Citrus-flavored carbonated alcohol beverage

Abstract

To provide a carbonated alcohol beverage with an enhanced citrus flavor.SOLUTION: The present invention provides a citrus-flavored carbonated alcohol beverage containing Siraitia grosvenorii extract.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage, a citrus flavor enhancer for a carbonated alcoholic beverage, and a method for enhancing the citrus flavor of a carbonated alcoholic beverage, and in particular to a carbonated alcoholic beverage with enhanced citrus flavor. [Background technology]

[0002] Among packaged carbonated alcoholic beverages (also known as ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages), such as chuhai and cocktail-flavored drinks, citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverages, especially those with citrus flavors such as lemon, grapefruit, and shekwasha, are very popular. This is thought to be because consumers have been familiar with the above-mentioned citrus flavors since childhood, and because the refreshing flavor and clean taste of citrus fruits go well with carbonated alcoholic beverages.

[0003] Meanwhile, in the carbonated alcoholic beverage market, there has been an increasing emphasis in recent years on compatibility with food, and as a result, drinks with higher carbon dioxide pressure, higher alcohol concentration, and less sweetness have become mainstream.

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned citrus carbonated alcoholic beverage, when the carbon dioxide gas pressure or alcohol concentration is increased, the pungent odor derived from carbon dioxide and alcohol becomes stronger, and the citrus-specific flavor, especially the fresh and green citrus aroma derived from the peel, becomes masked and difficult to feel. Furthermore, when the sweetness is reduced, the mellow and full-bodied bitter-sweet flavor characteristic of citrus becomes difficult to feel. For this reason, it has been difficult to impart a citrus-like flavor to a carbonated alcoholic beverage that has a low sweetness in the past.

[0005] Although not limited to carbonated alcoholic beverages, the following techniques are known as means for enhancing citrus flavor.

[0006] JP 2018-70706 A (Patent Document 1) describes a citrus-like flavor enhancer containing 3-paramenten-7-al as an active ingredient, and claims to be able to provide a citrus-like flavor enhancer that can enhance the citrus-like flavor, in particular the fresh peel feeling and juicy fruit feeling that are characteristic of citrus fruits.

[0007] JP 2017-99371 A (Patent Document 2) describes a packaged carbonated alcoholic beverage having a carbohydrate content of 2 w / v% or less and containing citrus juice and / or flavoring, and containing 200 to 2000 ppm of potassium citrate. It is claimed that this makes it possible to provide a packaged carbonated alcoholic beverage that is a low-sugar citrus-based packaged carbonated alcoholic beverage, reducing the irritating feeling caused by alcohol, etc., and enhancing the citrus feeling (the deliciousness of citrus fruits).

[0008] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2009-203438 (Patent Document 3) describes a citrus flavor enhancer containing (E)-6-nonenal as an active ingredient, and claims to be able to provide a citrus flavor enhancer that can impart a full-bodied flavor reminiscent of citrus peel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-70706 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-99371 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2009-203438 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2014-60953 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2014-93980 A [Patent Document 6] Patent No. 6420057 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a carbonated alcoholic beverage having enhanced citrus flavor by a method different from that of the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel citrus flavor enhancer and a method for enhancing citrus flavor for carbonated alcoholic beverages. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] As a result of intensive research into achieving the above-mentioned object, the present inventors discovered that the citrus flavor can be enhanced by adding an extract of Monk Fruit to a citrus carbonated alcoholic beverage, particularly a carbonated alcoholic beverage with a low sweetness, and thus completed the present invention.

[0012] Incidentally, Monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) is a perennial vine plant of the Cucurbitaceae family native to the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China, which contains sweet substances and is used as a sweetener in cooking, or dried and crushed and boiled to make Monk fruit tea. The main sweet component of Monk fruit is a triterpene glycoside called mogroside, which has a unique and strong sweetness. Luo Han Guo extract is known to have effects such as enhancing the richness and full body of beer or beer-flavored sparkling beverages (JP Patent Publication No. 2014-60953, Patent Document 4), masking unpleasant flavors in foods and beverages (JP Patent Publication No. 2014-93980, Patent Document 5), and enhancing the juicy flavor of alcoholic beverages containing plum juice (Patent Publication No. 6420057, Patent Document 6). However, its effect of enhancing the citrus flavor of citrus carbonated alcoholic beverages has not been known until now.

[0013] That is, the citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains Momordica Leaf extract.

[0014] A suitable embodiment of the citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains 0.05 to 10 ppm of Momordica extract.

[0015] In another preferable embodiment of the citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the alcohol content is 3 v / v % or more.

[0016] In another preferable embodiment of the citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the alcohol content is 10 v / v % or less.

[0017] In another preferred embodiment of the citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the carbon dioxide pressure is 2.3 gas volumes or more.

[0018] In another preferable embodiment of the citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the sweetness in terms of sucrose is 5.0 g / 100 ml or less.

[0019] In another preferable embodiment of the citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the fruit juice content is 5% or less.

[0020] In another preferred embodiment of the citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, it contains no fruit juice.

[0021] In addition, the citrus flavor enhancer for the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains Momordica Leaf extract.

[0022] The method for enhancing the citrus flavor of a carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention is characterized by adding a Momordica extract.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the method for enhancing citrus flavor in a carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the carbonated alcoholic beverage contains 0.05 to 10 ppm of a Momordica extract.

[0024] In another preferred embodiment of the method for enhancing citrus flavor in a carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the carbonated alcoholic beverage contains no fruit juice. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, a carbonated alcoholic beverage having enhanced citrus flavor can be provided. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a citrus flavor enhancer and a method for enhancing citrus flavor for carbonated alcoholic beverages, particularly carbonated alcoholic beverages with a low sweetness. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] The citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention or the alcoholic beverage of the present invention) is described in detail below. The carbonated alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains Monk Fruit Extract. According to the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the citrus flavor of the carbonated alcoholic beverage can be enhanced by blending Monk Fruit Extract.

[0027] In this specification, the term "alcoholic beverage" refers to a beverage containing ethyl alcohol, and generally refers to a beverage in which the concentration of ethyl alcohol in the beverage is 1% by volume or more per 100% of the original volume at a temperature of 15° C. Specific examples of alcoholic beverages generally include brewed alcoholic beverages such as sake, beer, and wine, distilled alcoholic beverages such as shochu, whiskey, brandy, and vodka, and mixed alcoholic beverages such as chuhai, cocktails, plum wine, and liqueurs, but the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a citrus-flavored alcoholic beverage and is suitable as chuhai, cocktails, cocktail-flavored beverages, and the like.

[0028] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention is preferably a beverage in which a distilled liquor is used as a raw material liquor and the alcohol content is adjusted by adding water or the like. In this specification, "distilled liquor" refers to a distilled liquor as defined in the Liquor Tax Law. Examples of distilled liquor include shochu, spirits, vodka, rum, gin, whiskey, and raw material alcohol, etc., and raw material alcohol, etc. are preferred. The raw material liquor may be used alone or in combination of two or more types.

[0029] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention preferably has an alcohol content of 3 v / v% or more, more preferably 5 v / v% or more, and even more preferably 7 v / v% or more. Since the alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains the Monk Fruit extract, the citrus flavor can be enhanced even if the alcohol content is within the above-specified range. In addition, the upper limit of the alcoholic content of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is preferably 10 v / v% or less, and more preferably 9 v / v% or less.

[0030] In this specification, the alcohol content is expressed as the percentage of the volume of ethyl alcohol contained in an alcoholic beverage relative to the total volume of the alcoholic beverage, and is expressed as "v / v %".

[0031] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention is an alcoholic beverage imparted with a citrus flavor (citrus-flavored alcoholic beverage), and the citrus flavor can be imparted to the alcoholic beverage by blending citrus juice and / or flavorings (flavors). Since the alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains the Monk Fruit Extract, it has a high effect of enhancing the citrus flavor, and can impart a citrus-like flavor to even a carbonated alcoholic beverage with a low sweetness, for example.

[0032] Examples of citrus juice include lemon juice, grapefruit juice, shikuwasa juice, orange juice, mandarin orange juice, lime juice, yuzu juice, kabosu juice, and iyokan juice. When fruit juice is added to the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the fruit juice content is preferably 5% or less, more preferably 3% or less, even more preferably 1% or less, and may be 0% (no fruit juice). When the alcoholic beverage contains low or no fruit juice, the aftertaste of the beverage can be made refreshing and it can be made to go well with meals. On the other hand, when the alcoholic beverage contains low or no fruit juice, the citrus flavor is mainly imparted by the flavoring, but the alcoholic beverage of the present invention can impart a sufficiently citrus-like flavor because the monk fruit extract has a high effect of enhancing the citrus flavor.

[0033] In this specification, the fruit juice content is expressed as the percentage of the weight of the fruit juice contained in the alcoholic beverage relative to the total volume of the alcoholic beverage, and "%" can also be expressed as "w / v %". In addition, when the fruit juice is not straight juice but concentrated juice, the content means the value converted into straight juice. The method of conversion into straight juice is performed using the standard value of sugar content or acidity specific to each fruit determined by JAS standard (Japanese Agricultural Standard for Fruit Drinks). Specifically, the concentration ratio of the fruit juice can be calculated by measuring the sugar refractometer reading (sugar content) or acidity of the sample fruit juice and dividing it by the standard value of sugar content or acidity specific to the fruit.

[0034] Examples of citrus flavors include lemon flavor, grapefruit flavor, shikuwasa flavor, orange flavor, mandarin orange flavor, lime flavor, yuzu flavor, kabosu flavor, iyokan flavor, etc. When the alcoholic beverage of the present invention has low fruit juice content or no fruit juice, the flavor content is, for example, 0.1 to 5.0 g / L.

[0035] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention is an alcoholic beverage containing carbon dioxide gas (carbonated alcoholic beverage). In the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the carbon dioxide gas pressure is preferably 2.3 gas volumes (GV) or more, more preferably 2.8 gas volumes (GV) or more, and even more preferably 3.3 gas volumes (GV) or more. Since the alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains the Monk Fruit extract, the citrus flavor can be enhanced even if the carbon dioxide gas pressure is within the above-specified range. In addition, in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the upper limit of the carbon dioxide gas pressure is, for example, 4.3 gas volumes (GV) or less.

[0036] In this specification, carbon dioxide pressure refers to the amount of carbon dioxide in an alcoholic beverage, and indicates the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide dissolved in an alcoholic beverage to the volume of the alcoholic beverage under standard conditions (1 atmosphere, 20°C) (gas volume (GV) is used as the unit). Carbon dioxide pressure can be measured, for example, using a gas volume measuring device GVA-500B manufactured by Kyoto Electronics Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

[0037] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention preferably has a sweetness of 5.0 g / 100 ml or less in terms of sucrose, more preferably 3.0 g / 100 ml or less, and even more preferably 1.0 g / 100 ml or less. When the sweetness of the alcoholic beverage is low, the aftertaste of the beverage can be made refreshing, and it can be made to go well with meals. On the other hand, in an alcoholic beverage with a low sweetness, the bitterness and sweetness specific to citrus may be difficult to feel due to the pungent odor derived from carbonic acid and alcohol, but in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the effect of enhancing the citrus flavor by the Monk fruit extract is high, so that it can be imparted with a sufficiently citrus-like flavor. In addition, in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the lower limit of the sweetness of the sucrose equivalent may be, for example, 0 g / 100 ml.

[0038] In this specification, sweetness in sucrose equivalent (hereinafter simply referred to as sweetness) is a parameter that indicates the sweetness of an alcoholic beverage, and is a parameter obtained by converting the content of sweeteners contained in an alcoholic beverage into sucrose from the perspective of sweetness. Specifically, for each sweetener contained in an alcoholic beverage, the concentration (g / 100ml) of the sweetener is multiplied by the "sweetness" of the sweetener to obtain the content of each sweetener when converted into sucrose (g / 100ml). The total sucrose-equivalent content of all sweeteners contained in the alcoholic beverage (g / 100ml) is then obtained as the "sweetness" of the alcoholic beverage. In this specification, the sweetness of the sweetener is determined based on the value given in the "Dictionary of Beverage Terms, published June 25, 1999, Beverage Japan Co., Ltd., Reference 11." When there is a range of sweetness values, the median value is used. For example, the sweetness of some typical sweeteners is as follows: Glucose (sweetness level 0.65) Fructose (sweetness level 1.5) Sucralose (sweetness level 600) Acesulfame potassium (sweetness level 200) Aspartame (sweetness level 200)

[0039] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains a Momordica extract, which, as described above, can enhance the citrus flavor of the carbonated alcoholic beverage. In this specification, "Monk Fruit Extract" refers to the "Monk Fruit Extract" as defined in the 9th Edition of the Japanese Standards for Food Additives published by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Specifically, it is defined as an extract obtained from the fruit of Monk Fruit (Siraitia grosvenorii (Swingle) C. Jeffrey ex A Lu & Zhi Y. Zhang (Momordica grosvenorii Swingle)) and containing mogrosides as the main component. Here, the main component refers to the component that occupies the highest proportion of a substance. Furthermore, as defined in the 9th Edition of the Japanese Standards for Food Additives, Monk Fruit Extract contains mogroside V (C 60 H 102 O 29 =1287.43)20% or more, and is obtained by extraction from the fruit of Monk Fruit with water, ethanol, hydrous ethanol, or the like. For example, Monk Fruit extracts containing 30% or more by mass of mogroside V and Monk Fruit extracts containing 50% or more by mass of mogroside V are commercially available. The Monk Fruit extract is in the form of a light yellow to light brown powder, and has a sweet taste.

[0040] In the alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the content of the Monk fruit extract is preferably 0.05 to 10 ppm. From the viewpoint of improving the effect of enhancing citrus flavor, the content of the Monk fruit extract in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is more preferably 0.1 ppm or more, even more preferably 0.5 ppm or more, and particularly preferably 1.0 ppm or more. In addition, the Monk fruit extract is known as a sweetener and has a high sweetness. For this reason, it is preferable to add it to a degree that does not affect the sweetness of the alcoholic beverage, and the content of the Monk fruit extract in the alcoholic beverage of the present invention is more preferably 9.0 ppm or less, even more preferably 7.0 ppm or less, and particularly preferably 5.0 ppm or less.

[0041] In this specification, when the content of a component is expressed in ppm, the content is parts per million by weight of the component contained in the alcoholic beverage relative to the total volume of the alcoholic beverage. "ppm" can also be written as "w / v ppm."

[0042] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may further contain a sweetener to adjust the sweetness. Examples of the sweetener include natural sweeteners such as fructose, sugar, high fructose liquid sugar, glucose, maltose, sucrose, high fructose liquid sugar, sugar alcohol, oligosaccharides, honey, starch syrup, stevia powder, stevia extract, licorice powder, licorice extract, Thaumatococcus daniellii seed powder, and Thaumatococcus daniellii seed extract, and artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, aspartame, and saccharin. These sweeteners may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0043] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention may further contain an acidulant. Specific examples of the acidulant include adipic acid, citric acid, sodium citrate (e.g., trisodium citrate), glucono-delta-lactone, gluconic acid, potassium gluconate, sodium gluconate, succinic acid, monosodium succinate, disodium succinate, sodium acetate, DL-tartaric acid, L-tartaric acid, sodium DL-tartrate, L-sodium tartrate, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, sodium lactate, glacial acetic acid, fumaric acid, monosodium fumarate, DL-malic acid, sodium DL-malate, phosphoric acid, and salts thereof (potassium salt, sodium salt). The acidulant can also be used as a pH adjuster. These acidulants may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

[0044] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention preferably has an acidity of 0.05 to 0.80 g / 100 mL, and more preferably 0.10 to 0.60 g / 100 mL. For example, the acidity can be adjusted by adding the above-mentioned acidulants. The acidity is calculated based on the acidity measurement method for total acid (free acid) specified on page 8 of the National Tax Agency's Specified Analytical Method (National Tax Agency Ordinance No. 6 of 2007). In detail, the acidity can be measured by the following method. Accurately measure 1-50ml of sample and dilute with water. Titrate with 0.1mol / L sodium hydroxide solution, set the end point to 8.2 on the pH meter, and calculate using the following formula. (Formula 1): Acidity (%) = A x f x 100 / W x 0.0064 (in the case of citric acid acidity) A: Titration volume (ml) of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution f: Potency of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution W: sample weight (g) In addition, in Formula 1, "0.0064" is the "weight (g) of anhydrous citric acid equivalent to 1 ml of 0.1 mol / L sodium hydroxide solution."

[0045] The pH of the alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be appropriately set depending on the type of beverage, and is adjusted, for example, to within the range of 2.0 to 5.0.

[0046] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention contains drinking water and may contain colorants, flavorings, etc., as appropriate, depending on the type of alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention may further contain, as necessary, raw materials and food additives that are commonly used in the food industry, such as pH adjusters (such as baking soda), vitamins, peptides, amino acids, water-soluble dietary fiber, antioxidants, stabilizers, emulsifiers, etc.

[0047] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be provided as a carbonated alcoholic beverage in a container. The container is not particularly limited, but includes bottles, cans, barrels, plastic containers such as PET bottles, paper containers, and the like.

[0048] The alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be produced by a conventional method, but the method for producing an alcoholic beverage of the present invention includes adding a Monk fruit extract to the alcoholic beverage. In the method for producing an alcoholic beverage of the present invention, the timing of adding the Monk fruit extract is not particularly limited, and it can be added at any timing. For example, the Monk fruit extract can be added at any timing during the production process of the alcoholic beverage, or the Monk fruit extract can be added when the alcoholic beverage is produced and consumed. The Monk fruit extract can also be used in the form of a citrus flavor enhancer containing the Monk fruit extract, as described below.

[0049] For example, the alcoholic beverage of the present invention can be prepared by mixing various components appropriately selected according to the type of the beverage, and adding carbon dioxide gas to the resulting mixture. Here, the Monk Fruit Extract can be mixed with other components, or added after adding carbon dioxide gas. The Monk Fruit Extract can be added at any time. Carbon dioxide gas can be dissolved in the mixture by directly adding carbon dioxide gas, or carbonated water can be added to the mixture. In addition, after mixing the ingredients and adding carbon dioxide gas, filtration may be performed to remove insoluble matter.Then, the mixture is filled into containers and sealed to produce an alcoholic beverage as a packaged beverage.

[0050] Next, the citrus flavor enhancer for carbonated alcoholic beverages of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the citrus flavor enhancer of the present invention) will be described in detail. The citrus flavor enhancer of the present invention is a citrus flavor enhancer for use in carbonated alcoholic beverages, and contains Monk Fruit Extract. By blending the citrus flavor enhancer of the present invention in a citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage, particularly a citrus flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage with a low sweetness, the citrus flavor of the carbonated alcoholic beverage can be enhanced.

[0051] In the citrus flavor enhancer of the present invention, the content of the Monk fruit extract is not particularly limited. For example, it may be 20% by mass or more, or it may be composed of only Monk fruit extract. Examples of ingredients that can be blended in the citrus flavor enhancer of the present invention include sweeteners, acidulants, starches, dextrin, flavors, etc. The citrus flavor enhancer of the present invention can be prepared by mixing the Monk fruit extract with various ingredients appropriately selected as necessary.

[0052] Next, the method for enhancing the citrus flavor of carbonated alcoholic beverages of the present invention (hereinafter also referred to as the citrus flavor enhancing method of the present invention) will be described in detail. The method for enhancing the citrus flavor of the present invention includes a step of adding a Monk Fruit extract. According to the method for enhancing the citrus flavor of the present invention, the citrus flavor of a citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage, particularly a citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage with a low sweetness, can be enhanced by adding a Monk Fruit extract.

[0053] In the citrus flavor enhancing method of the present invention, the timing of adding the Monk Fruit extract is not particularly limited, and can be added at any timing.For example, the Monk Fruit extract can be added at any timing during the production process of alcoholic beverage, or after the production of alcoholic beverage, the Monk Fruit extract can be added when drinking.In addition, the Monk Fruit extract can be added in the form of a citrus flavor enhancer that contains the Monk Fruit extract.

[0054] In the method for enhancing citrus flavor of the present invention, it is preferable to include 0.05 to 10 ppm of Monk fruit extract in the carbonated alcoholic beverage from the viewpoint of improving the effect of enhancing citrus flavor. In addition, in the method for enhancing citrus flavor of the present invention, the carbonated alcoholic beverage may be juice-free. When the alcoholic beverage is juice-free, the citrus flavor is mainly imparted by the flavoring, but the Monk fruit extract has a high effect of enhancing the citrus flavor, so that a sufficiently citrus-like flavor can be imparted. EXAMPLES

[0055] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to the following examples in any way.

[0056] (Test 1) Sensory evaluation of lemon-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage <Example of preparation of carbonated alcoholic beverage> Carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 1 (lemon) (alcohol content 9.0 v / v%, carbon dioxide pressure 3.8 gas volume (GV), sweetness equivalent to sucrose 3.0) was prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 1, and this was used as beverage sample 1-1 (control). In addition, the amount of Monk Fruit extract (Sunnature M50, San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) shown in Table 2 was added to 1000 ml of base liquid 1 (lemon) prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 1 to prepare beverage samples 1-2 to 1-9.

[0057] <Sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages> For beverage samples 1-1 to 1-9, four trained panelists (one man in his 40s, one woman in her 40s, and two men in their 30s) performed sensory evaluations of "intensity of citrus-like flavor," "intensity of citrus-like aroma," and "overall citrus-likeness" according to the following evaluation criteria. The panelists' average scores and comments are shown in the upper part of Table 2, and the scores of each panelist (top row: intensity of citrus-like flavor, middle row: intensity of citrus-like aroma, bottom row: overall citrus-likeness) are shown in the lower part of Table 2.

[0058] <Evaluation criteria> (Strength of citrus flavor) In comparison with beverage sample 1-1 (control; no added Monk fruit extract, score 3), samples with the same intensity of citrus flavor were given a score of 3, and rated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5. 5 points: stronger than the control, 4 points: slightly stronger than the control, 3 points: similar to the control, 2 points: slightly weaker than the control, 1 point: weaker than the control. (Strong citrus scent) In comparison with beverage sample 1-1 (control; no added Monk fruit extract, score 3), samples with the same intensity of citrus-like aroma were given a score of 3, and rated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5. 5 points: stronger than the control, 4 points: slightly stronger than the control, 3 points: similar to the control, 2 points: slightly weaker than the control, 1 point: weaker than the control. (Overall citrus flavor) In comparison with beverage sample 1-1 (control; no added Monk fruit extract, score 3), the overall citrus flavor was rated at 3 points, and rated on a 5-point scale from 1 to 5 points, with 5 points being given: 5 points: stronger than the control, 4 points: slightly stronger than the control, 3 points: the same as the control, 2 points: slightly weaker than the control, and 1 point: weaker than the control.

[0059] When the luo han jiao extract was added to the carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 1 (lemon) in the range of 0.05 to 10 ppm, the intensity of the citrus-like taste and the intensity of the citrus-like aroma were significantly improved, and the overall citrus-likeness was strengthened. When the luo han jiao extract was added to the carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 1 (lemon) in the range of 50 ppm, the citrus-like taste was enhanced, but the bitterness and unpleasant taste were also strengthened, and the citrus-likeness was evaluated lower. In addition, when the content of the luo han jiao extract was 10 ppm or more, an artificial flavor was felt.

[0060] [Table 1]

[0061] [Table 2]

[0062] (Test 2) Sensory evaluation when carbon dioxide pressure is changed Beverage sample 2-1 (without the addition of Momordica extract) was prepared in the same manner as beverage sample 1-1, except that the carbon dioxide pressure was changed from 3.8 GV to 2.3 GV. Beverage sample 2-2 (with addition of 1.0 mg / 1000 ml of Momordica extract) was prepared in the same manner as beverage sample 1-5, except that the carbon dioxide pressure was changed from 3.8 GV to 2.3 GV. As in Test 1, a five-point sensory evaluation was conducted on the beverage sample 1-1 (control; no added Monk fruit extract, score 3) for "intensity of citrus-like taste," "intensity of citrus-like aroma," and "overall citrus-likeness," in comparison with the beverage sample 1-1. The panelists' average scores and comments are shown in the upper part of Table 3, and the scores of each panelist (upper row: intensity of citrus-like taste, middle row: intensity of citrus-like aroma, lower row: overall citrus-likeness) are shown in the lower part of Table 3.

[0063] In a comparison without the addition of Monk Fruit extract, beverage sample 2-1 (carbon dioxide pressure 2.3 GV) had a stronger citrus flavor and aroma than beverage sample 1-1 (carbon dioxide pressure 3.8 GV). Even when the carbon dioxide pressure was changed to 2.3 GV, it was confirmed that the addition of Monk Fruit extract improved the strength of the citrus flavor and aroma, and also enhanced the overall citrus flavor.

[0064] [Table 3]

[0065] (Test 3) Sensory evaluation of grapefruit-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage <Example of preparation of carbonated alcoholic beverage> Carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 2 (grapefruit) (alcohol content 9.0 v / v%, carbon dioxide pressure 3.8 gas volume (GV), sweetness in sucrose equivalent 3.0) was prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 4 and used as beverage sample 3-1 (control). In addition, beverage sample 3-2 was prepared by adding 1.0 mg of Monk Fruit extract (Sunnature M50, San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) to 1000 ml of carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 2 (grapefruit).

[0066] <Sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages> A 5-point sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages was conducted in the same manner as in Test 1, except that samples that were comparable in "intensity of citrus-like taste," "intensity of citrus-like aroma," and "overall citrus-likeness" were given a score of 3 in comparison with beverage sample 3-1 (control; no added Monk Fruit extract, score 3). The panelists' average scores and comments are shown in the upper part of Table 5, and the scores of each panelist (top row: intensity of citrus-like taste, middle row: intensity of citrus-like aroma, bottom row: overall citrus-likeness) are shown in the lower part of Table 5.

[0067] It was also confirmed that the addition of Monk Fruit extract to grapefruit-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverages improved the intensity of the citrus-like taste and citrus-like aroma, thereby enhancing the overall citrus-like flavor.

[0068] [Table 4]

[0069] [Table 5]

[0070] (Test 4) Sensory evaluation of Shikuwasa-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage <Example of preparation of carbonated alcoholic beverage> Carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 3 (Shikuwasa) (alcohol content 9.0 v / v%, carbon dioxide pressure 3.8 gas volume (GV), sweetness in sucrose equivalent 3.0) was prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 6, and this was used as beverage sample 4-1 (control). In addition, beverage sample 4-2 was prepared by adding 1.0 mg of Momordica extract (Sunnature M50, manufactured by San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) to 1000 ml of carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 3 (Shikuwasa).

[0071] <Sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages> A 5-point sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages was conducted in the same manner as in Test 1, except that samples that were comparable in "intensity of citrus-like taste," "intensity of citrus-like aroma," and "overall citrus-likeness" were given a score of 3 in comparison with beverage sample 4-1 (control; no added Monk Fruit extract, score 3). The panelists' average scores and comments are shown in the upper part of Table 7, and the scores of each panelist (top row: intensity of citrus-like taste, middle row: intensity of citrus-like aroma, bottom row: overall citrus-likeness) are shown in the lower part of Table 7.

[0072] It was also confirmed that the addition of Momordica extract to a carbonated alcoholic beverage with a shekwasha flavor improves the intensity of the citrus-like taste and citrus-like aroma, thereby enhancing the overall citrus-like flavor.

[0073] [Table 6]

[0074] [Table 7]

[0075] (Test 5) Sensory evaluation of lemon-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverages that do not contain fruit juice <Example of preparation of carbonated alcoholic beverage> Carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 4 (lemon) (alcohol content 9.0 v / v%, carbon dioxide pressure 3.8 gas volume (GV), sweetness in sucrose equivalent 3.0) was prepared according to the recipe shown in Table 8 (a recipe in which lemon juice was removed from base liquid 1), and this was used as beverage sample 5-1 (control). In addition, 1.0 mg of Monk Fruit Extract (Sunnature M50, San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) was added to 1000 ml of carbonated alcoholic beverage base liquid 4 (lemon) to prepare beverage sample 5-2, and 1.0 mg of Monk Fruit Extract (Sunnature M50, San-Ei Gen F.F.I. Co., Ltd.) and 30.0 g of lemon juice (straight equivalent) were added to prepare beverage sample 5-3.

[0076] <Sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages> A 5-point sensory evaluation of carbonated alcoholic beverages was conducted in the same manner as in Test 1, except that samples that were comparable in "intensity of citrus-like taste," "intensity of citrus-like aroma," and "overall citrus-likeness" were given a score of 3 in comparison with beverage sample 5-1 (control; no added Monk Fruit extract, score 3). The panelists' average scores and comments are shown in the upper part of Table 9, and each panelist's score (top row: intensity of citrus-like taste, middle row: intensity of citrus-like aroma, bottom row: overall citrus-likeness) is shown in the lower part of Table 9.

[0077] It was confirmed that, regardless of the presence or absence of citrus juice, the addition of Monk Fruit extract improves the intensity of the citrus flavor and the intensity of the citrus aroma, and also enhances the overall citrus flavor.

[0078] [Table 8]

[0079] [Table 9]

Claims

1. The carbonated alcoholic drink with citrus flavor contains 0.05 to 10 ppm of Luo Han Guo extract and also contains a citrus flavoring, and is fruit juice-free.

2. A citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage as described in claim 1, wherein the content of the flavoring is 0.1 to 5.0 g / L.

3. The citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage according to claim 1 or 2, having an alcohol content of 3 v / v% or more.

4. The citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, having an alcohol content of 10 v / v % or less.

5. The citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, having a carbon dioxide pressure of 2.3 gas volumes or more.

6. The citrus-flavored carbonated alcoholic beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, having a sweetness level in terms of sucrose of 5.0 g / 100 ml or less.

7. A citrus flavor enhancer for a fruit juice-free carbonated alcoholic beverage, comprising: The citrus flavor enhancer contains 0.05 to 10 ppm of Monk Fruit extract and also contains a citrus flavoring.

8. A citrus flavor enhancer as described in claim 7, wherein the content of the flavoring is 0.1 to 5.0 g / L.

9. A method for enhancing citrus flavor in a carbonated alcoholic beverage, comprising adding a Luo Han Guo extract, The carbonated alcoholic beverage contains 0.05 to 10 ppm of the Monk Fruit extract and a citrus fruit flavoring, The method wherein the carbonated alcoholic beverage is fruit juice-free.

10. The method described in claim 9, wherein the content of the fragrance is 0.1 to 5.0 g / L.