Alcoholic beverage and production method thereof

Abstract

To solve problems of an alcoholic beverage that a starch decomposition product of low DE, used for providing richness to the beverage, tends to age and produce white turbidity in an alcohol solution and, on the other hand, a starch decomposition product of high DE having good solubility tends to provide an alcoholic beverage with unnecessary sweetness, and to provide: a method for improving white turbidity generated when a low DE-starch decomposition product is used in an alcoholic beverage; the alcohol-containing beverage with the white turbidness improved; and a production method of the alcohol-containing beverage.SOLUTION: Provision of richness and reduction of while turbidity are concurrently achieved by adding in a 0.5-30% alcoholic beverage a starch decomposition product, which satisfy following (A) to (D), in concentration at the time of drinking of 0.1 to 3.0%, preferably, 0.2-1.0%: (A) the DE is 1.2-1.7; (B) viscosity of a 30 mass% aqueous solution at 30°C is 250-700 mPa / s; (C) a content of a saccharide composition with molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90 mass% or more per solid content; and waxy tapioca starch is used as a raw material.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alcoholic beverage in which aging is inhibited and a method for producing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] Starch hydrolysate (dextrin) is one of the raw materials used to give sweetness, body, and richness to food and beverages. Recently, health-conscious beverages with low alcohol, low sugar, and low fruit juice have been sold, but since alcohol and sugar play a role in adding depth to the flavor of food and beverages, low-alcohol, low-sugar beverages lack body and richness. Therefore, the aforementioned starch hydrolysate is used to compensate for the lack of body and richness. However, the starch hydrolysate used to give body and richness has a low degree of hydrolysis (low DE), so there is a problem that it easily ages over time in solution and becomes cloudy.

[0003] Therefore, in order to eliminate the retrogradation of such starch hydrolyzates, it is first considered to study and change the method for producing the starch hydrolyzates. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of reacting a starch hydrolyzate with a branching enzyme, and that the branched dextrins with DE2 to 9 thus obtained are resistant to retrogradation and can impart a rich texture, and Patent Document 2 discloses that starch hydrolyzates with DE1.2 to 1.7 obtained by two-stage hydrolysis of a starch suspension with α-amylase are highly resistant to retrogradation and can impart a rich texture.

[0004] However, the low DE starch hydrolysates disclosed in the prior art are still prone to retrogradation and clouding in solutions containing alcohol. On the other hand, the use of starch hydrolysates with a high degree of hydrolysis (high DE), which have good solubility, imparts an unnecessary sweetness to the alcoholic beverage, resulting in a poor balance between richness and sweetness. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-80518 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-089932 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an alcohol-containing beverage that avoids the problem of staling, which occurs easily when a low DE starch hydrolysate is used to add body to an alcohol-containing beverage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The inventors conducted various studies to solve this problem and discovered that if an alcoholic beverage contains a specific starch hydrolysate made from waxy tapioca at a concentration at the time of consumption of 0.1 to 3.0%, preferably 0.2 to 1.0%, it will be possible to impart full-bodiedness (rich taste) while preventing cloudiness, thus completing the present invention.

[0008] That is, the present invention has been completed based on the above findings, and comprises the following [1] to [5]. [1] An alcoholic beverage distributed at low temperatures (between 0°C and 10°C), having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 10% and containing 0.1 to 3.0% by mass of a starch hydrolysate that satisfies the following (A) to (D): (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) The viscosity of a 30% by weight aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) the content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch. [2] An alcoholic beverage distributed at room temperature (10°C or higher and 20°C or lower), having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 20% and containing 0.1 to 3.0% by mass of a starch hydrolysate satisfying the above (A) to (D). [3] An alcoholic beverage distributed at room temperature or above (20°C or above), having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30% and containing 0.1 to 3.0 mass% of a starch hydrolysate satisfying the above (A) to (D). [4] A method for producing an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30%, comprising adding a starch hydrolyzate satisfying the above (A) to (D) in an amount of 0.1 to 3.0 mass%. [5] A method for improving the taste of an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30%, comprising adding a starch hydrolysate satisfying the above (A) to (D) in an amount of 0.1 to 3.0 mass%. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to impart a rich flavor to alcoholic beverages, particularly low-alcohol beverages and low-sugar alcoholic beverages that lack a rich flavor, without impairing the appearance and flavor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The term "alcoholic beverage" as used herein refers to a beverage having an alcohol concentration of more than 0% and not more than 10% (v / v) when consumed. The term "alcoholic beverage" as used herein includes "concentrated alcoholic beverages" that are diluted before consumption, but the alcohol concentration of "concentrated alcoholic beverages" themselves (also called "diluted alcoholic beverages") is 10 to 25%. If the alcohol concentration exceeds 10% when consumed, the stimulating sensation of alcohol is too strong, making it difficult to feel the effect of adding the starch hydrolysate in the present invention, and if the alcohol concentration exceeds 25% during storage and distribution, the starch hydrolysate tends to rapidly age and become cloudy, so the above numerical range is preferable. There is no restriction on the carbohydrate content in the alcoholic beverage, but if the carbohydrate content is low, for example, less than 0.5%, the beverage will be weak and unsatisfying, and the effects of the present invention will be significantly exhibited.

[0011] As mentioned above, the "alcoholic beverage" of the present invention is not particularly limited to a particular type, so long as the alcohol concentration at the time of consumption is greater than 0% and equal to or less than 10%, but specific examples include chuhai, highball, cocktail, happoshu, and beer-flavored beverages. In addition, examples of "concentrated alcoholic beverages" include sour mixes, sour concentrates, concentrated liqueurs, concentrated cocktails, and cocktail concentrates.

[0012] The "starch hydrolyzate" in the present invention is also called "starch syrup," "dextrin," "maltodextrin," etc., and refers to a substance obtained by hydrolyzing starch with an enzyme or by depolymerizing it with an acid or heat.

[0013] The "DE" of the starch hydrolyzate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is preferably 1 or more and less than 2, more preferably 1.2 to 1.7, and most preferably 1.3 to 1.6. Note that the "DE" in the present invention is a value calculated by the formula "[(mass of direct reducing sugars (expressed as glucose)) / (mass of solids)]×100", and is an analytical value according to the Wilstätter-Schudel method described below.

[0014] The "viscosity" of the starch hydrolysate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, when measured as a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C using a BM type viscometer, is preferably more than 240 mPa·s and less than 800 mPa·s, more preferably 250 to 700 mPa·s, even more preferably 250 to 600 mPa·s, and most preferably 300 to 550 mPa·s.

[0015] The parameter used to specify the properties of the starch hydrolysate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is "turbidity", which can be confirmed by the absorbance of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 720 nm (10 cm cell). More specifically, by using the "turbidity" when a 30% by mass aqueous solution is frozen overnight at -18°C and then naturally thawed (hereinafter also referred to as "after one freeze-thaw cycle"), the starch hydrolysate used in the present invention can be clearly distinguished from other starch hydrolysates. The turbidity of the starch hydrolysate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is 1.0 or less, preferably 0.9 or less, more preferably 0.7 or less, and even more preferably 0.5 or less.

[0016] The starch hydrolyzate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a sugar composition produced by the hydrolysis of starch, and the fraction with a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is preferably 90% by mass or more, more preferably 93% by mass or more or 95% by mass or more, based on the solid content. The content of the composition with a molecular weight of 5,000 or more can be determined from the molecular weight distribution obtained by gel filtration using HPLC (manufactured by Shimadzu Corporation). The HPLC analysis conditions are as follows: a calibration curve of molecular weight versus detection time is prepared using pullulan standard, maltotriose, and glucose, the detection time of a molecular weight of 5,000 is calculated based on this calibration curve, and the area % of the peak detected before this calculated detection time is taken as the content of the sugar composition with a molecular weight of 5,000 or more. [Column]: TSKgel G2500PWXL, G3000PWXL, G6000PWXL (Tosoh Corporation) [Column temperature]: 80 ° C. [Mobile phase]: distilled water, [Flow rate]: 0.5ml / min, [Detector]: Differential refractometer, [Sample injection volume]: 100 μL of 1% by mass aqueous solution, [Calibration curve]: Pullulan standard (Showa Denko K.K.), maltotriose and glucose

[0017] The starch hydrolysate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is made from glutinous starch such as waxy tapioca starch, waxy corn starch, or waxy potato starch, and among these, those obtained by hydrolyzing waxy tapioca starch are preferred.

[0018] The liquefying enzyme used to obtain the starch hydrolysate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is α-amylase. "α-amylase" refers to an endo-type enzyme that hydrolyzes α-1,4 glucosidic bonds in starch, and examples thereof include Cleistase SD-KM (manufactured by Amano Enzyme Inc.) and Termamyl 120L (manufactured by Novozymes Japan). The amount of this α-amylase used in the first liquefaction step is preferably 0.01 to 0.1% by mass, more preferably 0.02 to 0.09% by mass, based on the solid content of the raw starch, and in the second saccharification step, is preferably 0.004 to 0.05% by mass, more preferably 0.007 to 0.02% by mass, based on the solid content of the raw material.

[0019] In both the liquefaction step and the saccharification step, the temperature is preferably 70 to 100°C, more preferably 80 to 95°C, the pH is preferably 5.0 to 7.0, more preferably 5.5 to 6.5, and the treatment time is preferably 3 to 40 minutes, more preferably 5 to 30 minutes. The concentration of the raw starch in the liquefaction step is preferably about 15 to 40% by mass. In these liquefaction steps and saccharification steps, a heating device such as a heated pressure steamer or a jet cooker may be used. In the liquefaction step, when the viscosity of a 25% by mass aqueous solution of the liquefied liquid at 70°C reaches a predetermined range, for example, 25 to 120 mPa·s, the reaction may be terminated by a pressure treatment of about 0.2 MPa or an acid such as oxalic acid. On the other hand, in the saccharification step, when the viscosity of a 25% by mass aqueous solution of the saccharified liquid at 70°C reaches a predetermined range, for example, 23 to 60 mPa·s, the reaction may be terminated by a pressure treatment of about 0.2 MPa or an acid such as oxalic acid.

[0020] The reaction solution obtained through the liquefaction and saccharification steps can be purified by filtering through diatomaceous earth and desalting with an ion exchange resin, and then concentrated to give a liquid product, or can be powdered by spray drying or the like to give a powder product. Furthermore, the purified starch hydrolyzate liquid can be reduced (hydrogenated) to give reduced starch hydrolyzates.

[0021] The starch hydrolysate used in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention thus obtained has a viscosity of 250 to 700 mPa s as a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30° C., and a very low DE value of 1.2 to 1.7. Furthermore, when frozen overnight at −18° C. and then naturally thawed, the turbidity is 1.0 or less.

[0022] Although the above-mentioned starch hydrolysates are relatively resistant to retrogradation in an aqueous solution, the inventors have found through detailed studies that they retrograded to some extent when alcohol was present, and that their use required ingenuity. First, with regard to the amount of starch hydrolysates to be added, from the viewpoint of imparting full-bodied flavor, which is the object of the present invention, it is preferable to add the starch hydrolysates to an amount of 0.1 to 10% by mass, 0.1 to 5% by mass, 0.1 to 3% by mass, or 0.2 to 1% by mass. In addition, when the alcohol concentration is low, for example, less than 0.5 to 10% (w / v) (when distributed or consumed at low temperature), it is preferable to add the starch hydrolysates to an amount of 0.1 to 3% by mass, and when the alcohol concentration is high, for example, 10 to 30% (w / v) (when distributed mainly at room temperature), it is preferable to add the starch hydrolysates to an amount of 0.1 to 3% by mass or 0.2 to 1% by mass.

[0023] The method for adding the starch hydrolysate is not particularly limited, but from the viewpoint of preventing deterioration during long-term storage and distribution, it is preferable to completely dissolve the starch hydrolysate using a stirrer, etc. In addition, when an alcoholic beverage is made from multiple ingredients and is complicated, it is preferable to add and dissolve the ingredients at a relatively early stage of the production process.

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described, but the present invention is not particularly limited to the examples. EXAMPLES

[0025] (Preparation Example 1 of Starch Hydrolysate) A 22% by mass aqueous suspension of waxy tapioca starch was adjusted to pH 6.0 with slaked lime, and α-amylase (Clystase SD-KM, Amano Enzyme) was added to the raw material at 0.09% by mass based on the raw material solid content. This enzyme-starch aqueous suspension was placed in a heated and pressurized steamer kept at 80°C to carry out an enzyme reaction, and the enzyme was inactivated at 0.1 MPa to obtain a liquefied liquid (the first liquefaction step, DE1.46). Next, the pH of this liquefied liquid was adjusted to 6.0 with oxalic acid or slaked lime, and the above-mentioned α-amylase was added again to 0.009% by mass based on the raw material solid content. After reaction at 85°C, oxalic acid was added, and the pH was adjusted to 3.5 or less to inactivate the enzyme, to obtain a saccharified liquid (the second saccharification step, DE1.8). The saccharified liquid thus obtained was purified by filtration through diatomaceous earth and desalting with an ion exchange resin, then concentrated to 15% by mass and powdered by spray drying to obtain a starch hydrolysate (hereinafter referred to as Prototype 1) with a DE value of 1.6 and a viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C of 300 mPa s.

[0026] (Preparation Example 2 of Starch Hydrolysate) A starch hydrolyzate was prepared in the same manner as in the preparation procedure for starch hydrolyzate 1 described above, except that the starch suspension concentration was 22%, the amount of α-amylase added in the first stage was 0.03%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was 0.85, the amount of α-amylase added in the second stage was 0.01%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was 1.8, and the concentrated concentration after desalting and purification was 15 mass%, and a starch hydrolyzate with a DE of 1.4 and a viscosity of 472 mPa s (hereinafter referred to as prototype 2) was obtained.

[0027] (Preparation Example 3 of Starch Hydrolysate) Starch hydrolysates were prepared in the same manner as in the preparation procedure for starch hydrolysate 1 described above, except that the starch suspension concentration was 22%, the amount of α-amylase added in the first stage was 0.03%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was 0.87, the amount of α-amylase added in the second stage was 0.004%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was 1.5, and the concentrated concentration after desalting and purification was 15 mass%, and a starch hydrolysate with a DE of 1.3 and a viscosity of 694 mPa s (hereinafter referred to as prototype 3) was obtained.

[0028] (Preparation Example 4 of Starch Hydrolysate) A starch hydrolyzate was prepared in the same manner as in the preparation procedure for starch hydrolyzate 1 described above, except that the starch suspension concentration was 21%, the amount of α-amylase added in the first stage was 0.2%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was DE 4.9, the amount of α-amylase added in the second stage was 0.06%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was DE 7.9, and the concentrated concentration after desalting and purification was 32 mass%, and a starch hydrolyzate with a DE of 8.3 and a viscosity of 13.6 mPa s (hereinafter referred to as Prototype 4) was obtained.

[0029] (Preparation Example 5 of Starch Hydrolysate) Starch hydrolysates were prepared in the same manner as in the preparation procedure for starch hydrolysate 1 described above, except that the starch suspension concentration was 20%, the amount of α-amylase added in the first stage was 0.09%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was 1.9, the amount of α-amylase added in the second stage was 0.05%, the amount of α-amylase added at the inactivation point was 4.4, and the concentrated concentration after desalting and purification was 24 mass%, and a starch hydrolysate with a DE of 4.2 and a viscosity of 33.4 mPa s (hereinafter referred to as Prototype 5) was obtained.

[0030] (Viscosity of aqueous solutions of starch hydrolysates) The viscosity of each starch hydrolysate was measured for 30 seconds using a 30% by mass aqueous solution kept at 30°C and a viscometer (BM model, manufactured by Toki Sangyo Co., Ltd.) set at 60 rpm and rotor number 2 or 3.

[0031] (DE value of the starch hydrolysate during the hydrolysis process or the final product) The DE value of the hydrolysis products in the manufacturing process or the final starch hydrolysis products is a value measured by the Wilstetter-Schudel method ("Starch and Sugar Related Industrial Analysis Methods," published by Food Chemistry Newspaper Co., Ltd. (published November 1, 1991)).

[0032] (Sugar composition with molecular weight of 5,000 or more) The content of the sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more was determined from the molecular weight distribution obtained by HPLC using gel filtration. The HPLC analysis conditions were as follows: A calibration curve of molecular weight versus detection time was prepared using pullulan standard, maltotriose, and glucose, and the detection time of a molecular weight of 5,000 was calculated from this calibration curve. The area percentage of the peak detected before the calculated detection time was taken as the content of the sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more. [Column]: TSKgel G2500PWXL, G3000PWXL, G6000PW XL (Tosoh Corporation) [Column temperature]: 80 ° C. [Mobile phase]: Distilled water, [Flow rate]: 0.5ml / min, [Detector]: Differential refractometer, [Sample injection volume]: 100 μL of 1% by mass aqueous solution, [Calibration curve]: Pullulan standard (Showa Denko K.K.), maltotriose and glucose

[0033] The analytical values ​​of the starch hydrolysates used in the subsequent experiments are shown in Table 1.

[0034] [Table 1]

[0035] First, ethanol (99.5% (v / v)) was mixed with an aqueous solution in which each starch hydrolysate had been appropriately dissolved, to prepare solutions with 10, 20 or 30% starch hydrolysate and 10, 20 or 30% alcohol concentration (v / v). Next, these were left to stand overnight at 0°C, 5°C, 10°C or 20°C, after which their state was observed and rated on a three-point scale (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: transparent) (Tables 2 to 6). As an example of the state observation, a photograph of the alcohol solution when the starch hydrolysate "Prototype 2" was used is shown (Table 7).

[0036] [Table 2]

[0037] [Table 3]

[0038] [Table 4]

[0039] [Table 5]

[0040] [Table 6]

[0041] [Table 7]

[0042] Prototype 2 was predicted to have poor aging stability due to its low DE, but in fact, it had the best aging stability in an alcohol solution. In detail, when stored at 10°C or higher, it had good aging stability even when dissolved at a concentration of 10% in an alcohol concentration of 20%, and when stored at a low temperature of 5°C, it had good aging stability even when dissolved at a high concentration of 20% if the alcohol concentration was about 10%. In addition, similar tests were conducted on prototypes 1, 3, 4, and 5, and the results were similar to those of prototype 2 for prototypes 1 and 3, while for prototype 4, when stored at a low temperature of 5°C or lower, the solution was transparent when the alcohol concentration was about 10%, but became cloudy when the alcohol concentration was 20% or higher. For prototype 5, even when stored at 10°C or higher, it became cloudy when the alcohol concentration was 20%, and its aging stability was low.

[0043] <Lemon Chu-Hi 1: Fruit juice 3%, alcohol 9% (v / v), starch hydrolysate 1%> Lemon chuhai with the composition shown in Table 8 below was stored at 4℃ for 7 days, and the state of cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: transparent) was visually confirmed, and the body (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)) were evaluated by 10 panelists, and the scores were averaged. As a result, no cloudiness was observed in the test groups (Examples 1 to 3) in which 1% of Prototypes 1 to 3 was used, and both the body and flavor release were good when compared to the control (no starch hydrolysate added) (Table 9).

[0044] [Table 8]

[0045] [Table 9]

[0046] <Mango Chuhai: 30% fruit juice, 9% alcohol (v / v), 0.2% starch hydrolysate> Mango chuhai with the composition shown in Table 10 below was stored at 4℃ for 7 days, after which the state of cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: clear) was visually inspected, and the body (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)) were evaluated by 10 panelists, and the scores were averaged. As a result, no cloudiness was observed in the test using prototype 2 (0.2%), and both body and flavor release were better than the control (no additives) (Table 11).

[0047] [Table 10]

[0048] [Table 11]

[0049] <Orange Chuhai: 30% fruit juice, 3% alcohol (v / v), 3% starch hydrolysate> Orange chuhai with the composition in Table 12 below was stored at 4℃ for 7 days and then visually inspected for cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: clear), and a sensory evaluation was conducted by 10 panelists for body (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)), and the scores were averaged. As a result, no cloudiness was observed in the test using prototype 2 (3%), and both body and flavor release were better than the control (no additives) (Table 13).

[0050] [Table 12]

[0051] [Table 13]

[0052] <Lemon Chu-Hi 2: Fruit juice 3%, alcohol 4% (v / v), starch hydrolysate 0.5%> Lemon chuhai with the composition in Table 14 below was stored at 4℃ for 7 days, and then visually inspected for cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: clear), and a sensory evaluation was conducted by 10 panelists for body (1 point (weak) → 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) → 5 points (strong)), and the scores were averaged. As a result, no cloudiness was observed in the test group using prototype 2 (0.5%), and both body and flavor release were better than the control (no additives) (Table 15).

[0053] [Table 14]

[0054] [Table 15]

[0055] <Pineapple Chuhai: 4% fruit juice, 0.5% alcohol (v / v), 1% starch hydrolysate> Pineapple chuhai with the composition in Table 16 below was stored at 4℃ for 7 days, and then visually inspected for cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: clear), and a sensory evaluation was conducted by 10 panelists for body (1 point (weak) → 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) → 5 points (strong)), and the scores were averaged. As a result, no cloudiness was observed in the test using prototype 2 (1%), and both body and flavor release were better than the control (no additives) (Table 17).

[0056] [Table 16]

[0057] [Table 17]

[0058] <Highball: Alcohol 0.5% (v / v), Starch hydrolysate 0.5%> Highballs with the composition shown in Table 18 below were stored at 4℃ for 7 days, and then visually inspected for cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: clear), and sensory evaluations were conducted by 10 panelists for body (1 point (weak) → 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) → 5 points (strong)), and the scores were averaged. As a result, no cloudiness was observed in the test group using Prototype 2 (0.5%), and both body and flavor release were better than the control (no additives) (Table 19).

[0059] [Table 18]

[0060] [Table 19]

[0061] <Concentrated liqueur: lemon juice 12%, alcohol 25% (v / v), starch hydrolysate 2.5%> A concentrated liqueur with the composition in Table 20 below was stored at 4℃ for 7 days and visually inspected for cloudiness (1 point: completely cloudy, 2 points: slightly cloudy, 3 points: clear), and evaluated by 10 panelists for body (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)) and flavor release (1 point (weak) to 5 points (strong)), and the scores were averaged. As a result, although some cloudiness was observed in the test group using prototype 2 (2.5%), when diluted and drunk (5 times diluted, so containing 0.5% of test product 2), both body and flavor release were better than the control (no additives) (Table 21).

[0062] [Table 20]

[0063] [Table 21]

Claims

1. An alcoholic beverage distributed at low temperatures (0°C or higher and 10°C or lower), having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 10% and containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of a starch hydrolysate that satisfies the following (A) to (D): (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) the viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) The content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch.

2. An alcoholic beverage distributed at room temperature (10°C or higher and 20°C or lower), having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 20% and containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of a starch hydrolysate that satisfies the following (A) to (D): (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) the viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) The content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch.

3. An alcoholic beverage distributed at room temperature or above (20°C or above), having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30% and containing 0.1 to 10% by mass of a starch hydrolysate that satisfies the following (A) to (D): (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) the viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) The content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch.

4. A method for producing an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30%, comprising adding a starch hydrolysate satisfying the following (A) to (D) in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by mass: (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) the viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) The content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch.

5. A method for improving the taste of an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30%, comprising adding a starch hydrolysate satisfying the following (A) to (D) to the beverage in an amount of 0.1 to 10% by mass: (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) the viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) The content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch.

6. A composition for improving the taste of an alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 0.5 to 30%, comprising a starch hydrolysate that satisfies the following (A) to (D): (A) DE is 1.2 to 1.7; (B) the viscosity of a 30% by mass aqueous solution at 30°C is 250 to 700 mPa s; (C) The content of a sugar composition having a molecular weight of 5,000 or more is 90% by mass or more based on the solid content; (D) Made from waxy tapioca starch.