Beer-taste beverage

Abstract

To provide a beer-taste beverage that offers a refreshing flavor, along with a mellow sourness.SOLUTION: A beer-taste beverage has an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more and a succinic acid content of 110 mass ppm or more and 1100 mass ppm or less, fulfilling the formula (1A): X1 / Y1≥0.25 [where X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: mass ppm) and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: mass ppm)].SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, methods and devices for producing a beer beverage by mixing a malt-based concentrate with carbonated water or the like have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a beer beverage production method for producing a malt-based fermented beverage by mixing a malt-based fermented beverage concentrate with a carbonated liquid diluent, and a beer beverage dispenser device. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] WO2018 / 100071 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Beer-taste concentrates that are intended to be diluted, such as the malt-based concentrate in Patent Document 1, are designed to have a higher alcohol content than typical beer-taste beverages. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for such high-alcohol-content concentrates to be consumed without diluting them, and the present inventors faced the problem that when a high-alcohol-content concentrate is consumed as is, it is easy to detect a sweet aroma that is unsuitable for a beer-taste beverage. Under these circumstances, there was a demand for a beer-flavored beverage that had a refreshing taste and also had a mellow acidity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] As a result of extensive research, the inventors have found that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by adjusting the content of succinic acid and the content ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid within a predetermined range, and have thus completed the present invention. That is, the present invention includes the following aspects. [1] The alcohol content is 8.00 (v / v)% or more, The succinic acid content is 110 ppm by mass or more and 1100 ppm by mass or less, Satisfying the following formula (1A): Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] A beer-taste beverage. [2] The beer-flavored beverage according to [1], having an alcohol content of 50.00 (v / v)% or less. [3] The beer-taste beverage according to [1] or [2], wherein the isoamyl alcohol content is 10 ppm by mass or more and 1,000 ppm by mass or less. [4] Satisfying the following formula (1B): Formula (1B):X2 / Y1>0.32 [In the above formula (1B), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).][1] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [3]. [5] Satisfying the following formula (2A): Formula (2A):X1 / Z≧0.50 [In the above formula (2A), X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).] [1] to [4] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of the above. [6] Satisfying the following formula (2B): Formula (2B):X2 / Z≧0.78 [In the above formula (2B), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).][1] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [5]. [7] Satisfying the following formula (3): Formula (3): Y1 / Z≧0.66 [In the above formula (3), Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).] [1] to [6] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of the above. [8] Satisfying the following formula (4): Formula (4):X / Y1>1.25 [In the above formula (4), X represents the total content (unit: ppm by mass) of one or more acidulants selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid, and Y1 represents the content (unit: ppm by mass) of acetic acid.] [1] to [7] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of the above. [9] The beer-taste beverage according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the malt ratio is 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 any one of [1] to

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

[12] The alcohol content is 8.00 (v / v)% or more, The succinic acid content is 110 ppm by mass or more and 1100 ppm by mass or less, Satisfying the following formula (1A): Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] Beer-taste concentrate.

[13] The beer-taste concentrate according to

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

[14] A beer-flavored beverage made by mixing the beer-flavor concentrate described in

[12] or

[13] with 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 described in

[12] or

[13] . Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a beer-taste beverage having a refreshing taste suitable for beer-taste beverages. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a beer-taste beverage having a mellow acidity suitable for beer-taste beverages. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a beer-taste concentrate from which a beer-taste beverage having a refreshing taste and a mellow acidity can be produced. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0007] 1. Beer-flavored beverages In this specification, the term "beer-taste beverage" refers to an alcohol-containing carbonated beverage that has a beer-like flavor. In other words, unless otherwise specified, the beer-taste beverage in this specification includes any carbonated beverage that has a beer flavor. Therefore, the term "beer-flavored beverage" includes not only beer, a malt fermented beverage made from malt, hops, and water, which are fermented with yeast, and fermented beer-flavored beverages, but also carbonated beverages to which beer flavorings containing esters, higher alcohol, lactones, etc. have been added, as well as other happoshu (low-malt beer) and sparkling liqueurs as defined by 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 it may be a non-fermented beer-taste beverage that has not undergone a fermentation process. The fermented beer-taste beverage may be an ale beer-taste beverage brewed through a fermentation process using top-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces, etc.), a lager beer-taste beverage or a pilsner beer-taste beverage brewed through a fermentation process using bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces, etc.), or a blend of these beer-taste beverages. Furthermore, "fermentation" as used herein may be alcoholic fermentation, which produces alcohol, or non-alcoholic fermentation, which does not produce alcohol. In addition, 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.) as an ingredient, or a malt-free beer-taste beverage that does not use malt. An example of a malt-based beer-taste beverage is a barley malt beer-taste beverage. 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, a succinic acid content of 110 ppm by mass or more and 1,100 ppm by mass or less, and satisfies the following formula (1A). Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass).] When a beer-flavored beverage is designed to have a high alcohol content, it tends to have an excessively sweet odor, making it difficult to drink. The inventors of the present invention have conducted extensive research into this issue and found that even when the alcohol content is designed to be high, at 8.0 (v / v)% or more, by adjusting the succinic acid content and the ratio of the succinic acid to acetic acid content within a specified range, a refreshing taste and a mellow acidity can be clearly felt, and thus the undesirable sweet odor caused by a high alcohol content is less likely to be felt.

[0010] From the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with a moderate stimulating sensation, the alcohol content (ethanol content) (v / v) of one embodiment of the present invention is 8.0 (v / v)% or more, but may also be 8.5 (v / v)% or more, 9.0 (v / v)% or more, 9.5 (v / v)% or more, 10.0 (v / v)% or more, 10.5 (v / v)% or more, 11.0 (v / v)% or more, 11.5 (v / v)% or more, 12.0 (v / v)% or more, 12.5 (v / v)% or more, 13.0 (v / v)% or more, 13.5 (v / v)% or more, 14.0 (v / v)% or more, 14.5 (v / v)% or more, 15.0 (v / v)% or more, 15. The concentration may be 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 standpoint 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 based on volume / volume ((v / v)%). The alcohol content of a beverage can be measured by any known method, for example, according to "8.3 Alcohol" in "Revised BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 2013 Revised and Enlarged (Edited by International Technical Committee (Analysis Committee) of the Brewers Association of Japan, Published by the Brewing Society of Japan). In addition, the alcohol content is adjusted by the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, the type of raw material (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, etc.), the amount of raw material, the type of enzyme, the amount of enzyme added, the timing of enzyme addition, saccharification time in the brewing tank, protein decomposition time in the brewing tank, pH in the brewing tank, pH during the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of malt to the addition of yeast), the amount of acid added when adjusting the pH, the timing of pH adjustment (during brewing, during fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, 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, yeast growth rate, 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 spirits (distilled alcohol) derived from grains as an alcohol component in order to adjust the alcohol content to fall within the above range. From the viewpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that has a good taste and resembles beer, 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 in the raw materials.

[0013] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the succinic acid content is at least 110 ppm by mass from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, and may be 120 ppm by mass or more, 130 ppm by mass 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, 205 ppm by mass or more, 210 ppm by mass or more, 215 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 225 ppm by mass or more, 230 ppm by mass or more, 235 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 245 ppm by mass or more, 250 ppm by mass or more, 260 ppm by mass or more, and pm or more, 270 mass ppm or more, 280 mass ppm or more, 290 mass ppm or more, 300 mass ppm or more, 310 mass ppm or more, 320 mass ppm or more, 330 mass ppm or more, 340 mass ppm or more, 350 mass ppm or more, 360 mass ppm or more, 370 mass ppm or more, 380 mass ppm or more, 390 mass ppm or more, 400 mass ppm or more, 410 mass ppm or more, 420 mass ppm or more, 430 mass ppm or more, 440 mass ppm or more, 450 mass ppm or more, 460 mass ppm or more, 470 mass ppm or more, 480 mass ppm or more, 490 mass ppm or more, or 500 mass ppm or more. On the other hand, the content of succinic acid is 1100 ppm by mass or less from the viewpoint of making the beverage not too sour and having a moderately mellow sourness, but may be 1090 ppm by mass or less, 1080 ppm by mass or less, 1070 ppm by mass or less, 1060 ppm by mass or less, 1050 ppm by mass or less, 1040 ppm by mass or less, 1030 ppm by mass or less, 1020 ppm by mass or less, 1010 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, 80 0 mass ppm or less, 750 mass ppm or less, 700 mass ppm or less, 650 mass ppm or less, 600 mass ppm or less, 590 mass ppm or less, 580 mass ppm or less, 570 mass ppm or less, 560 mass ppm or less, 550 mass ppm or less, 54 It is also preferable to set it to 0 mass ppm or less, 530 mass ppm or less, 520 mass ppm or less, 510 mass ppm or less, 500 mass ppm or less, 450 mass ppm or less, 400 mass ppm or less, 350 mass ppm or less, or 300 mass ppm or less.

[0014] The 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 during the production process (e.g., 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 raw material containing succinic acid (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which succinic acid originates (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time during the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH during the brewing process, and the addition of acid used to adjust the pH. The amount, timing of pH adjustment (at the time of brewing, 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. can be appropriately set. The succinic acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0015] The beer-taste beverage of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (1A). Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, the ratio of the succinic acid content to the acetic acid content (X1 / Y1) in formula (1A) above is, in mass ratio, 0.30 or more, 0.35 or more, 0.40 or more, 0.45 or more, 0.50 or more, 0.55 or more, 0.60 or more, 0.62 or more, 0.64 or more, 0.66 or more, 0.68 or more, 0.70 or more, 0.72 or more, 0.74 or more, 0.76 or more, 0.78 or more, 0.80 or more, 0.85 or more, 0.90 or more, 0.95 or more, 1.00 or more, It is also preferable to set the value to 1.10 or more, 1.20 or more, 1.30 or more, 1.35 or more, 1.40 or more, 1.45 or more, 1.50 or more, 1.55 or more, 1.60 or more, 1.70 or more, 1.80 or more, 1.90 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.05 or more, 2.10 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.30 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.50 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.70 or more, 2.80 or more, 2.90 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.05 or more, 3.10 or more, 3.20 or more, 3.25 or more, 3.30 or more, 3.40 or more, 3.50 or more, 3.55 or more, or 3.60 or more. From the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage having a moderately mellow acidity, it is also preferable that the content ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid (X1 / Y1) is, in mass ratio, for example, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.50 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.50 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.50 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.50 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.50 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.00 or less, 3.90 or less, 3.80 or less, 3.70 or less, 3.65 or less, 3.60 or less, 3.50 or less, 3.40 or less, 3.30 or less, 3.20 or less, 3.15 or less, 3.10 or less, 3.05 or less, or 3.00 or less.

[0016] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (1B). Formula (1B):X2 / Y1>0.32 [In the above formula (1B), X2 represents the content of citric acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the ratio of the citric acid content to the acetic acid content (X2 / Y1) in formula (1B) above is, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, preferably 0.33 or more, 0.35 or more, 0.40 or more, 0.50 or more, 0.60 or more, 0.70 or more, 0.75 or more, 0.80 or more, 0.90 or more, 1.00 or more, 1.05 or more, 1.10 or more, 1.15 or more, 1.20 or more, 1.25 or more, 1.30 or more, 1.35 or more, in terms of mass ratio. or more, 1.40 or more, 1.45 or more, 1.50 or more, 1.55 or more, 1.60 or more, 1.65 or more, 1.70 or more, 1.75 or more, 1.80 or more, 1.85 or more, 1.90 or more, 1.95 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.10 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.30 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.50 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.70 or more, 2.80 or more, 2.90 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.10 or more, 3.20 or more, 3.30 or more, 3.40 or more, or 3.50 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage that has a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the content ratio (X2 / Y1) of citric acid to acetic acid in the above formula (1B) is, for example, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.00 or less, 3.90 or less, 3.80 or less, 3.70 or less, 3.60 or less, 3.50 or less, 3.40 or less, 3.30 or less, 3.20 or less, 3.10 or less, 3.00 or less, 2.90 or less, 2.80 or less, 2.70 or less, 2.60 or less, 2.50 or less, 2.45 or less, less than 2.40, 2.40 or less, 2.35 or less, 2.30 or less, 2.25 or less, or 2.20 or less, in terms of mass ratio.

[0017] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (1C). Formula (1C):X3 / Y1>0.72 [In the above formula (1C), X3 represents the phosphoric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, the ratio of the phosphoric acid content to the acetic acid content (X3 / Y1) in formula (1C) above is, in mass ratio, 0.75 or more, 0.80 or more, 0.90 or more, 1.00 or more, 1.10 or more, 1.20 or more, 1.30 or more, 1.40 or more, 1.50 or more, 1.60 or more, 1.70 or more, 1.80 or more, 1.90 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.10 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.30 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.50 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.70 or more, It is also preferable that the ratio is 0.80 or more, 2.90 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, 4.00 or more, 4.10 or more, 4.20 or more, 4.30 or more, 4.40 or more, 4.50 or more, 4.60 or more, 4.70 or more, 4.80 or more, 4.90 or more, 5.00 or more, 5.10 or more, 5.20 or more, 5.30 or more, 5.40 or more, 5.50 or more, 5.60 or more, 5.70 or more, 5.80 or more, 5.90 or more, or 6.00 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage that has a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the content ratio (X3 / Y1) of phosphoric acid to acetic acid in the above formula (1C) is, for example, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.50 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.50 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.50 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.90 or less, 6.80 or less, 6.70 or less, 6.60 or less, 6.50 or less, 6.40 or less, 6.30 or less, 6.20 or less, 6.10 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.90 or less, 5.80 or less, 5.70 or less, 5.60 or less, 5.55 or less, 5.50 or less, 5.00 or less, or 4.50 or less, in terms of mass ratio.

[0018] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (2A). Formula (2A):X1 / Z≧0.50 [In the above formula (2A), X1 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the content of isoamyl alcohol (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, the ratio of the succinic acid content to the isoamyl alcohol content (X1 / Z) in formula (2A) above is, in mass ratio, greater than 0.50, 0.55 or more, 0.60 or more, 0.70 or more, 0.75 or more, 0.80 or more, 0.85 or more, 0.90 or more, 0.95 or more, 1.00 or more, 1.05 or more, 1.10 or more, 1.15 or more, 1.20 or more, 1.25 or more, 1.30 or more, 1.35 or more, 1.40 or more, 1.45 or more, 1.50 or more, or more, 1.60 or more, 1.70 or more, 1.80 or more, 1.90 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.10 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.30 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.50 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.70 or more, 2.80 or more, 2.90 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, 4.00 or more, 4.50 or more, 5.00 or more and 5.50 or more, 6.00 or more, 6.50 or more, 7.00 or more, 7.50 or more, 8.00 or more, 8.50 or more, 9.00 or more, or 10.0 or more. Furthermore, from the perspective of producing a beer-flavored beverage that has a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the ratio (X1 / Z) of the succinic acid content to the isoamyl alcohol content in the above formula (2A) be, for example, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 14.0 or less, 13.0 or less, 12.0 or less, less than 12.0, 11.5 or less, 11.0 or less, 10.5 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.00 or less, 3.50 or less, 3.00 or less, 2.50 or less, or 2.00 or less, by mass.

[0019] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (2B). Formula (2B):X2 / Z≧0.78 [In the above formula (2B), X2 represents the content of citric acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the content of isoamyl alcohol (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, the ratio of the citric acid content to the isoamyl alcohol content (X2 / Z) in formula (2B) above is, in mass ratio, greater than 0.78, 0.80 or more, 0.90 or more, 1.00 or more, 1.10 or more, 1.20 or more, 1.30 or more, 1.40 or more, 1.50 or more, 1.60 or more, 1.70 or more, 1.80 or more, 1.90 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.10 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.30 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.50 or more, or more, 2.60 or more, 2.70 or more, 2.80 or more, 2.90 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, 4.00 or more, 4.10 or more, 4.20 or more, 4.30 or more, 4.40 or more, 4.50 or more, 4.60 or more, 4.70 or more, 4.80 or more, 4.90 or more, 5.00 or more, 5.50 or more, 6.00 or more, 6.50 or more, 7.00 or more, 7.50 or more, or 8.00 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage that has a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the content ratio (X2 / Z) of citric acid to isoamyl alcohol in the above formula (2B) is, for example, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.50 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.50 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.50 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.50 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.50 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.00 or less, 3.50 or less, 3.00 or less, 2.50 or less, 2.00 or less, 1.50 or less, or 1.00 or less, in terms of mass ratio.

[0020] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (2C). Formula (2C):X3 / Z≧1.73 [In the above formula (2C), X3 represents the phosphoric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the ratio of the phosphoric acid content to the isoamyl alcohol content (X3 / Z) in formula (2C) above is, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, preferably greater than 1.73, 1.75 or more, 1.80 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.80 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.20 or more, 3.40 or more, 3.60 or more, by mass. It is also preferable that the average molecular weight is 3.80 or more, 4.00 or more, 4.50 or more, 5.00 or more, 5.50 or more, 6.00 or more, 6.50 or more, 7.00 or more, 7.50 or more, 8.00 or more, 8.50 or more, 9.00 or more, 9.50 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, 16.0 or more, 17.0 or more, 18.0 or more, 19.0 or more, or 20.0 or more. Furthermore, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage with a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the content ratio (X3 / Z) of phosphoric acid to isoamyl alcohol in the above formula (2C) is, for example, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 19.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.50 or less, 6.20 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.50 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.00 or less, 3.70 or less, 3.50 or less, or 3.00 or less, in terms of mass ratio.

[0021] 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): Y1 / Z≧0.66 [In the above formula (3), Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the content of isoamyl alcohol (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the ratio of the acetic acid content to the isoamyl alcohol content (Y1 / Z) in the above formula (3) is, from the perspective of producing a beer-taste beverage with a well-balanced crisp acidity and mellow aroma, preferably greater than 0.66, 0.70 or greater, 0.80 or greater, 0.90 or greater, 1.00 or greater, 1.05 or greater, 1.10 or greater, 1.20 or greater, 1.30 or greater, or 1.40 or greater, in terms of mass ratio. , 1.50 or more, 1.60 or more, 1.70 or more, 1.80 or more, 1.90 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.10 or more, 2.20 or more, 2.30 or more, 2.40 or more, 2.50 or more, 2.60 or more, 2.70 or more, 2.80 or more, 2.90 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.10 or more, 3.20 or more, 3.22 or more, 3.25 or more, 3.30 or more, 3.40 or more, or 3.50 or more. From the same viewpoint as above, it is also preferable that the ratio (Y1 / Z) of the acetic acid content to the isoamyl alcohol content in the above formula (3) is, for example, 30.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.00 or less, 4.50 or less, 4.00 or less, 3.50 or less, 3.30 or less, 3.00 or less, 2.50 or less, 2.00 or less, 1.50 or less, 1.20 or less, or 1.00 or less, in terms of mass ratio.

[0022] A beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage that satisfies the following formula (4). Formula (4):X / Y1>1.25 [In the above formula (4), X represents the total content (unit: ppm by mass) of one or more acidulants selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid, and Y1 represents the content (unit: ppm by mass) of acetic acid.] In the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention, the ratio (X / Y1) of the total content of one or more acidulants selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of acetic acid in formula (4) above, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with an improved refreshing taste, is, by mass, 1.30 or more, 1.50 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.50 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.50 or more, 4.00 or more, 4.10 or more, 4.20 or more, 4.30 or more, 4.40 or more, 4.50 or more, 4. It is also preferable that the molecular weight is 60 or more, 4.70 or more, 4.80 or more, 4.90 or more, 5.00 or more, 5.50 or more, 6.00 or more, 6.10 or more, 6.20 or more, 6.30 or more, 6.40 or more, 6.50 or more, 6.60 or more, 6.70 or more, 6.80 or more, 6.90 or more, 7.00 or more, 7.50 or more, 7.60 or more, 7.70 or more, 7.80 or more, 7.90 or more, 8.00 or more, 8.10 or more, 8.20 or more, 8.50 or more, 9.00 or more, 9.50 or more, or 10.0 or more. In addition, from the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage having a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the ratio of the total content of one or more acidulants selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of acetic acid (X / Y1) in the above formula (4) is, for example, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 11.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.50 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.50 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.50 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.90 or less, 6.80 or less, 6.70 or less, 6.60 or less, 6.50 or less, 6.40 or less, 6.30 or less, 6.20 or less, 6.10 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.90 or less, 5.80 or less, 5.70 or less, 5.60 or less, 5.50 or less, or 5.00 or less, in terms of mass ratio.

[0023] 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) / Y1>1.25 [In the above formula (5), X1 represents the content of phosphoric acid, X2 represents the content of citric acid, and X3 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass).] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the ratio of the total content of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of acetic acid in formula (5) above ((X1+X2+X3) / Y1) is, in terms of mass ratio, preferably 1.30 or more, 1.50 or more, 2.00 or more, 2.50 or more, 3.00 or more, 3.50 or more, 4.00 or more, 4.10 or more, 4.20 or more, 4.30 or more, 4.40 or more, 4.50 or more, 4.60 or more, It is also preferable that the molecular weight is 4.70 or more, 4.80 or more, 4.90 or more, 5.00 or more, 5.50 or more, 6.00 or more, 6.10 or more, 6.20 or more, 6.30 or more, 6.40 or more, 6.50 or more, 6.60 or more, 6.70 or more, 6.80 or more, 6.90 or more, 7.00 or more, 7.50 or more, 7.60 or more, 7.70 or more, 7.80 or more, 7.90 or more, 8.00 or more, 8.10 or more, 8.20 or more, 8.50 or more, 9.00 or more, 9.50 or more, or 10.0 or more. From the viewpoint of producing a beer-flavored beverage having a moderately mellow acidity, it is preferable that the ratio of the total content of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid to the content of acetic acid in the above formula (5) ((X1+X2+X3) / Y1) is, by mass, for example, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, 20.0 or less, 15.0 or less, 12.0 or less, 11.0 or less, 10.0 or less, 9.50 or less, 9.00 or less, 8.50 or less, 8.00 or less, 7.50 or less, 7.00 or less, 6.90 or less, 6.80 or less, 6.70 or less, 6.60 or less, 6.50 or less, 6.40 or less, 6.30 or less, 6.20 or less, 6.10 or less, 6.00 or less, 5.90 or less, 5.80 or less, 5.70 or less, 5.60 or less, 5.50 or less, or 5.00 or less.

[0024] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the content of isoamyl alcohol, from the viewpoint of enhancing the mellow aroma of the beer-taste beverage, is 10 ppm by mass or more, 30 ppm by mass or more, 50 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, 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, 210 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 230 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 250 ppm by mass or more. , 260 ppm by mass or more, 270 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, or 500 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the perspective of providing a beer-taste beverage with less of the excessive stimulating sensation caused by alcohol, the isoamyl alcohol content is set to 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, 590 ppm by mass or less, 580 ppm by mass or less, 570 ppm by mass or less, 560 ppm by mass or less, 550 ppm by mass or less, 540 ppm by mass or less, 530 ppm by mass or less, 520 ppm by mass or less, 510 ppm by mass or less. ppm or less, 500 mass ppm or less, 490 mass ppm or less, 480 mass ppm or less, 470 mass ppm or less, 460 mass ppm or less, 450 mass ppm or less, 440 mass ppm or less, 430 mass ppm or less, 420 mass ppm or less, 410 mass ppm or less, 400 mass ppm m or less, 390 mass ppm or less, 380 mass ppm or less, 370 mass ppm or less, 360 mass ppm or less, 350 mass ppm or less, 340 mass ppm or less, 330 mass ppm or less, 320 mass ppm or less, 310 mass ppm or less, or 300 mass ppm or less.

[0025] Isoamyl alcohol 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 isoamyl alcohol). The isoamyl alcohol content can be adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, adding purified isoamyl alcohol, the type of raw material containing isoamyl alcohol (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which isoamyl alcohol originates (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time during the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH during the brewing process, and pH adjustment. The amount of acid to be added during adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (at the time of brewing, 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. can be appropriately set. The isoamyl alcohol content 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' Committee of Japan (BCOJ).

[0026] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the content of citric acid, from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, is preferably 100 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, 325 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 70 mass ppm or more, 380 mass ppm or more, 385 mass ppm or more, 388 mass ppm or more, 390 mass ppm or more, 400 mass ppm or more, 410 mass ppm or more, 420 mass ppm or more, 430 mass ppm m or more, 440 mass ppm or more, 450 mass ppm or more, 460 mass ppm or more, 470 mass ppm or more, 480 mass ppm or more, 490 mass ppm or more, 500 mass ppm or more, 510 mass ppm or more, 52 0 mass ppm or more, 530 mass ppm or more, 540 mass ppm or more, 550 mass ppm or more, 560 mass ppm or more, 570 mass ppm or more, 580 mass ppm or more, 590 mass ppm or more, 600 mass ppm m or more, 610 mass ppm or more, 620 mass ppm or more, 630 mass ppm or more, 640 mass ppm or more, 650 mass ppm or more, 660 mass ppm or more, 670 mass ppm or more, 680 mass ppm or more, 6 It may be 90 ppm by mass or more, 700 ppm by mass or more, 710 ppm by mass or more, 720 ppm by mass or more, 730 ppm by mass or more, 740 ppm by mass or more, 750 ppm by mass or more, 760 ppm by mass or more, 770 ppm by mass or more, 780 ppm by mass or more, 790 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 beer-flavor beverage that is not too acidic, the citric acid content is preferably 2000 ppm by mass or less, 1900 ppm by mass or less, 1800 ppm by mass or less, 1700 ppm by mass or less, 1600 ppm by mass or less, 1500 ppm by mass or less, 1400 ppm by mass or less, 1300 ppm by mass or less, 1200 ppm by mass or less, 1100 ppm by mass or less, 1000 ppm by mass or less, 900 ppm by mass or less, 800 ppm by mass or less, 750 ppm by mass or less, Below, 730 mass ppm or less, 710 mass ppm or less, 700 mass ppm or less, 650 mass ppm or less, 600 mass ppm or less, 590 mass ppm or less, 580 mass ppm or less, 570 mass ppm or less, 560 mass ppm or less Below, it may be 550 mass ppm or less, 540 mass ppm or less, 530 mass ppm or less, 520 mass ppm or less, 510 mass ppm or less, 500 mass ppm or less, 450 mass ppm or less, or 400 mass ppm or less.

[0027] The 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 during the production process (e.g., 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 raw material containing citric acid (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which citric acid originates (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time during the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH during the brewing process, and the addition of acid used to adjust the pH. The amount, timing of pH adjustment (at the time of brewing, 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. can be appropriately set. The citric acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0028] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, the content of phosphoric acid may be 100 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 300 ppm by mass or more, 400 ppm by mass or more, 500 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, 810 ppm by mass or more, 820 ppm by mass or more, 830 ppm by mass or more, 840 ppm by mass or more, 850 ppm by mass or more, 860 ppm by mass or more, 870 ppm by mass or more, 880 ppm by mass or more, 890 ppm by mass or more, 900 ppm by mass or more, 910 ppm by mass or more, 920 ppm by mass or more, 930 ppm by mass or more, or ppm or more, 940 ppm by mass or more, 950 ppm by mass or more, 960 ppm by mass or more, 970 ppm by mass or more, 980 ppm by mass or more, 990 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, 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, 1600 ppm by mass or more, 1700 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, or 2000 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of providing a beer-taste beverage that is not too acidic, the phosphate content is preferably 3000 ppm by mass or less, 2700 ppm by mass or less, 2500 ppm by mass or less, 2400 ppm by mass or less, 2300 ppm by mass or less, 2200 ppm by mass or less, 2100 ppm by mass or less, 2000 ppm by mass or less, 1950 ppm by mass or less, 1900 ppm by mass or less, 1850 ppm by mass or less, 1800 ppm by mass or less, 1700 ppm by mass or less, 1600 ppm by mass or less, and more preferably 1800 ppm by mass or less. m 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 or less, 1150 mass ppm or less, 1 It may be 100 mass ppm or less, 1050 mass ppm or less, 1000 mass ppm or less, 900 mass ppm or less, 800 mass ppm or less, 700 mass ppm or less, 600 mass ppm or less, or 500 mass ppm or less.

[0029] The phosphoric 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 phosphoric acid). The phosphoric acid content can be adjusted by appropriately setting the addition of dilution water or carbonated water and the amount of dilution water, the addition of purified phosphoric acid, the type of phosphoric acid-containing raw material (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of phosphoric acid source raw material (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time in the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH in the brewing process, the amount of acid used for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (at the time of brewing, at the time of fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of 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 number, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), and the addition of spirits, brewing alcohol, etc. The phosphoric acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0030] In the beer-taste beverage of one aspect of the present invention, the content of acetic acid may, from the viewpoint of improving a refreshing taste, be 10 ppm by mass or more, 50 ppm by mass or more, 100 ppm by mass or more, 150 ppm by mass or more, 200 ppm by mass or more, 210 ppm by mass or more, 220 ppm by mass or more, 230 ppm by mass or more, 240 ppm by mass or more, 250 ppm by mass or more, 260 ppm by mass or more, 270 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, 325 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, 450 ppm by mass or more, or 500 ppm by mass or more. On the other hand, from the standpoint of producing a beer-taste beverage that is not too acidic, the acetic acid content may be 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, 400 ppm by mass or less, 390 ppm by mass or less, 380 ppm by mass or less, 370 ppm by mass or less, 360 ppm by mass or less, 350 ppm by mass or less, 340 ppm by mass or less, 330 ppm by mass or less, 320 ppm by mass or less, 310 ppm by mass or less, or 300 ppm by mass or less.

[0031] 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 of dilution water, the addition of purified acetic acid, the type of acetic acid-containing raw material (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the type of raw material from which acetic acid originates (wheat, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, yeast extract, soybeans, peas, etc.), the amount of raw material, the enzyme reaction time in the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of raw materials such as malt to the addition of yeast), the pH in the brewing process, the amount of acid used for pH adjustment, the timing of pH adjustment (at the time of brewing, at the time of fermentation, at the completion of fermentation, before beverage filtration, after beverage filtration, etc.), the set temperature and holding time of 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 number, timing of yeast removal, fermentation temperature, fermentation time, pressure setting, carbon dioxide concentration, etc.), and the addition of spirits, brewing alcohol, etc. The acetic acid content can be measured by a known method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

[0032] From the perspective of providing a beer-flavored beverage with an improved mellow aroma and one that is less susceptible to the excessive pungency of alcohol, the beer-flavored beverage of one embodiment of the present invention preferably has a ratio of the alcohol content (unit: (v / v)%) to the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass) (isoamyl alcohol / alcohol content), by mass, of 10.0 or more, 11.0 or more, 12.0 or more, 13.0 or more, 14.0 or more, 15.0 or more, 16.0 or more, 17.0 or more, 18.0 or more, 19.0 or more, 20.0 or more, 25.0 or more, 30.0 or more, 40.0 or more, or 50.0 or more. Furthermore, the upper limit of the ratio is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, 100 or less, 90.0 or less, 80.0 or less, 70.0 or less, 60.0 or less, 50.0 or less, 40.0 or less, 30.0 or less, 25.0 or less, or 20.0 or less.

[0033] From the standpoint 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 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 is adjusted by adding dilution water or carbonated water and the amount added if added, type of raw material (barley, malt, corn grits, sugar liquid, etc.), amount of raw material, type of enzyme, amount of enzyme added, timing of enzyme addition, saccharification time in the brewing tank, protein decomposition time in the brewing tank, pH in the brewing tank, pH during the brewing process (the wort production process from the addition of malt to the addition of yeast), type of acid used to adjust the pH (lactic acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, etc.), amount of acid used to adjust the pH, p The timing of H adjustment (during brewing, during fermentation, upon 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 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.), cooling timing, cooling temperature, cooling time, etc. can be set as appropriate.

[0034] 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 barrels. A preferred embodiment of the container is a resealable container. Specific examples include resealable bottles, PET bottles, and cans (e.g., bottle-shaped cans).

[0035] 1.1 Raw Materials The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention uses grains as an ingredient, such as barley, rice (white rice, brown rice, etc.), corn, sorghum, potatoes, beans (soybeans, peas, etc.), buckwheat, sorghum, millet, barnyard millet, etc. Moreover, the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention uses barley (including ungerminated barley, malt, etc.) as a raw material. The barley used as a raw material refers to barley, wheat, rye, oats, oats, pearl barley, oats, and other barley species, and may be of any origin or variety. When making a beer-taste beverage using malt, the seeds of these barley species can be germinated, dried, and the roots removed before use. When making a beer-taste beverage that does not substantially use malt, a barley extract obtained by extracting these barley species can be used. In one aspect of the present invention, it is preferable to use barley (including extracts from barley such as barley extract) or barley malt. Barley is one of the most commonly used barley ingredients for beer-flavored beverages in Japan. There are various types of barley, such as two-rowed barley and six-rowed barley, and any of these may be used. The 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 appropriately combined, or one type of colored malt may be used. The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention may be a beverage that uses hops as an ingredient, or may be a beverage that does not use hops. In addition, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, bittering agents or bitterness imparting agents, antioxidants, flavorings, acidulants, salts, etc. may be used.

[0036] The malt ratio (the ratio of all malts used) of the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably more 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, more 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 in which the rich flavor derived from malt and the umami of barley are more strongly felt can be produced. On the other hand, from the perspective of producing a beer-taste beverage that is less likely to impart an inappropriate feeling of fullness, the malt ratio in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably less than 100% by mass, 99% or less, 98% or less, 97% or less, 96% or less, 95% or less, 94% or less, 93% or less, 92% or less, 91% or less, 90% or less, 89% or less, 88% or less, 87% or less, 86% or less, 85% or less, 84% or less, 83% or less, 82% or less, 81% or less, 80% or less, 79% or less, 78% or less, 77% or less, 76 mass% or less, 75 mass% or less, 74 mass% or less, 73 mass% or less, 72 mass% or less, 71 mass% or less, 70 mass% or less, 69 mass% or less, 68 mass% or less, 67 mass% or less, less than 67 mass%, 66.6 mass% or less, 66 mass% or less, 65 mass% or less, 64 mass% or less, 63 mass% % or less, 62 mass% or less, 61 mass% or less, 60 mass% or less, 59 mass% or less, 58 mass% or less, 57 mass% or less, 56 mass% or less, 55 mass% or less, 54 mass% or less, 53 mass% or less, 52 mass% or less, 51 mass% or less, 50 mass% or less, or less than 50 mass%. In this specification, the malt ratio means a value calculated in accordance with the Liquor Tax Act and the Interpretation Notice of Liquor-related Administrative Laws and Regulations, etc., which came into effect on April 1, 2018.

[0037] When the malt ratio is suppressed, it is preferable to increase the amount of raw materials (carbon source, nitrogen source) other than malt that can be assimilated by yeast. Carbon sources of raw materials that can be assimilated by yeast include monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and sugar solutions thereof, and 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. Also, starch obtained from these grains and extracts thereof may be used.

[0038] Examples of the form of hops used in one embodiment of the present invention include pelleted hops, powdered hops, hop extract, etc. In addition, the hops used may be processed hop products such as isomerized hops and reduced hops. 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, a beer-flavored beverage that uses hops as an ingredient contains iso-α acid, which is a component derived from hops.

[0039] Examples of sweeteners include commercially available saccharified solutions obtained by decomposing grain-derived starch with acids or enzymes, sugars such as sucrose and commercially available starch syrup, sugars of three or more 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. There are also no particular limitations on the type of raw grain for starch, the method of purifying starch, and the conditions for hydrolysis with enzymes or acids. For example, sugars with a higher ratio of maltose may be used by appropriately setting the conditions for hydrolysis with enzymes or acids. In addition, 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) may also be used. Examples of artificial sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K), sucralose, and neotame. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The alcohol content can be increased by further adding sugar that can be assimilated by yeast (assimilated sugar) as a raw material other than malt.

[0040] Examples of water-soluble dietary fibers include resistant dextrin, polydextrose, hydrolyzed guar gum, pectin, glucomannan, alginic acid, laminarin, fucoidin, carrageenan, etc., and from the viewpoint of versatility such as stability and safety, resistant dextrin or polydextrose is preferred. These water-soluble dietary fibers may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0041] In beer-taste beverages, the 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 can be any agent that is used as a bitterness imparting agent in ordinary beer or happoshu, such as rose wax, lychee, Phellodendron amplexicaule, juniper nut, sage, Mayflower, Ganoderma lucidum, bay leaf, Ganoderma lucidum, mulberry, citrus extract, bitter perilla extract, coffee extract, tea extract, bitter melon extract, lotus germ extract, Aloe arborescens extract, rose wax extract, lychee extract, laurel extract, sage extract, caraway extract, Artemisia absinthium extract, absinthin, alginic acid, gallic acid, and the like. These bittering agents or bitterness imparting agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0042] 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 kinds.

[0043] As the flavoring, a general beer flavoring can be used. Beer flavorings are used to impart a beer-like flavor and include brewing components generated by fermentation. Therefore, when alcohol 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 as desired. Beer flavorings include esters and higher alcohols, and specific examples thereof include isoamyl acetate, ethyl acetate, n-propanol (1-propanol, etc.), isobutanol, acetaldehyde, ethyl caproate, ethyl caprylate, isoamyl propionate, linalool, geraniol, citral, 4-vinyl guaiacol (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, γ-undecalactone, 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-ethylpyrazol azine, 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, and cinnamaldehyde. These beer flavorings may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0044] The acidulant is not particularly limited as long as it is a substance having a sour taste. In addition to the above-mentioned succinic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, and acetic acid, for example, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phytic acid, glucono-delta-lactone, or salts thereof can be used. Among these acidulants, gluconic acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, phytic acid, or a salt thereof is preferred, malic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, or a salt thereof is more preferred, and malic acid, lactic 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 an acidulant approved as a food additive, but may be one derived from raw materials such as malt, one produced by adjusting various process conditions, one produced by yeast, one added from the outside as an additive, etc. The content of the acidulant in the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 500 to 10,000 ppm by mass, more preferably 1,000 to 9,000 ppm by mass, and even more preferably 2,000 to 8,000 ppm by mass.

[0045] Examples of preservatives include benzoic acid, benzoates such as sodium benzoate, benzoic acid esters such as propyl paraoxybenzoate and butyl paraoxybenzoate, and dimethyl dicarbonate. In addition, commercially available preparations such as Strong Sunplazer (manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd., a mixture of sodium benzoate and butyl benzoate) may be used as preservatives. These preservatives may be used alone or in combination of two or more. The amount of preservative blended in the beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention is preferably 5 to 1200 ppm by mass, more preferably 10 to 1100 ppm by mass, even more preferably 15 to 1000 ppm by mass, and even more preferably 20 to 900 ppm by mass.

[0046] Examples of salts include sodium chloride, potassium acid phosphate, acid calcium phosphate, ammonium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, calcium sulfate, potassium metabisulfite, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, potassium nitrate, ammonium sulfate, potassium chloride, monosodium citrate, disodium citrate, and trisodium citrate. These salts may be used alone or in combination of two or more kinds.

[0047] 1.2 Carbon dioxide 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 mixing with carbonated water or adding carbon dioxide gas. The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention undergoes alcoholic fermentation, and therefore the carbon dioxide gas produced in this fermentation process can be used as is, although the amount of carbon dioxide gas may be adjusted by adding carbonated water as appropriate.

[0048] 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.

[0049] When the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is a packaged beverage, the carbon dioxide pressure of the packaged beverage may be appropriately adjusted within the range that results in the above-mentioned carbon dioxide concentration. 2 Below, 4.5kg / cm 2 or less than 4.0kg / cm2 and 0.20 kg / cm 2 More than 0.50kg / cm 2 or more than 1.0kg / cm 2 Any of these upper and lower limits may be combined. For example, the carbon dioxide pressure is 0.20 kg / cm 2 More than 5.0kg / cm 2 Below 0.50kg / cm 2 More than 4.5kg / cm 2 Less than or equal to 1.0kg / cm 2 More than 4.0kg / cm 2 It may be the following: In this specification, the gas pressure refers to the gas pressure inside a container, unless otherwise specified. The pressure can be measured by a method well known to those skilled in the art, for example, by fixing a sample at 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 needle reaches a certain position, or by using a commercially available gas pressure measuring device.

[0050] 1.3 Other additives Various additives may be added to the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention as necessary, provided the effects of the present invention are not impaired. Such additives include, for example, colorants, foam-forming agents, fermentation promoters, yeast extracts, protein substances such as peptide-containing substances, and flavorings such as amino acids. The coloring agent is used to give the beverage a beer-like color, and caramel coloring can be used. The foam-forming agent is used to form a beer-like foam in the beverage or to maintain the foam in the beverage, and can be appropriately selected from plant-extracted saponin substances such as soybean saponin and quillaja saponin, plant proteins such as corn and soybeans, peptide-containing substances such as collagen peptides, yeast extracts, raw materials originating from milk, and the like. The fermentation promoter is used to promote fermentation by yeast, and examples thereof include yeast extract, bran components such as rice or wheat, vitamins, and mineral agents, which may be used alone or in combination.

[0051] 2. Manufacturing method of beer-flavored beverage The method for producing the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited and can be similar to the method for producing a general beer-taste beverage, but examples of the method include a method having at least the following steps (I) and (II). Step (I): Adjusting the alcohol content to 8.0 (v / v)%. Step (II): A step of confirming and / or adjusting the content of succinic acid and the content ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid so that the content of succinic acid is 110 ppm by mass or more and 1,100 ppm by mass or less and satisfies the following formula (1A). Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass).] The order of steps (I) and (II) is not particularly limited, and steps (I) and (II) may be carried out simultaneously. Furthermore, the method for producing the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be a method that involves a fermentation step, or a method that does not involve a fermentation step. Furthermore, the method for producing the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited, and may be a method that involves an aging step, or a method that does not involve an aging step. Below, we will explain a method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage through a fermentation process, and a method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage without going through a fermentation process.

[0052] 2.1 Method for producing fermented beer-flavored beverage One embodiment of the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention includes a fermentation process using yeast, and may include, for example, the following steps (1) and (2). Step (1): A step of obtaining a pre-fermentation liquid by subjecting a raw material to at least one of a saccharification treatment, a boiling treatment, and a solid content removal treatment. Step (2): A step of adding yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid to carry out fermentation.

[0053] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the above steps (I) and (II) can each be carried out at one or more of the following (i) to (iii) times. (i): Simultaneously with at least one of steps (1) and (2). (ii): Between step (1) and step (2) (iii): After step (2) Each step in the method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

[0054] 2.1.1 Process (1) Step (1) is a step in which various raw materials are subjected to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal treatments to obtain a pre-fermentation liquid. For example, when malt is used as the various raw materials, water and the various raw materials including malt are charged into a brewing kettle or brewing tank, and enzyme agents such as polysaccharide-degrading enzymes and protease that promote the conversion of components derived from the raw materials may be added as necessary, which can promote the production of assimilable sugars, for example. Examples of the enzyme agent include amylase, protease, purine nucleosidase, deaminase, polyphenol oxidase, glucanase, xylase, pectinase, cellulase, lipase, glucosidase, xanthine oxidase, transglucosidase, glucoamylase, uricase, β-glucosidase, α-glucosidase, etc. These enzyme agents may be heat-resistant or non-heat-resistant. In addition, the type of enzyme agent can be selected according to the timing of addition and the process to which it is added. The above enzyme agents may be used alone or in combination of two or more types. In addition, examples of the enzyme agents include enzyme agents that fall under "(3) the following enzyme agents added during the brewing process for the purpose of streamlining sake brewing, etc." in Article 3 "7. Items not to be treated as raw materials for sake" of the Liquor Tax Act and the Notification of Liquor Administration Act (revised on June 27, 2018). By adding these enzyme agents, the component composition of the resulting beer-taste beverage can be efficiently adjusted. As various raw materials other than malt, various additives such as assimilable sugars such as glucose, sucrose, maltose, hops, preservatives, sweeteners, water-soluble dietary fiber, bittering agents or bitterness imparting agents, antioxidants, flavorings, acidulants, and colorants may be added. The enzyme agents and various raw materials may be added before saccharification treatment, during saccharification treatment, or after completion of saccharification treatment. In addition, they may be added together with yeast before or after fermentation in the next step, i.e., in step (2), or during fermentation, or after completion of fermentation.

[0055] The mixture of various raw materials is heated and the starch in the raw materials is saccharified to carry out a saccharification process. 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, the alcohol content of the final beverage obtained, etc. For example, in one aspect of the present invention, from the viewpoint of adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to within 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.

[0056] It is preferable to subject this saccharified solution to a boiling treatment. When hops, bittering agents, etc. are used as raw materials during the boiling treatment, it is preferable to add these agents. Hops, bittering agents, etc. may be added during the period from the start of boiling the saccharified solution to before the end of boiling.

[0057] After completion of the boiling treatment, it is preferable to transfer the liquid to a whirlpool, cool it to 0 to 25° C., and obtain a cooled liquid, after which a treatment for removing solid matters such as coagulated proteins is carried out. In this manner, a pre-fermentation liquid is obtained. In this step, in order to remove solids, filtration through a filter having a predetermined pore size (for example, a pore size of less than 30 μm) may be performed.

[0058] Instead of the above-mentioned saccharified liquid, a pre-fermentation liquid may be prepared by adding hops, bittering agents, etc. to a malt extract and hot water, followed by boiling. Furthermore, when malt is not used as one of the various raw materials or when the amount of malt used is limited, 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, bitterness imparting 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 liquid. When hops are used, they may be added before the boiling treatment or between the start and end of boiling of the liquid sugar solution.

[0059] 2.1.2 Process (2) Step (2) is a step of adding yeast to the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (1) and carrying out fermentation. The yeast used in this step can be appropriately selected taking into consideration the type of fermented beverage to be produced, the desired flavor, fermentation conditions, etc., and either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast may be used.

[0060] The yeast may be added to the raw materials as a yeast suspension, or may be added to the pre-fermentation liquid as a slurry obtained by concentrating the yeast by centrifugation or sedimentation. Alternatively, the yeast may be added after the supernatant has been completely removed after centrifugation. The amount of yeast to be added to the beverage may be appropriately determined, but for example, 5×10 6 cells / mL ~ 1 × 10 8 The concentration is approximately 1.5 mg / mL.

[0061] The fermentation conditions for fermentation can be set as appropriate, but from the viewpoint of adjusting the alcohol content of the beer-taste beverage to the above-mentioned range, the fermentation temperature is, for example, 5 to 30°C, and 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, and the temperature (increase or decrease in temperature) or pressure of the fermented liquid may be changed during the fermentation process as necessary. Aging may also be performed after fermentation, and the aging conditions for aging can be set as appropriate, but from the viewpoint of adjusting the desired flavor, the aging temperature is, for example, 5 to 30°C, and preferably 5 to 25°C. The container for aging may be, for example, a stainless steel tank or a wooden barrel. Furthermore, after fermentation, a filtration process may be carried out to remove yeast from the beer-taste beverage, or a filtration process may not be carried out. Furthermore, water and the various additives mentioned above may be added as necessary.

[0062] The beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention thus obtained is sterilized as necessary, filled into specified containers, and distributed to the market as a finished product. There are no particular limitations on the method for packaging the beer-taste beverage, and any 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 and sealed in a container. In the packaging step, containers of any shape and material can be used, and examples of containers are as described above.

[0063] 2.2 Manufacturing method for non-fermented beer-taste beverage When the beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention is a non-fermented beer-taste beverage, it can be produced by a general method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage. Specific examples of the method for producing a non-fermented beer-taste beverage of one embodiment of the present invention include a method having the following steps (a) to (c). Step (a): A step of subjecting the raw material to at least one of saccharification, boiling, and solid content removal processes to obtain a beverage preliminarily. Step (b): A step of cooling the pre-beverage liquid obtained in step (a) and adding carbon dioxide gas.

[0064] Step (a) is the same as step (1) of obtaining a pre-fermentation liquid in the above-mentioned “Method for producing a fermented beer-taste beverage”. In step (b), carbon dioxide gas may be added by mixing the cooled pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (a) with carbonated water, or carbon dioxide gas may be added directly to the cooled fermented beverage. In addition, additives such as preservatives, sweeteners, flavors, acidulants, and colorants may be added as necessary when carbon dioxide gas is added at the same timing as step (b).

[0065] Furthermore, when the non-fermented beer-taste beverage is to be an alcohol-containing non-fermented beer-taste beverage, the method further comprises the following step (c). Step (c): A step of blending an alcohol component after at least step (a).

[0066] Step (c) may be carried out at least after step (a), and may be carried out, for example, at any one or more of the following timings (I) to (III). (I): Between step (a) and step (b) (II): Simultaneously with step (b) (III): After step (b) Among these, it is preferable that step (c) is carried out after the pre-fermentation liquid obtained in step (a) is cooled to prepare a cooled fermented beverage and before the addition of carbon dioxide gas. The alcohol component to be added in step (c) is preferably spirits (distilled alcohol) derived from the above-mentioned grains.

[0067] The non-fermented beer-taste beverage obtained in this manner is filled into specified containers and distributed to the market as a finished product. The method for packaging the non-fermented, beer-taste beverage is not particularly limited, and any method known to those skilled in the art can be used. In the packaging process, the non-fermented, beer-taste beverage is filled and sealed in a container. Containers of any shape and material may be used in the packaging process, and examples of containers are as described above.

[0068] 3. Method for improving the flavor of beer-flavored beverages A method for improving the flavor of a beer-taste beverage according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises at least the following steps (I) and (II). Operation (I): An operation to adjust the alcohol content to 8.0 (v / v)% or more. Operation (II): An operation of confirming and / or adjusting the content of succinic acid and the content ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid so that the content of succinic acid is 110 ppm by mass or more and 1,100 ppm by mass or less and satisfies the following formula (1A). Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (unit: ppm by mass).] The steps (I) and (II) correspond to steps (I) and (II) in the above-mentioned method for producing a beer-taste beverage. By adjusting the alcohol content of a beer-taste beverage to 8.0 (v / v)% or more by step (I) and then adjusting the succinic acid content and the ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid content to respective predetermined ranges by step (II), a beer-taste beverage having a refreshing taste with a mellow acidity can be provided. In the flavor improving method of one aspect of the present invention, the beverage that serves as the standard for flavor improvement is a beer-taste beverage prepared without carrying out operation (II). That is, the flavor improving method of one aspect of the present invention may be such that a beer-taste beverage prepared by carrying out both operations (I) and (II) has a refreshing taste and / or a mellow acidity that is improved compared to a beer-taste beverage prepared without carrying out operation (II). In the flavor improving method of one aspect of the present invention, the beverage that serves as the standard for flavor improvement may be a beverage that has a succinic acid content of less than 110 ppb by mass or more than 1100 ppm by mass, and whose formula (1A) satisfies X1 / Y1<0.25. The alcohol content, the succinic acid content, and the preferred ranges for the ratio of succinic acid to acetic acid content, as well as the various properties, components and their contents of the beer-taste beverage, are as described above in "1. Beer-taste beverage."

[0069] 4. Beer flavor concentrate The present invention also provides a beer-taste concentrate solution having an alcohol content of 8.00 (v / v)% or more, a succinic acid content of 110 ppm by mass or more and 1,100 ppm by mass or less, and satisfying the following formula (1A): Formula (1A):X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the content of succinic acid (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the content of acetic acid (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 refreshing taste and a mellow acidity.

[0070] In this specification, a "beer-taste concentrate" refers to an edible solution for producing a beer-taste beverage by mixing the concentrate with an edible aqueous solution, and is not intended to be consumed directly. There are no particular limitations on the beer-taste concentrate, so long as it can be mixed with an edible aqueous solution to produce a beer-taste beverage. In this specification, the term "edible aqueous solution" refers to water or a solution in which one or more edible components are dissolved in water. The edible components are not particularly limited and may be solids such as ice or dry ice, liquids such as vegetable oil, alcoholic beverages, and fruit juice, or gases such as carbon dioxide gas and nitrogen gas. The edible aqueous solution used to be mixed with the beer-taste concentrate of the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples of such effervescent aqueous solutions include water, cider, ramune, cola, carbonated water, chuhai, hard seltzer, highball, alcohol-containing beer-taste beverages, non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages, cider, and champagne; and non-effervescent aqueous solutions such as soft drinks, tea, black tea, coffee, sake, shochu, wine, fruit liquor, gin, vodka, whiskey, rum, brandy, tequila, and flavor-containing syrups (including concentrates). However, effervescent 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 in 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 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.

[0071] The beer-taste concentrate solution of one embodiment of the present invention is preferably a concentrate solution for dilution 2 to 10 times, and the dilution ratio may be 3 times or more, 4 times or more, 5 times or more, 6 times or more, 7 times or more, 8 times or more, 9 times or more, or 10 times or more, and may be 9 times or less, 8 times or less, 7 times or less, 6 times or less, 5 times or less, 4 times or less, 3 times or less, or 2 times or less.

[0072] One embodiment of the present invention is a beer-taste beverage produced by mixing the beer-taste concentrate of one embodiment of the present invention with the edible aqueous solution described above. Another aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of mixing the beer-taste concentrate solution of another aspect of the present invention with the edible aqueous solution described above. Another aspect of the present invention is a beer-taste concentrate for use in producing the beer-taste beverage of another aspect of the present invention.

[0073] The beer-taste concentrate of one embodiment of the present invention is suitable for packaging. Examples of containers include bottles, PET bottles, cans (including bottle-shaped cans), and barrels. A preferred embodiment of the container is a resealable container. Specific examples include resealable bottles, PET bottles, cans (e.g., bottle-shaped cans), and barrels.

[0074] With regard to the various properties of the beer-taste concentrate, the various components and their contents, as well as the method for producing the beer-taste concentrate and the method for improving the flavor of the beer-taste concentrate, 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 the present embodiment, so reference may be made to these descriptions. EXAMPLES

[0075] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0076] Examples 1 to 9, Comparative Examples 1 to 9 <Preparation of beer-flavored beverage> The crushed barley malt was put into a brewing tank containing 120 L of hot water, and the temperature was gradually raised and maintained, and the water was filtered to remove malt grains and other materials to obtain a saccharified liquid. After filtration, the saccharified liquid, sugar liquid, and hops were put into a boiling kettle and the volume was adjusted to 100 L with hot water to obtain hot wort. The obtained hot wort was cooled and aerated with oxygen to obtain 60 L of pre-fermentation liquid before the addition of yeast. Beer yeast (top-fermenting yeast) was added to the pre-fermentation liquid thus obtained, and the fermentation temperature and fermentation time were adjusted. Alcoholic fermentation was then carried out to obtain a specified alcohol content. The yeast was then removed by filtration to prepare a beer-flavored beverage. In each of the Examples and Comparative Examples, the contents of succinic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic 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.

[0077] <Sensory evaluation> The resulting beer-taste beverage was cooled to approximately 4°C and tasted by six trained panelists, who rated it as follows for the evaluation criteria of "a refreshing taste suitable for a beer-taste beverage" and "a mellow acidity suitable for a beer-taste beverage."

[0078] 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 were prepared in advance that corresponded to the following criteria of "1.0", "1.5", "2.0", "2.5" and "3.0" for each evaluation item, and the criteria were unified among the panelists. Furthermore, in the sensory evaluation of all the examples and comparative examples, no difference in score value of 0.2 or more was confirmed among the panelists for the same sample. Furthermore, in the examples with an overall evaluation of "A" or "B", no panelist gave a score of less than 2.0.

[0079] [A refreshing taste perfect for beer-flavored beverages] - "3.0": The refreshing taste that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage is not felt at all. 2.5: A very strong, refreshing flavor that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage. - "2.0": A strong, refreshing taste that is ideal for beer-flavored beverages. 1.5: A clean, refreshing taste that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage. - "1.0": The clean taste that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage is barely detectable. [Mellow acidity perfect for beer-flavored beverages] - "3.0": A very strong, mellow acidity that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage. 2.5: A strong, mellow acidity that is ideal for beer-flavored beverages. - "2.0": A mild acidity that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage. 1.5: The mellow acidity that is ideal for beer-flavored beverages is barely detectable. 1.0: The mellow acidity that is ideal for a beer-flavored beverage is not detectable at all.

[0080] [comprehensive evaluation] "A": The average score of both sensory evaluation items tested is 2.5 or higher. - "B": Does not fall under "A" or "C". "C": At least one of the two tested sensory evaluation items has a mean score below 2.0.

[0081] [Table 1] [Table 2] [Table 3]

[0082] Examples 10 to 12, Comparative Examples 10 to 12 <Preparation of beer-flavored beverage> In the present examples, the beer-taste beverages prepared in the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative Examples 1 to 3 were used as the beer-taste concentrate solutions to be diluted. The beer-taste concentrate solutions were each diluted four-fold with carbonated water to prepare the beer-taste beverages of Examples 10 to 12 and Comparative Examples 10 to 12. The compositions and properties of the obtained beer-taste beverages, as well as the results of the sensory evaluation, are shown in Table 4. The sensory evaluation was performed in the same manner as in Examples 1 to 9.

[0083] [Table 4]

[0084] From the results in Tables 1 to 3, the beer-taste beverages having an alcohol content of 8.0 (v / v)% or more, a succinic acid content of 110 ppm by mass or more and 1100 ppm by mass or less, and in which the succinic acid content and the succinic acid / acetic acid content ratio were adjusted to satisfy the above formula (1A), had a refreshing taste and a mellow sourness. Also, from the results in Table 4, the beer-taste beverages obtained by diluting the beer-taste concentrate having an alcohol content of 8.0 (v / v)% or more, a succinic acid content of 110 ppm by mass or more and 1100 ppm by mass or less, and in which the succinic acid content and the succinic acid / acetic acid content ratio were adjusted to satisfy the above formula (1A), had a refreshing taste and a mellow sourness.

Claims

1. The alcohol content is 8.00 (v / v)% or more, The succinic acid content is 110 ppm by mass or more and 1100 ppm by mass or less, Satisfies the following formula (1A): Formula (1A): X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] A beer-taste beverage.

2. 2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, having an alcohol content of 50.00 (v / v)% or less.

3. 2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the isoamyl alcohol content is from 10 ppm by mass to 1,000 ppm by mass.

4. Satisfies the following formula (1B): Formula (1B): X2 / Y1>0.32 The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein in the above formula (1B), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).

5. Satisfies the following formula (2A): Formula (2A): X1 / Z≧0.50 The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein in the above formula (2A), X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).

6. Satisfies the following formula (2B): Formula (2B): X2 / Z≧0.78 The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein in the above formula (2B), X2 represents the citric acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).

7. Satisfying the following formula (3): Formula (3): Y1 / Z≧0.66 The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein in the above formula (3), Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Z represents the isoamyl alcohol content (unit: ppm by mass).

8. Satisfying the following formula (4): Formula (4): X / Y1>1.25 The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein in the above formula (4), X represents the total content (unit: ppm by mass) of one or more acidulants selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, citric acid, and succinic acid, and Y1 represents the content (unit: ppm by mass) of acetic acid.

9. 2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the malt ratio is 50 mass% or more.

10. 2. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, which is a fermented beverage.

11. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 10, which is a top-fermented beer-taste beverage.

12. The alcohol content is 8.00 (v / v)% or more, The succinic acid content is 110 ppm by mass or more and 1100 ppm by mass or less, Satisfies the following formula (1A): Formula (1A): X1 / Y1≧0.25 [In the above formula (1A), X1 represents the succinic acid content (unit: ppm by mass), and Y1 represents the acetic acid content (unit: ppm by mass).] Beer-taste concentrate.

13. 13. The beer-taste concentrate according to claim 12, which is a concentrate for dilution 2 to 10 times.

14. A beer-taste beverage produced by mixing the beer-taste concentrate according to claim 12 or 13 with an edible aqueous solution.

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