during the production process (e.g., purified acetic acid). The acetic acid content can be adjusted by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the addition of purified acetic acid, the type of acetic acid-containing raw material (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which the acetic acid is derived (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH in the mashing process, the amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperatures and holding times for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, the fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), the addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. The content of acetic acid can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0023] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, the citric acid content is 100 ppm by mass or more, 120 ppm by mass or more, 150 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 250 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 310 ppm by mass or more, 320 ppm by mass or more, 330 ppm by mass or more, 340 ppm by mass or more, 350 ppm by mass or more, 360 ppm by mass or more, 370 ppm by mass or more, 380 ppm by mass or more, 390 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 410 ppm by mass or more, 420 ppm by mass or more, 430 ppm by mass or more, 440 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, 460 ppm by mass or more, 470 ppm by mass or more, 480 ppm by mass or more, 490 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 510 ppm by mass or more, 520 ppm by mass or more, 530 ppm by mass or more, 540 ppm by mass or more, 550 ppm by mass or more, 560 ppm by mass or more, 570 ppm by mass or more, 580 ppm by mass or more, 590 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 610 ppm by mass or more, 620 ppm by mass or more, 630 ppm by mass or more, 640 ppm by mass or more, 650 ppm by mass or more, 660 ppm by mass or more, 670 ppm by mass or more, 680 ppm by mass or more, 690 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 710 ppm by mass or more, 720 ppm by mass or more The concentration may be 40 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, 460 ppm by mass or more, 470 ppm by mass or more, 480 ppm by mass or more, 490 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 520 ppm by mass or more, 540 ppm by mass or more, 560 ppm by mass or more, 580 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 620 ppm by mass or more, 640 ppm by mass or more, 660 ppm by mass or more, 680 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 750 ppm by mass or more, 800 ppm by mass or more, 850 ppm by mass or more, 900 ppm by mass or more, 950 ppm by mass or more, or 1000 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage that is not too sour, the citric acid content may be 2000 ppm by mass or less, 1800 ppm by mass or less, 1600 ppm by mass or less, 1400 ppm by mass or less, 1200 ppm by mass or less, 1000 ppm by mass or less, 900 ppm by mass or less, 800 ppm by mass or less, 700 ppm by mass or less, 600 ppm by mass or less, 580 ppm by mass or less, 560 ppm by mass or less, or 540 ppm by mass or less. , 520 mass ppm or less, 500 mass ppm or less, 480 mass ppm or less, 460 mass ppm or less, 440 mass ppm or less, 420 mass ppm or less, 400 mass ppm or less, 380 mass ppm or less, 360 quality The amount may be less than or equal to 340 ppm by weight, less than or equal to 320 ppm by weight, less than or equal to 300 ppm by weight, less than or equal to 250 ppm by weight, less than or equal to 200 ppm by weight, less than or equal to 150 ppm by weight, or less than or equal to 100 ppm by weight.

[0024] Citric acid may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, may be produced during fermentation from a substrate contained in the raw materials, or may be added separately in the production process (for example, purified citric acid). The citric acid content can be adjusted by the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the addition of purified citric acid, the type of citric acid-containing raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw materials from which citric acid is derived (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH in the mashing process, and the addition of an acid used to adjust the pH. The amount, timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), set temperatures and holding times for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration during the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. The citric acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0025] In one aspect of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, the succinic acid content is 50 ppm by mass or more, 80 ppm by mass or more, 100 ppm by mass or more, 120 ppm by mass or more, 150 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 260 ppm by mass or more, 280 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 310 ppm by mass or more, 320 ppm by mass or more, 330 ppm by mass or more, 340 ppm by mass or more, 350 ppm by mass or more, 360 ppm by mass or more, 370 ppm by mass or more, 380 ppm by mass or more, 390 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 410 ppm by mass or more, 420 ppm by mass or more, 430 ppm by mass or more, 440 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, 460 ppm by mass or more, 470 ppm by mass or more, 480 ppm by mass or more, 490 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 510 ppm by mass or more, 520 ppm by mass or more, 530 ppm by mass or more, 540 ppm by mass or more, 550 ppm by mass or more, 560 ppm by mass or more, 570 ppm by mass or more, 580 ppm by mass or more, 59 ...600 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, The concentration may be 0 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 420 ppm by mass or more, 440 ppm by mass or more, 460 ppm by mass or more, 480 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 520 ppm by mass or more, 540 ppm by mass or more, 560 ppm by mass or more, 580 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 620 ppm by mass or more, 640 ppm by mass or more, 660 ppm by mass or more, 680 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 750 ppm by mass or more, 800 ppm by mass or more, 850 ppm by mass or more, 900 ppm by mass or more, 950 ppm by mass or more, or 1000 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of providing a beverage that is not too sour and has a moderately mellow sourness, the succinic acid content is 2000 ppm by mass or less, 1800 ppm by mass or less, 1600 ppm by mass or less, 1400 ppm by mass or less, 1200 ppm by mass or less, 1000 ppm by mass or less, 900 ppm by mass or less, 800 ppm by mass or less, 700 ppm by mass or less, 600 ppm by mass or less, 580 ppm by mass or less, 560 ppm by mass or less, 540 ppm by mass or less, Quantity ppm or less, 520 mass ppm or less, 500 mass ppm or less, 480 mass ppm or less, 460 mass ppm or less, 440 mass ppm or less, 420 mass ppm or less, 400 mass ppm or less, 380 mass ppm or less, 3 It may be 60 mass ppm or less, 340 mass ppm or less, 320 mass ppm or less, 300 mass ppm or less, 250 mass ppm or less, 200 mass ppm or less, 150 mass ppm or less, or 100 mass ppm or less.

[0026] Succinic acid may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, may be produced during fermentation from a substrate contained in the raw materials, or may be added separately in the production process (for example, purified succinic acid). The succinic acid content can be adjusted by the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the addition of purified succinic acid, the type of succinic acid-containing raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of succinic acid-source raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the enzyme reaction time in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH in the mashing process, and the addition of an acid used to adjust the pH. The amount, timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), set temperatures and holding times for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), original extract concentration in the pre-fermentation liquid, original extract concentration in the fermentation process, fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, number of yeast grown, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. The succinic acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0027] In one embodiment of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a mellow taste, the lactic acid content is 1 ppm by mass or more, 5 ppm by mass or more, 10 ppm by mass or more, 15 ppm by mass or more, 20 ppm by mass or more, 25 ppm by mass or more, 30 ppm by mass, 40 ppm by mass or more, 50 ppm by mass or more, more than 50 ppm by mass, 60 ppm by mass or more, 70 ppm by mass or more, 80 ppm by mass or more, 90 ppm by mass or more, 100 ppm by mass or more, 120 ppm by mass or more, 140 ppm by mass or more, 160 ppm by mass or more, 180 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 260 ppm by mass or more. or more, 280 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 320 ppm by mass or more, 340 ppm by mass or more, 360 ppm by mass or more, 380 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 450 ppm by mass or more, 500 ppm by mass or more, 550 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 650 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 750 ppm by mass or more, 800 ppm by mass or more, 850 ppm by mass or more, 900 ppm by mass or more, 950 ppm by mass or more, 1000 ppm by mass or more, 1100 ppm by mass or more, 1200 ppm by mass or more, 1300 ppm by mass or more, 1400 ppm by mass or more, or 1500 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of providing a beer-taste beverage that is not too sour, the lactic acid content may be 2000 ppm by mass or less, 1800 ppm by mass or less, 1600 ppm by mass or less, 1400 ppm by mass or less, 1200 ppm by mass or less, 1000 ppm by mass or less, 950 ppm by mass or less, 900 ppm by mass or less, 850 ppm by mass or less, 800 ppm by mass or less, 750 ppm by mass or less, 700 ppm by mass or less, 650 ppm by mass or less, 600 ppm by mass or less, 550 ppm by mass or less, 500 ppm by mass or less, 450 ppm by mass or less, 400 ppm by mass or less, 350 ppm by mass or less, 300 ppm by mass or less, 250 ppm by mass or less, 200 ppm by mass or less, 150 ppm by mass or less, or 100 ppm by mass or less.

[0028] Lactic acid may be contained in the raw materials of the beer-taste beverage, may be produced during fermentation from a substrate contained in the raw materials, or may be added separately during the production process (e.g., purified lactic acid). The lactic acid content can be adjusted by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the addition of purified lactic acid product, the type of lactic acid-containing raw material (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which lactic acid originates (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH in the mashing process, the amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, the fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), the addition of spirits, brewer's alcohol, etc. The lactic acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0029] The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may contain one or more acids selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and lactic acid. The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may contain lactic acid and one or more acids selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid. In one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving the refreshing taste and sharpness of the sourness, the total content of the acids consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid is 500 ppm by mass or more, 550 ppm by mass or more, 600 ppm by mass or more, 650 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 750 ppm by mass or more, 800 ppm by mass or more, 820 ppm by mass or more, 840 ppm by mass or more, 860 ppm by mass or more, 880 ppm by mass or more, 900 ppm by mass or more, 920 ppm by mass or more, 940 ppm by mass or more, 960 ppm by mass or more, 980 ppm by mass or more, 1000 ppm by mass or more, 1050 ppm by mass or more, 1100 ppm by mass or more, 1150 ppm by mass or more, The concentration may be 1200 ppm by mass or more, 1250 ppm by mass or more, 1300 ppm by mass or more, 1350 ppm by mass or more, 1400 ppm by mass or more, 1450 ppm by mass or more, 1500 ppm by mass or more, 1550 ppm by mass or more, 1600 ppm by mass or more, 1650 ppm by mass or more, 1700 ppm by mass or more, 1750 ppm by mass or more, 1800 ppm by mass or more, 1850 ppm by mass or more, 1900 ppm by mass or more, 1950 ppm by mass or more, 2000 ppm by mass or more, 2100 ppm by mass or more, 2200 ppm by mass or more, 2300 ppm by mass or more, 2400 ppm by mass or more, 2500 ppm by mass or more, or 3000 ppm by mass or more.On the other hand, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage that is not too sour, the total content of acids consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid is 10,000 ppm by mass or less, 8,000 ppm by mass or less, 6,000 ppm by mass or less, 5,000 ppm by mass or less, 4,500 ppm by mass or less, 4,000 ppm by mass or less, 3,500 ppm by mass or less, 3,000 ppm by mass or less, 2,500 ppm by mass or less, 2,000 ppm by mass or less, 1,900 ppm by mass or less, 1,800 ppm by mass or less, 1,700 ppm by mass or less Lower, 1650 mass ppm or less, 1600 mass ppm or less, 1500 mass ppm or less, 1450 mass ppm or less, 1400 mass ppm or less, 1350 mass ppm or less, 1300 mass ppm or less, 1250 mass ppm or less, 1200 mass ppm m or less, 1150 mass ppm or less, 1100 mass ppm or less, 1050 mass ppm or less, 1000 mass ppm or less, 950 mass ppm or less, 900 mass ppm or less, 850 mass ppm or less, or 800 mass ppm or less.

[0030] From the viewpoint of improving flavor, the pH of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 2.00 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.80 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.10 or more, 3.20 or more, 3.30 or more, 3.40 or more, 3.50 or more, 3.60 or more, 3.70 or more, 3.80 or more, 3.90 or more, or 4.00 or more, and is also preferably 5.40 or less, 5.20 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.95 or less, 4.90 or less, 4.85 or less, 4.80 or less, 4.75 or less, 4.70 or less, 4.65 or less, 4.60 or less, 4.55 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.45 or less, 4.40 or less, 4.35 or less, or 4.30 or less, and may be 4.00 or less or less than 4.00. The pH can be adjusted by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the type of raw materials (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar solution, etc.), the amount of raw materials, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of enzyme addition, the saccharification time in the mash tank, the proteolysis time in the mash tank, the pH in the mash tank, the pH in the mashing process (the wort production process from the addition of malt to before the addition of yeast), the type of acid used for pH adjustment (lactic acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, etc.), the amount of acid added for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (during mashing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperatures and holding times for each temperature range when preparing wort (including during saccharification), the original extract concentration of the pre-fermentation liquid, the original extract concentration in the fermentation process, the fermentation conditions (oxygen concentration, aeration conditions, yeast variety, amount of yeast added, yeast growth rate, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), the cooling timing, cooling temperature, cooling time, etc.

[0031] The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is suitable for packaging. Examples of containers include bottles, PET bottles, cans (including bottle-shaped cans), and kegs. A preferred container is a resealable container. Specific examples include resealable bottles, PET bottles, and cans (e.g., bottle-shaped cans).

[0032] 1.1 Ingredients The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention uses grains as an ingredient. Examples of grains used as ingredients include barley, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, koryan (sorghum), potatoes, beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, and barnyard millet. The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention also uses barley (including ungerminated barley, malt, etc.) as an ingredient. The barley used as an ingredient refers to barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, adlay, oats, and other barley species, and may be of any origin or variety. When using malt in a beer-taste beverage, malt can be obtained by germinating and drying the seeds of these barley species and removing the roots. When using a beer-taste beverage that does not substantially contain malt, barley extract obtained by extracting these barley species can be used. In one embodiment of the present invention, barley (including barley extracts and other barley extracts) or barley malt is preferably used. Barley is one of the most commonly used ingredients in Japanese beer-taste beverages. Barley includes varieties such as two-row barley and six-row barley, and either may be used. Barley or malt (including barley extract and malt extract) may be one type, or two or more types may be used in combination. When using colored malt, different types of colored malt may be used in combination, or a single type of colored malt may be used. Furthermore, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage that uses hops as an ingredient, or a beverage that does not use hops. Other ingredients that may be used include sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents, antioxidants, flavorings, acidulants, salts, and the like.

[0033] The malt ratio (the ratio of all malts used) of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably greater than 30% by mass, 35% by mass or more, 40% by mass or more, 45% by mass or more, 50% by mass or more, 51% by mass or more, 52% by mass or more, 54% by mass or more, 55% by mass or more, 56% by mass or more, 57% by mass or more, 58% by mass or more, 59% by mass or more, 60% by mass or more, 61% by mass or more, 62% by mass or more, 63% by mass or more, 64% by mass or more, 65% by mass or more, 66% by mass or more, greater than 66% by mass, 66.6% by mass or more, 67% by mass or more, 68% by mass or more, 69% by mass or more, 70% by mass or more, The malt ratio may be 71% by mass or more, 72% by mass or more, 73% by mass or more, 74% by mass or more, 75% by mass or more, 76% by mass or more, 77% by mass or more, 78% by mass or more, 79% by mass or more, 80% by mass or more, 81% by mass or more, 82% by mass or more, 83% by mass or more, 84% by mass or more, 85% by mass or more, 86% by mass or more, 87% by mass or more, 88% by mass or more, 89% by mass or more, 90% by mass or more, 91% by mass or more, 92% by mass or more, 93% by mass or more, 94% by mass or more, 95% by mass or more, 96% by mass or more, 97% by mass or more, 98% by mass or more, 99% by mass or more, or 100% by mass. By increasing the malt ratio, a beer-taste beverage can be produced that has a rich malt-derived flavor and a stronger barley flavor.On the other hand, from the perspective of producing a beer-taste beverage that is less likely to cause an undesirable feeling of fullness, the malt ratio of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably less than 100% by mass, 99% by mass or less, 98% by mass or less, 97% by mass or less, 96% by mass or less, 95% by mass or less, 94% by mass or less, 93% by mass or less, 92% by mass or less, 91% by mass or less, 90% by mass or less, 89% by mass or less, 88% by mass or less, 87% by mass or less, 86% by mass or less, 85% by mass or less, 84% by mass or less, 83% by mass or less, 82% by mass or less, 81% by mass or less, 80% by mass or less, 79% by mass or less, 78% by mass or less, 77% by mass or less, 76% by mass or less, 75% by mass or less, 74% by mass or less, 73% by mass or less, 72% by mass or less, 71% by mass or less, 70% by mass or less, 69% by mass or less, 68% by mass or less, 67% by mass or less, less than 67% by mass, 66.6% by mass or less, 66% by mass or less, 65% by mass or less, 64% by mass or less, 63% by mass or less, 62% by mass or less, 61% by mass or less, 60% by mass or less, 59% by mass or less, 58% by mass or less, 57% by mass or less, 56% by mass or less, 55% by mass or less, 54% by mass or less, 53% by mass or less, 52% by mass or less, 51% by mass or less, 50% by mass or less, or less than 50% by mass. In this specification, the malt ratio means the value calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Act and the Liquor Administration Law and Liquor Administration Law Interpretation Notice, which came into effect on April 1, 2018.

[0034] When the malt ratio is reduced, it is preferable to increase the amount of raw materials (carbon source, nitrogen source) other than malt that can be assimilated by yeast. Examples of carbon sources that can be assimilated by yeast include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and their sugar solutions. Examples of nitrogen sources include yeast extract, soy protein, malt, soybeans, yeast extract, peas, wheat malt, ungerminated grains, and decomposition products thereof. Examples of ungerminated grains include ungerminated barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, oats, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, sorghum, potatoes, beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barnyard millet, etc. Starch obtained from these grains and extracts thereof may also be used.

[0035] Hops used in one embodiment of the present invention may be in the form of pelleted hops, powdered hops, hop extract, or the like. Furthermore, processed hop products such as isomerized hops and reduced hops may also be used. The amount of hops added may be adjusted as appropriate, but is preferably 0.0001 to 1% by mass based on the total amount of the beverage. Furthermore, beer-flavored beverages using hops as an ingredient contain iso-α acids, which are components derived from hops.

[0036] Examples of sweeteners include commercially available saccharified solutions prepared by hydrolyzing grain-derived starch with acids or enzymes, sugars such as sucrose and commercially available starch syrup, trisaccharides or higher sugars, sugar alcohols, isomerized sugar, natural sweeteners such as stevia, and artificial sweeteners. These sugars may be in the form of a liquid such as a solution, or a solid such as a powder. Furthermore, there are no particular limitations on the type of grain from which the starch is derived, the starch purification method, or the treatment conditions for enzymatic or acidic hydrolysis. For example, sugars with an increased maltose content may be used by appropriately setting the conditions for enzymatic or acidic hydrolysis. Other examples include sucrose, fructose, glucose, mannose, arabinose, galactose, xylose, rhamnose, ribose, fucose, lactose, maltose, trehalose, maltotriose, maltotetraose, maltopentaose, isomaltose, isomaltotriose, isomaltotetraose, isomaltopentaose, lactosucrose, 4'-galactosyl lactose, 1-kestose, nystose, fructofuranosyl nystose, raffinose, stachyose, xylobiose, xylotriose, panose, and solutions thereof (sugar solutions). Examples of artificial sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), sucralose, and neotame. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination. The alcohol content can be increased by adding sugars that can be assimilated by yeast (assimilable sugars) as an ingredient other than malt.

[0037] Examples of water-soluble dietary fibers include indigestible dextrin, polydextrose, hydrolyzed guar gum, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidin, carrageenan, etc., and indigestible dextrin or polydextrose is preferred from the viewpoint of versatility such as stability and safety. These water-soluble dietary fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0038] In beer-flavored beverages, bitterness is preferably imparted by hops or the like, but a bittering agent or bitterness-imparting agent may also be used. The bittering agent or bitterness-imparting agent is not particularly limited, and those used as bittering agents in ordinary beers and happoshu (low-malt beer) can be used, such as rosemary, lychee, Phellodendron amurense, aniseed, juniper nut, sage, cinnamon, Ganoderma lucidum, bay leaf, Ganoderma lucidum, mulberry, citrus extract, bitter persimmon extract, coffee extract, tea extract, bitter gourd extract, lotus germ extract, Aloe arborescens extract, rosemary extract, lychee extract, laurel extract, sage extract, caraway extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, absinthin, alginic acid, gallic acid, etc. These bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0039] The antioxidant is not particularly limited, and any antioxidant that is used in ordinary beer or happoshu can be used, such as ascorbic acid, erythorbic acid, catechin, etc. These antioxidants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0040] Common beer flavorings can be used as flavorings. Beer flavorings are used to impart a beer-like flavor and include brewing components generated by fermentation. Therefore, when alcoholic fermentation is involved in the production process of a beer-flavored beverage, there is little need to add a beer flavoring separately, but a beer flavoring may be added if desired.Beer flavoring agents include esters and higher alcohols, and specific examples thereof include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol (e.g., 1-propanol), isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, isoamyl propionate, linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinylguaiacol (4-VG), 4-methyl-3-pentenoic acid, 2-methyl-2-pentenoic acid, 1,4-cineole, 1,8-cineole, 2,3-diethyl-5-methylpyrazine, γ-decanolactone, and γ-undecalactone. ton, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, ethyl n-butyrate, myrcene, citral, limonene, ethyl maltol, phenylacetic acid, furaneol, furfural, methional, 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-2-butanethiol, diacetyl, ferulic acid, geranic acid, geranyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, octanoic acid, decanoic acid, 9-decenoic acid, nonanoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, propanoic acid, 2-methylpropanoic acid, γ-butyrolactone, 2-aminoacetophenone, ethyl 3-phenylpropionate, 2-ethyl-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-3(2H)-furanone, dimethyl sulfone, 3-methylcyclopentane-1,2-dione, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, 2-acetylfuran, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran-3-one, hexanal, hexanol, cis-3-hexenal, 1-octen-3-ol, β-eudesmol, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one, β-caryophyllene, β-myrcene, furfuryl alcohol, 2-ethylpyrrole Examples of beer flavorings include ginseng, 2,3-dimethylpyrazine, 2-methylbutyl acetate, isoamyl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, phenylacetaldehyde, 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one, trans-2-hexenal, nonanal, phenethyl alcohol, nerol, citronellol, methyl p-toluate, 1,2,3,5-tetramethylbenzene, triethyl citrate, tributyl citrate, diethyl tartrate, dibutyl malate, perillaldehyde, methylheptenone, lemon myrtle, cinnamaldehyde, etc. These beer flavorings may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0041] The acidulant is not particularly limited as long as it has a sour taste. In addition to the above-mentioned acetic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, and lactic acid, for example, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, or a salt thereof can be used. Among these acidulants, phosphoric acid, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, malic acid, phytic acid, or a salt thereof is preferred, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, or a salt thereof is more preferred, and phosphoric acid, malic acid, or a salt thereof is particularly preferred. These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Note that the acidulant is not limited to acidulants approved as food additives, and may also be those derived from raw materials such as malt, those produced by adjusting various process conditions, those produced by yeast, or those added externally as additives.

[0042] Examples of preservatives include benzoic acid; benzoates such as sodium benzoate; benzoate esters such as propyl parahydroxybenzoate and butyl parahydroxybenzoate; and dimethyl dicarbonate. Commercially available preservatives, such as Strong Sunplazer (a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I., Inc.), may also be used. These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The amount of preservative in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 5 to 1,200 ppm by mass, more preferably 10 to 1,100 ppm by mass, even more preferably 15 to 1,000 ppm by mass, and even more preferably 20 to 900 ppm by mass.

[0043] Examples of salts include sodium chloride, acidic potassium phosphate, acidic calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, trisodium citrate, etc. These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0044] 1.2 Carbon Dioxide Gas The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may or may not contain dissolved carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide gas contained in the beer-taste beverage may be carbon dioxide gas contained in the raw materials, or may be dissolved by blending with carbonated water or by adding carbon dioxide gas. Because the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention undergoes alcoholic fermentation, the carbon dioxide gas generated during this fermentation process can be used as is, but the amount of carbon dioxide gas can also be adjusted by adding carbonated water as appropriate.

[0045] When the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas, the carbon dioxide gas concentration is preferably 0.30 (w / w)% or more, 0.35 (w / w)% or more, 0.40 (w / w)% or more, 0.42 (w / w)% or more, 0.45 (w / w)% or more, 0.47 (w / w)% or more, 0.50 (w / w)% or more, or 0.52 (w / w)% or more, and may also be 0.80 (w / w)% or less, 0.70 (w / w)% or less, 0.60 (w / w)% or less, 0.57 (w / w) or less, 0.55 (w / w)% or less, 0.54 (w / w)% or less, 0.53 (w / w)% or less, 0.52 (w / w)% or less, 0.51 (w / w)% or less, or 0.50 (w / w)% or less.

[0046] When the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is a bottled beverage, the carbon dioxide pressure of the bottled beverage may be adjusted appropriately within the range that results in the above-mentioned carbon dioxide concentration. ２ Below, 4.5kg / cm ２ or less, or 4.0 kg / cm ２ and 0.20 kg / cm ２ Above, 0.50kg / cm ２ or more, or 1.0 kg / cm ２ For example, the carbon dioxide gas pressure is 0.20 kg / cm. ２ More than 5.0kg / cm ２ Below, 0.50kg / cm ２ 4.5kg / cm or more ２ or less, or 1.0 kg / cm ２ 4.0kg / cm or more ２or less. In this specification, the gas pressure refers to the gas pressure inside a container, except in special cases. The pressure can be measured by a method well known to those skilled in the art, for example, by fixing a sample cooled to 20°C to an internal gas pressure gauge, opening the stopcock of the internal gas pressure gauge to release the gas, closing the stopcock again, swinging the internal gas pressure gauge, and reading the value when the pointer reaches a certain position, or by using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device.

[0047] 1.3 Other Additives Various additives may be added to the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, as needed, as long as they do not impair the effects of the present invention. Examples of such additives include colorants, foam-forming agents, fermentation promoters, yeast extracts, protein-based substances such as peptide-containing substances, and seasonings such as amino acids. Colorants are used to impart a beer-like color to beverages, and caramel coloring can be used. Foam-forming agents are used to form beer-like foam in beverages or to maintain the foam in beverages, and include plant-extracted saponin-based substances such as soybean saponin and quillaja saponin, plant proteins such as corn and soybeans, peptide-containing substances such as collagen peptides, yeast extract, and milk-derived ingredients, as appropriate. Fermentation promoters are used to promote fermentation by yeast, and include, for example, yeast extract, bran components such as rice or barley, vitamins, and minerals, which can be used alone or in combination.

[0048] 2. Manufacturing Method of Beer-Taste Beverage The manufacturing method of a beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be produced in the same manner as a typical beer-taste beverage, but examples include a method comprising at least the following steps (I) and (II). Step (I): Adjusting the alcohol content to 8.0 (v / v)%. Step (II): Checking and / or adjusting the content ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid so as to satisfy the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)]. The order of steps (I) and (II) is not particularly limited, and steps (I) and (II) may be performed simultaneously. Furthermore, the manufacturing method of a beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may involve either a fermentation process or a fermentation-free process. Furthermore, the method for producing a beer-taste beverage in one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may involve either an aging process or a non-aging process. Below, a description is given of a method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage via a fermentation process, and a method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage without a fermentation process.

[0049] 2.1 Method for Producing Fermented Beer-Taste Beverage One embodiment of the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention includes a method involving a fermentation step using yeast, and may include, for example, the following steps (1) and (2): - Step (1): A step of subjecting raw materials to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solids removal to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid; - Step (2): A step of adding yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid and carrying out fermentation.

[0050] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention, steps (I) and (II) can be carried out at one or more of the following times (i) to (iii): (i) Simultaneously with at least one of steps (1) and (2), (ii) Between steps (1) and (2), and (iii) After step (2). Each step in the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is described below.

[0051] 2.1.1 Step (1) Step (1) involves using various raw materials and performing at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solids removal to obtain a pre-fermentation solution. For example, when malt is used as the raw materials, water and the various raw materials including malt are added to a mash kettle or mash tank, and, if necessary, enzymes such as polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and protease enzymes that promote the conversion of components derived from the raw materials may be added. This can promote the production of assimilable sugars, for example. Examples of such enzymes include amylase, protease, purine nucleosidase, deaminase, polyphenol oxidase, glucanase, xylase, pectinase, cellulase, lipase, glucosidase, xanthine oxidase, transglucosidase, glucoamylase, uricase, β-glucosidase, and α-glucosidase. These enzymes may be heat-resistant or non-heat-resistant. The type of enzyme can be selected depending on the timing of addition and the process in which it is added. The enzymes listed above may be used alone or in combination. Examples of enzymes include those listed under "(3) the following enzymes added during the brewing process for the purpose of streamlining sake brewing" in Article 3 of the Liquor Tax Act and the Notification of Alcoholic Beverage Administration Laws and Regulations (revised June 27, 2018), "Items Not Treated as Alcoholic Beverage Ingredients." Adding these enzymes can efficiently adjust the component composition of the resulting beer-flavored beverage. Various additives, such as assimilable sugars (e.g., glucose, sucrose, maltose), hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, bittering agents or bitterness-imparting agents, antioxidants, flavorings, acidulants, and colorings, may also be added as raw materials other than malt. The enzymes and various raw materials may be added before, during, or after the saccharification process. These may also be added before or after the fermentation in the next step, i.e., in step (2), together with the yeast, during fermentation, or after the end of fermentation.

[0052] The mixture of various raw materials is heated to saccharify the starch in the raw materials. The temperature and time of the saccharification treatment are preferably adjusted as appropriate, taking into consideration the type of malt used, the malt ratio, water and raw materials other than malt, the type and amount of enzyme used, and the alcohol content of the final beverage. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, from the perspective of adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to the above-mentioned range, the saccharification treatment temperature is preferably 55 to 75°C, and the saccharification treatment time is preferably 30 to 240 minutes.

[0053] The saccharified solution is preferably subjected to a boiling treatment. When hops, bittering agents, etc. are used as raw materials during the boiling treatment, these are preferably added. Hops, bittering agents, etc. may be added between the start and end of boiling of the saccharified solution.

[0054] After completion of the boiling treatment, it is preferable to transfer the liquid to a whirlpool, cool it to 0 to 25°C, and then remove solids such as coagulated proteins. In this way, a pre-fermentation liquid is obtained. In this step, filtration through a filter with a predetermined pore size (for example, a pore size of less than 30 μm) may be performed to remove solids.

[0055] Instead of the above-mentioned saccharified solution, a pre-fermentation solution may be prepared by adding hops, bittering agents, etc. to malt extract and warm water, followed by boiling. Furthermore, when malt is not used as one of the raw materials or when the amount of malt used is limited, a liquid sugar containing a carbon source, a nitrogen source as an amino acid-containing raw material other than barley or malt, hops, dietary fiber, preservatives, sweeteners, antioxidants, bittering agents, flavorings, acidulants, colorants, etc. may be mixed with warm water to prepare a liquid sugar solution, which may then be boiled to prepare a pre-fermentation solution. When hops are used, they may be added before the boiling process or between the start and end of boiling the liquid sugar solution.

[0056] 2.1.2 Step (2) Step (2) is a step in which yeast is added to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) and fermentation is carried out. The yeast used in this step can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the type of fermented beverage to be produced, the desired flavor and taste, fermentation conditions, etc., and either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast may be used.

[0057] The yeast may be added to the raw materials as a yeast suspension, or a slurry of concentrated yeast obtained by centrifugation or sedimentation may be added to the pre-fermentation liquid. Alternatively, the yeast may be added after centrifuging and the supernatant completely removed. The amount of yeast to be added to the beverage can be determined as appropriate, but for example, 5 x 10 ６ cells / mL ~ 1×10 ８ It is about cells / mL.

[0058] Fermentation conditions can be set as appropriate, but from the perspective of adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage within the above-mentioned range, the fermentation temperature is, for example, 5 to 30°C, preferably 5 to 25°C. The alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage can be adjusted by appropriately setting the type, amount, and timing of addition of the enzymes listed in "2.2.1 Step (1)" above. If necessary, the temperature (heating or cooling) or pressure of the fermented liquid may be changed during the fermentation process. Aging may also be performed after fermentation. The aging conditions for aging can be set as appropriate, but from the perspective of adjusting the desired flavor, the aging temperature is, for example, 5 to 30°C, preferably 5 to 25°C. The aging vessel may be, for example, a stainless steel tank or a wooden barrel. After fermentation, filtration may be performed to remove yeast from the beer-taste beverage, or filtration may be omitted. Water or the various additives described above may also be added as needed.

[0059] The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention thus obtained is sterilized, if necessary, and then filled into a predetermined container for distribution on the market as a product. The method for packaging the beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and any packaging method known to those skilled in the art can be used. In the packaging step, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is filled into a container and sealed. Containers of any shape and material may be used in the packaging step, and examples of containers are as described above.

[0060] 2.2 Manufacturing Method of Non-Fermented Beer-Taste Beverage When the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a non-fermented beer-taste beverage, it can be manufactured by a general manufacturing method for non-fermented beer-taste beverages. Specific examples of manufacturing methods for non-fermented beer-taste beverages according to one embodiment of the present invention include methods comprising the following steps (a) to (c): - Step (a): A step of subjecting raw materials to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solids removal to obtain a beverage pre-liquid. - Step (b): A step of cooling the beverage pre-liquid obtained in step (a) and adding carbon dioxide gas.

[0061] Step (a) is the same as step (1) in the "Method for Producing a Fermented Beer-Taste Beverage" described above, where a pre-fermentation liquid is obtained. Carbon dioxide gas can be added in step (b) by mixing the cooled pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (a) with carbonated water, or by directly adding carbon dioxide gas to the cooled fermented beverage. Furthermore, additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, acidulants, and colorants may be added as needed when carbon dioxide gas is added at the same time as step (b).

[0062] Furthermore, when the non-fermented beer-taste beverage is converted into an alcohol-containing non-fermented beer-taste beverage, the following step (c) is included: Step (c): A step of blending an alcohol component after at least step (a).

[0063] Step (c) may be carried out at least after step (a), and may be carried out, for example, at one or more of the following times (I) to (III): (I): Between step (a) and step (b); (II): Simultaneously with step (b); (III): After step (b). Among these, step (c) is preferably carried out after cooling the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (a) to prepare a cooled fermented beverage, but before adding carbon dioxide. The alcohol component to be blended in step (c) is preferably the above-mentioned grain-derived spirits (distilled liquor).

[0064] The non-fermented, beer-taste beverage obtained in this manner is filled into a predetermined container and distributed as a product on the market. The method for packaging the non-fermented, beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and any packaging method known to those skilled in the art can be used. In the packaging process, the non-fermented, beer-taste beverage is filled into a container and sealed. Containers of any shape and material may be used in the packaging process, and examples of containers are as described above.

[0065] 3. Method for Improving the Flavor of Beer-Taste Beverages One embodiment of the present invention is a method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage, which comprises at least the following steps (I) to (II): - Step (I): Adjusting the alcohol content to 8.0 (v / v)% or more. - Step (II): Checking and / or adjusting the content ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid so as to satisfy the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)] Steps (I) and (II) correspond to steps (I) and (II), respectively, in the above-mentioned method for producing a beer-taste beverage. By adjusting the content ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid within a predetermined range for a beer-taste beverage whose alcohol content has been adjusted to 8.0 (v / v)% or higher by operation (I) using operation (II), it is possible to improve the desired firmness and crisp sourness while suppressing undesirable astringency. In the flavor improving method of one embodiment of the present invention, the beverage used as the reference for flavor improvement is a beer-taste beverage prepared without operation (II). That is, the flavor improving method of one embodiment of the present invention is sufficient if a beer-taste beverage prepared by performing both operations (I) and (II) has improved desired firmness and / or crisp sourness compared to a beer-taste beverage prepared without operation (II). Alternatively, it is sufficient if undesirable astringency is suppressed. The preferred ranges for the alcohol content and the content ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid, as well as the various properties, components, and their contents of the beer-taste beverage, are as described above in "1. Beer-Taste Beverages."

[0066] 4. Beer-Taste Concentrate The present invention also provides a beer-taste concentrate having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or higher and satisfying the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)] The beer-taste concentrate of the present invention is a concentrate useful for producing a beer-taste beverage that has a good firmness and / or a crisp acidity and suppresses undesirable astringency.

[0067] As used herein, a "beer-taste concentrate" refers to an edible solution used to produce a beer-taste beverage by mixing the concentrate with an edible aqueous solution, and is not intended to be consumed directly. The beer-taste concentrate may be any liquid that can be mixed with an edible aqueous solution to produce a beer-taste beverage. As used herein, an "edible aqueous solution" refers to water or a solution in which one or more edible components have been dissolved in water. The edible components are not particularly limited and may be solids such as ice or dry ice, liquids such as vegetable oils, alcoholic beverages, or fruit juices, or gases such as carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas. The edible aqueous solution to be mixed with the beer-taste concentrate of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include sparkling aqueous solutions such as water, cider, ramune, cola, carbonated water, chuhai, hard seltzer, highball, alcoholic beer-flavored beverages, non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages, cider, and champagne; and non-sparkling aqueous solutions such as soft drinks, tea, black tea, coffee, sake, shochu, wine, fruit wine, gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, brandy, tequila, and flavored syrup (including concentrates). Sparkling aqueous solutions are preferred, aqueous solutions containing carbon dioxide are more preferred, carbonated beverages are even more preferred, and carbonated water is particularly preferred. The carbon dioxide concentration of the edible aqueous solution of the present invention is preferably 0.30 (w / w)% or more, more preferably 0.35 (w / w)% or more, even more preferably 0.40 (w / w)% or more, still more preferably 0.42 (w / w)% or more, particularly preferably 0.45 (w / w)% or more, and may also be preferably 0.90 (w / w)% or less, 0.80 (w / w)% or less, 0.70 (w / w)% or less, 0.6 (w / w) or less, or 0.55 (w / w)% or less.

[0068] The beer-taste concentrate in one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a concentrate for dilution by a factor of 2 to 10, and the dilution factor may be 3 or more, 4 or more, 5 or more, 6 or more, 7 or more, 8 or more, 9 or more, or 10 or more, or may be 9 or less, 8 or less, 7 or less, 6 or less, 5 or less, 4 or less, 3 or less, or 2 or less.

[0069] One aspect of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage comprising the beer-taste concentrate of one aspect of the present invention and the edible aqueous solution. Another aspect of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage produced by mixing the beer-taste concentrate of one aspect of the present invention with the edible aqueous solution. Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising mixing the beer-taste concentrate of one aspect of the present invention with the edible aqueous solution. Another aspect of the present invention is a beer-taste concentrate for use in producing the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention.

[0070] The beer-taste concentrate of one embodiment of the present invention is suitable for packaging in a container. Examples of containers include bottles, PET bottles, cans (including bottle-shaped cans), and barrels. A preferred container is a resealable container. Specific examples include resealable bottles, PET bottles, cans (e.g., bottle-shaped cans), and barrels.

[0071] With regard to the various properties of the beer-taste concentrate, the various components and their contents, the method for producing the beer-taste concentrate, the method for improving the flavor of the beer-taste concentrate, etc., the contents described above in "1. Beer-Taste Beverage," "2. Method for Producing Beer-Taste Beverage," and "3. Method for Improving the Flavor of Beer-Taste Beverage" also apply to this embodiment, so reference can be made to these descriptions.

[0072] The present invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0073] Examples 1-20 and Comparative Examples 1-5 <Preparation of Beer-Taste Beverages> Milled barley malt was added to a brewing tank containing 120 L of warm water, the temperature was gradually increased, and the water was filtered to remove malt grains and other contaminants, resulting in a saccharified solution. After filtration, the saccharified solution, sugar solution, and hops were added to a boiling kettle and the volume was adjusted to 100 L with warm water to obtain hot wort. The resulting hot wort was cooled and aerated with oxygen to obtain 60 L of pre-fermentation liquid before the addition of yeast. Beer yeast (bottom-fermenting yeast or top-fermenting yeast) was added to the resulting pre-fermentation liquid, and the fermentation temperature and fermentation time were adjusted to perform alcoholic fermentation to a predetermined alcohol content. The yeast was then removed by filtration to prepare a beer-taste beverage. Note that top-fermenting yeast was used in Examples 1-16 and Comparative Examples 1-5, while bottom-fermenting yeast was used in Examples 17-20. In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the contents of acetic acid, citric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, and isoamyl alcohol were adjusted to the values ​​shown in Tables 1 to 3 by adjusting the above-mentioned production conditions and, if necessary, adding purified products of these acids.

[0074] <Sensory Evaluation> The resulting beer-taste beverages were cooled to approximately 4°C and tasted by six trained panelists, who evaluated the beverages as follows for the following evaluation criteria: "presence or absence of a firmness suitable for a beer-taste beverage," "presence or absence of a crisp acidity suitable for a beer-taste beverage," and "presence or absence of an astringent taste unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage."

[0075] That is, based on the following scoring criteria, evaluation was performed using scores in increments of 0.1 within the range of 3.0 (maximum value) to 1.0 (minimum value), and the average score of the six panelists was calculated. For the evaluation, samples whose evaluation items corresponded to the following criteria of "1.0," "1.5," "2.0," "2.5," and "3.0" were prepared in advance, and the standards were standardized among the panelists. Furthermore, in the sensory evaluation of all Examples and Comparative Examples, no difference in score values ​​of 0.2 or more was observed between the panelists for the same sample. Note that in Examples with an overall evaluation of "A" or "B," no panelists scored less than 2.0.

[0076] [Whether or not there is a firmness suitable for beer-taste beverages] - "3.0": A very strong firmness suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "2.5": A strong firmness suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "2.0": A sufficient firmness suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "1.5": Almost no firmness suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "1.0": No firmness suitable for beer-taste beverages at all. [Whether or not there is a crisp acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages] - "3.0": A very strong crisp acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "2.5": A strong crisp acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "2.0": A sufficient crisp acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages. - "1.5": Almost no crisp acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages.・"1.0": The crisp acidity that is desirable for a beer-taste beverage is not detectable at all. [Presence or absence of an astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage] ・"3.0": The astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage is not detectable at all. ・"2.5": The astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage is barely detectable. ・"2.0": The astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage is barely detectable. ・"1.5": The astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage is detectable, making it difficult to drink. ・"1.0": The astringent taste that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage is strongly detectable, making it very difficult to drink.

[0077] [Overall evaluation] "A": Of the three sensory evaluation items tested, two or more have an average score of 2.5 or higher. "B": Does not fall under "A" or "C." "C": At least one of the three sensory evaluation items tested has an average score of less than 2.0.

[0078]

[0079] Examples 21-28 and Comparative Examples 6-7 <Preparation of Beer-Taste Beverages> In these examples, the beer-taste beverages prepared in Examples 1-8 and Comparative Examples 1-2 described above were used as beer-taste concentrates for dilution. Each of these beer-taste concentrates was diluted four-fold with carbonated water to prepare the beer-taste beverages of Examples 21-28 and Comparative Examples 6-7. The compositions and properties of the resulting beer-taste beverages, as well as the results of the sensory evaluation, are shown in Table 4. The sensory evaluation was conducted in the same manner as in Examples 1-20.

[0080]

[0081] The results in Tables 1 to 3 indicate that beer-taste beverages with an alcohol content of 8.0 (v / v)% or higher and in which the ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid was adjusted to satisfy the above formula (1) had a desirable firmness, a sharp acidity, and little undesirable astringency, even though the beverages were fermented to produce a relatively high alcohol content. Similarly, the results in Table 4 indicate that beer-taste beverages obtained by diluting beer-taste concentrates with an alcohol content of 8.0 (v / v)% or higher and in which the ratio of acetic acid to lactic acid was adjusted to satisfy the above formula (1) also had a desirable firmness, a sharp acidity, and little undesirable astringency.

Claims

1. A beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more and satisfying the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)] 2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, which satisfies the following formula (2): Formula (2): X1 / X2 ≧ 0.1 [In the above formula (2), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass)] 3. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, which satisfies the following formula (3): Formula (3): X1 / X3≧0.1 [In the above formula (3), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)] 4. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, which satisfies the following formula (4): (X1 + X2 + X3) / Y ≥ 1.0 (In the formula (4), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).) 5. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, which satisfies the following formula (5): (X1 + X2 + X3) / Z > 40.0 (In the formula (5), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), X3 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the alcohol content (unit: (v / v)%).) 6. A beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the total content of acids consisting of acetic acid, citric acid, and succinic acid is 500 ppm by mass or more.

7. A beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the isoamyl alcohol content is 20 ppm by mass or more.

8. A beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having an alcohol content of 50.00 (v / v)% or less.

9. A beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the malt ratio is 50% by mass or more.

10. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is a fermented beverage.

11. The beer-flavored beverage according to claim 10, which is a bottom-fermented beer-flavored beverage.

12. A beer-taste concentrate having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more and satisfying the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)] 13. The beer-taste concentrate according to claim 12, which is a concentrate for dilution 2 to 10 times.

14. A beer-flavored beverage comprising the beer-flavored concentrate according to claim 12 or 13 and an edible aqueous solution.

15. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of mixing an edible aqueous solution with the beer-taste concentrate according to claim 12 or 13.

16. A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage, comprising adjusting the contents of acetic acid and lactic acid in a beer-taste beverage having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more so as to satisfy the following formula (1): Formula (1): X1 / Y>0.2 [In the above formula (1), X1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y represents the lactic acid content (unit: ppm by mass)]

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